This is a real longshot- 3 garages have failed to diagnose my car's problem...can anyone help?!

[NeatFreak]

My car (2005, 22k miles on clock) has been making an annoying noise for some time. When I brake at low speed it makes a weird creaking noise from the front left hand side (near wheel) and again when I pull off. It doesn't do it when I'm driving or braking at speed (only when I've slowed right down), although it does sometimes feel a bit juddery when I brake at any speed (could be my imagination though)
1st garage was a tyre, brakes, exhaust place and spent an hour examining it but declared everything fine. I went back a week later, they looked again and said it was the shock absorbers. Another garage looked at it, declared everything OK and said shocks were fine. As it is still making this noise I tried yet another garage today who said-guess what- everything was OK and couldn't identify the fault. Definitely not the shock absorbers so 1st garage were clearly trying to con me out of £500.

I know absolutely nothing about cars but this noise is driving me mad, I am dreaming about it and can't listen to the radio in the car because I'm constantly listening for it . Could anyone come up with some specific suggestions i could make to a mechanic to check? [desperate emoticon]. We have a huge drive in a few weeks and really want the noise to be gone!

wheel bearings?

Debris in between the brake disk and the wheel?

Something loose in the car?

The more I think about it the more I think it's the wheel bearings. Can cause juddering and odd noises.

Were the bearings checked?

You could try and google a car forum for your make and model...they tend to be full of blokes who will flock to show off their diagnostics skills if you admit to being female

Yeah, I diagnose wheel bearings too they can make very odd 'pinking' or creaking noises when gone, especially when slowing down and turning corners.

I'm afraid if it is the wheel bearings it is not something you just want to leave, because they can seize up and you don't really want this to happen at speed...

Thanks all, I have no idea if the wheel bearings were checked. It's just been serviced and MOTd then checked by 3 garages so I'd have hoped they'd oick something like that up.

I now have to work out if I;m brave enough to go back to the garage and say 'my mate on mumsnet said you have to check the wheel bearings on my car'...

My car is quite an obscure make so I doubt there'd be a forum but you never know,will have a look.

Sorry, j ust read the rest of the thread.
Its definitely nothing inside the car- I've emptied it completely and it's new so hasn't accumulated family junk yet.

Dare I ask how much replacement wheel bearings cost?!

I have a feeling (vague memory) that to check if the bearing needs replacing you have to take the whole wheel and behind it off, which is why they may not have checked it as standard. (Although I might be making it up)

Is there unever wear on your tyre? That's another sign it's the bearings.

I don't think it's hugely expensive, the parts aren't at least.

Go to the garage and say that a friend suggested it was the bearings and could they check them please.

If it is the bearings then it must be sorted asap as every time you drive anywhere you're doing damage to your wheel and breaking distance can be affected.

If it's the bearings i can't believe any garage would fail to find this out, it's ridiculous, and puts you out of pocket.

if it were a clunking, I'm your woman, i just has my cv joint changed. This happens only when manouvering at very slow speed, or turning corner slowly.

I belong to my car's forum, i love it there, i can get all greasy with the lads!!

unrequited love

I have just found a forum for my car so have posted a question. Fingers crossed!
It doesn't do it when turning corners or changing speed, I'm convinced it is related to braking but I really do know nothing about cars!

I've had my bearings missed by garages before (sounds a lot dirtier than it is). Almost caused an accident

Suggest a CV joint too and make sure it's all fixed.