You were driving with your friend the other day, and suddenly their car started making an awful racket. They pulled over, called their mechanic, and asked you: “How would you describe the sound my car was making?” You shrugged: The sound of a transformer trying to dance disco? The sound of a dryer full of angry cats? The sound of battleships playing bumper cars?  How does one describe the sounds a broken car makes? Luckily for you, you can quickly split the worst car noises into major categories. And luckily for your mechanic, the category helps establish what work the car might need.

“Intermittent” broken car sounds are frustrating

Ever notice a broken car or truck making a scary noise, then getting quiet again? Our first category is an intermittent broken car sound. That means a noise that comes and goes. Your mechanic will want to know whether the noise has a certain tempo or rhythm when it does show up, or whether it just makes a single noise and then gets quiet again.

One of the most frustrating things about having an intermittent broken car sounds is taking your vehicle to the mechanic and finding that it’s not acting up today. So you’ll want to take some notes before visiting your mechanic. If your car is making an intermittent noise, pay careful attention to when it shows up. Does your car get loud when cornering? Accelerating? Or when you hit the brakes? This a huge clue to what’s causing the noise. A clunk during cornering or driving over bumps is often a suspension issue, while a bad noise while hitting the brakes is probably a problem with the brakes.

“Road speed” broken car sounds could be caused by many problems

The next big category of broken car noises have a steady tempo, but speed up as you drive faster. Noises that match the speed you’re passing over the road are often called “road speed” noises. How do you know if you have a road speed noise? Drive faster and see if the noise gets faster, or even louder. But if it gets much louder, you may want to slow back down or call a tow.

These noises could be caused by any part of the car that spins faster, the faster you drive. So that’s everything from tires and wheels through brakes, axle shafts, drive shaft, or transmission output shaft. If you roll down your windows and drive by a wall or through a tunnel, you may even be able to hear which corner of your car is making the noise.

“Engine speed” broken car sounds may be expensive to repair

Our final category is a constant noise that speeds up as your car does, then drops again when you shift. This can be a problem with your engine (expensive), or your exhaust system (slightly less expensive).

The easiest way to tell an engine speed noise from a road speed noise is to rev your engine with your vehicle sitting still. Do you hear the noise? Does it increase with engine RPMs? That’s a problem worth seeing a mechanic about.

Should you try and diagnose a broken car yourself?

It’s always helpful to have as much information as possible when you call your mechanic. This will help them tell you whether it’s safe to drive to their shop or if you need a tow. It also may help them block out enough time to fix your car.

But the bottom line is that you don’t want to get hurt or damage your car further while troubleshooting. So be careful, be safe, and never hesitate to call a professional for help. Want to learn about more sounds a broken car can make? Check out 1A Auto’s explainer video embedded below: