Why Does My Car Sound Like A Motorcycle

grayscale photo of black car

The exhaust system of a car is made up of multiple parts, which give the vehicle the appropriate sound that we feel fits it. Some of these parts can begin to wear and become loose over time. This is why you may hear a loud noise coming from your exhaust system. If you are asking the question frequently that “why does my car sound like a motorcycle?”, one reason may be the acceleration of the vehicle. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other reasons that may require car servicing. Don’t overlook these!

But there is nothing to worry about since it can be fixed at a small cost. For, that it is important to take your vehicle for a check-up. Before that, let us take a quick look at the root causes of this problem.

Why Is Your Car Sounding Like a Motorcycle?

Here are some of the most likely reasons why your car sounds like a motorcycle:

1) Loose Tailpipe Covering

One of the tailpipes can become stuck while accelerating, this might make you feel that something is wrong with your exhaust system. Though what could be causing this may not be quite so simple to see at first glance. It has nothing to do with an actual problem but more so the way you drive. The soft material surrounding your tailpipe can simply get pushed back into place by lightly tapping on it with your shoe heel or other similar objects. This should fix the issue until you can have a professional look at it.

2) Loose Exhaust Manifold Bolts

The exhaust manifold is one of the most essential parts of your car’s exhaust system because it carries hot, noxious fumes from the engine to the tailpipe. If any of the bolts get loose you will hear a loud rattling sound when accelerating and this can be very dangerous for both your safety and that of other people on the road.

3) Worn-Out Air Filter

The air filter can become clogged after a long time, which forces your engine to work harder in order to draw enough oxygen into itself so as to run properly. As such when accelerating it makes noise because there’s not enough airflow, which may cause your car to sound like a motorcycle.

4) Problem with the Exhaust System

The entire exhaust system from the engine to the tailpipe has been known to have issues over time due to rust and corrosion, or simply because it wasn’t put on properly by a mechanic. In either case, if you hear a loud howling noise while accelerating you need to get this checked out.

Old exhaust gases or exhaust leak can damage the car engine, catalytic converter, gas pedal and exhaust pipes. This issue might also make your car sound like a motorcycle. It could be a very serious problem and it’s best for your safety and that of other road users if it gets fixed quickly, especially since it can make your car sound like a motorcycle.

5) Vehicle’s Drivetrain Problems

A noise while accelerating can also indicate issues with the drivetrain. This could be because of a number of things including, bad transmission fluid levels, worn-out parts, misaligned gears, and more. If it is checked right away, you might get lucky and just need to have your car’s transmission flushed by a professional. But if the problem persists then you will need to have the entire system inspected again.

This is an issue that will require professional assistance, do not try to fix it yourself by just adding more transmission fluid as this can cause problems with your car’s electrical system.

6) Car’s Belt

The car’s belt might have a number of problems, the most common being that it has come loose. This makes a loud howling noise when accelerating. In such cases you need to check two things before concluding that this is the issue: firstly make sure your car’s engine oil level is okay and secondly check if the strap of your car seat is actually broken or not because it could be dulled which would dull its effectiveness as well.

If the oil level is okay and you’ve checked for any obvious breaks or cracks in the vehicle’s belt then it needs to be replaced altogether. Your mechanic will know exactly which part to replace depending on your make and model of vehicle.

7) Worn Out Transmission Fluid

As we said above, worn-out transmission fluid can cause problems with your car’s drivetrain and automatic transmission which makes noise while accelerating. If the level of fluid is very low then it needs to be refilled immediately and you should also check if there are any leaks because that would indicate major problems. If the fluid levels are okay but your car still makes motorbike like sounds, then this may need further diagnosis by a professional.

8) Check engine light

If you’ve checked all of the above and still think your car makes loud motorcycle like noises, it might be time to check out your “check engine” light on your dashboard. This can indicate any number of issues with your car’s engine, transmission, or exhaust system so in order to find out exactly what these could be you need to visit a certified mechanic.

How To Prevent Your Car From Sounding Like a Motorcycle?

The solution to improve the noise of your car while accelerating is pretty simple. You need to get your vehicle checked by a professional mechanic, but you can also check out the following guidelines if you want to do this yourself:

1) Drive carefully

The more smoothly you try to accelerate, the less noisy it will be for everyone on the road. So, avoid jerking or stomping on the accelerator and when you’re rolling up to intersections try not to press down too hard because that might cause your engine to rev loudly. Also, this causes speedy wear and tear of the bike.

2) Change the engine oil regularly

Your car needs clean oil in order for all its mechanisms to work properly because dirty oil causes friction which causes parts to wear out faster, particularly when you accelerate quickly and make sudden starts and stops. This will make your engine louder and your car can make motorcycle sounds.

3) Check engine parts that need regular attention

If you’re looking for tips on how to prevent your car from making a loud noise then it’s also important to know the drivetrain components for regular maintenance. For instance, if your vehicle is equipped with disc brakes, you need to make sure that the brake pads don’t wear out too soon because this causes loud squeaking when braking and accelerating. Worn-out brake pads will need to be replaced immediately and your mechanic might also recommend servicing them more regularly than usual so they remain in great condition for longer.

4) Check exhaust system

Your exhaust system might be the cause of the loud noise – you can check this by looking under your car. The exhaust system connects to the engine to release gases away from the vehicle, so if there are rust spots or loose parts these need to be replaced so they don’t make lots of noise and cause problems for other drivers on the road.

5) Regular maintenance is crucial

If you want to prevent your car from sounding like a motorcycle then make sure you get your engine oil changed regularly, replace the air filter according to schedule, and get your car’s transmission safety checked on a regular basis. If your mechanic advises any other specific maintenance tasks because of the age or type of vehicle that you’re driving, then it would be wise to follow their advice.

Conclusion

We all want to have a pleasurable driving experience. So taking good care of your car is the only way to achieve this. We’ve discussed some common problems that can affect how your engine sounds when you accelerate and advised on what steps you need to take to prevent these from happening again in the future.

If this article was helpful, please share it with your friends and family members who may also be suffering from the same issues. Have a safe drive!

About The Author

daniel and sarah on motorcycle

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