Sounds are one of the quickest ways to detect a car problem. Certain car problems present with an abnormal sound almost the instance the fault ensues.
An example of such is the flat tire condition. Although dreaded, early detection of a flat tire is highly desired as it cuts down the extent of damage that this could cause to the tire or other car parts.
So, what does a flat tire sound like? Depending on the stage of the deflation, a flat tire produces two different types of sounds. At the initial state when the tire is actively losing air at a considerable tire pressure, the type of sound heard is more like a hissing sound.
The hissing sound is produced as a result of air under considerable pressure forcing its way out of the tire through the punctured hole.
This causes the creation of a characteristics hissing sound. However, as the air continuously leaves the tire causing it to become flat, the sound changes and becomes more of a flapping sound.
The flapping or thumping sound at this stage is created by the airless flappy tire impacting the road during its rotational movement.
While the hissing sound may go unnoticed especially if the car windows are completely rolled up while the stereo is buzzing with loud music sound, the characteristic flapping sound made by the flat tires is rarely missed. This is because, at this point, the flat tire can be felt at the steering wheel in the form of vibration.
Passersby at this point may also begin to draw your attention to the airless tires, with gestures that a need for you to stop and take a look at your tire.
The sound of a flat tire during acceleration
The sound associated with a flat tire explained above is a flapping type of sound and is ascribed to a car accelerating with a flat tire. The loudness of this sound depends on the speed of the car, that is, as the car speeds up, the sound gets louder. Even for an expert driver, speeding with an airless tire is extremely risky and can lead to loss of control of the car.
However, with increasing acceleration, the sound increases in frequency, and at some point, it synchronizes with that of the engine sound becoming indifferentiable.
What does a flat tire sound like when the brakes are applied?
As mentioned above, flat tires make a flapping type of sound when the car accelerates, which increases along with the speed of the car. So, when the brakes are applied, the car slows down and therefore the loudness of the sound consequently decreases along with the decreasing speed.
What is best is to slow down at the very instance when a flat tire is suspected to reduce the amount of damage that could potentially be done to the tire, rim, and other associated parts.
Causes of a fake flat tire noise
For those already used to the sound made by a flat tire, sometime, while driving, one could hear a sound similar to this and may find the tires to be in perfect shape upon stopping for inspection. This usually leaves most persons confused as to the cause of the flake flat tire sound and the course of action to take in such a situation.
The confusion in this state is usually regarding what to do, should one get back into the car ignoring the fake flat tire sound or should this be of great concern necessitating a need to take action?
Whenever such sound is heard, the tires should be the first because that should come to the mind of the driver. In that case, to prevent further damage to the tires, slow down immediately after a careful look at the distance of the vehicles at your rear.
Look for a favorable parking spot where the car will be out of the way of other road users and do a full inspection of all four tires.
If at the end of the inspection, all four tires are observed in be in perfect condition with optimal tire pressure, then other causes of such noise can be brought into consideration.
While it may be considered a riddle to hear a flat tire sound and not find any flat tires upon inspection, it should always be remembered that the flapping sound is not a monopoly of flat tires. Therefore, you should not dismiss the significance of such sound when heard without an actual flat tire.
The commonest causes of such sound aside from a flat tire include problems with the rim such as a bent rim from impacting on potholes, misalignment of the wheel, and problems with the bearing.
These are crucial parts and when there is any indication of a problem with any of them such as an abnormal sound, prompt action should be taken to have them inspected to know whether or not further action Is required.
Here is a detailed explanation of some of the causes of flat tire sound unrelated to a flat tire.
A defective tire
There are certain tire conditions that the tired defective and due for replacement. An example of such is a bubble on the tire’s sidewall. When this happens, be rest assured that such tire has reached the end of its lifespan and it is now time to have it replaced.
Amongst the commonest cause of a flapping noise that is not caused by a flat tire is a bulge on the sidewall of the tire. Such bulge result from a break in the belt, driving with such a tire puts you and other road users at risk and should therefore be avoided.
The commonest cause of such a bulge on a tire’s sidewall is a result of running at full speed over a bump or into a pothole without applying the brakes.
Such impact will cause the tire belt to get broken and become irreparable. Unfortunately, there is no fixing of a bulge on the tire’s sidewall, the only available option in this situation is to get a new tire.
suboptimal tire pressure
One of the possible causes of pseudo flat tire noise is suboptimal tire pressure. When the tire pressure is below the optimal level, driving with such a tire could lead to the generation of a sound similar to that made by a flat tire.
Before driving, the four tires should be carefully observed to make sure they are all in good condition. Note, however, that in most cases, a mare examination of the tires with the naked eye may cause one to miss a low-pressure tire, especially when not compared with other tires.
The tire pressure sensors are a more accurate way of determining whether the tire has an optimal level of pressure or not. The tires with a low pressure are flagged on the dashboard necessitating a need for inflating such tires before driving with them.
When a car with suboptimal tire pressure is driven, aside from the associated noise this may cause, can also affect the lifespan of the tire as well as the rim when the car is driven on a bad road with numerous potholes, especially by a driver that does not slow down when approaching a pothole or is unfamiliar with the road.
Problem with wheel alignment
When the wheels become misalignment, depending on the degree of the misalignment, you may lose full control of the car as it swerves to the right or left side of the road each time the hands are lifted off the steering wheel. In addition to this, the misaligned wheel causes the car tires to wear off unevenly, resulting in a noisy ride.
Other causes of such sound as sighted earlier also include a deformed rim which can lead to deflation of the tire. Rim deformation commonly results from impact from running into potholes or driving speeding over a speed bump without slowing down prior.
How unsafe is driving with a tire that sounds like a flat tire?
Considering the number of road accidents and the fraction of this statistic caused by the bad state of the car, it is a careless act to continue driving a car that makes abnormal noises such as that associated with a flat tire.
A noise such as this, could either be caused by a flat tire or by other causes as sighted earlier, which are equally unsafe and life-threatening and should be taken as such.
Whatever the case may be, be it a defective tire, as seen in the case of a tire with a bulge on the tire’s sidewall, or the case of a misaligned wheel or a rim or issues with the bearing, any of these can cause the driver to drift off the road, endangering his life and that of others on the road.
How do you handle flat tire noises?
With immediate effect, as soon as an abnormal noise coming from your vehicle is heard, stop the car and check thoroughly the state of the tires.
Make sure none of the tires is flat or has a suboptimal level of air pressure and that none has a bulging on its sidewall. If the noise is not a result of any of these, then the car should be taken to a mechanic for a proper diagnosis of the cause of the noise.
What Does A Flat Tire Sound Like – Conclusion
Flatcar tires develop a characteristic sound that starts as a hissing sound made as the air forces its way out of the tire and later becomes a flapping type. any of these sounds, together with a low tire pressure signal showing up on the dashboard implore the driver to slow down and stop the car to avoid causing further damage to the tire and rim.
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I am passionate about all things automotive and have a deep understanding of the topic. As a mechanic, I use my free time to share knowledge of everyday challenges that any car owner can experience – helping you make informed decisions about tires.