Tire/Road Noise - Alignment?

[niteflite]

I started noticing some extra road noise in recent months. I bought the 2012 car cpo with around 30k..the ride was silky smooth and quiet for 20k miles. The last 3k miles or so it's been noisier. The car has plenty of tread left...i don't notice any significant pulling but i'm wondering what's causing the noise. Have the tires become feathered? is there a way I can check this without lifting up the car?

Is the genesis known for alignment problems? Should i just take it somewhere to have it aligned? i had a 2011 sonata which the dealer wanted to charge $200 or something like that for to install a camber kit.

i'd like to keep using the tires since they're not cheap so i'd be open to spending $100 on alignment if it means extending the life of the tires (and less road nosie)

 

[geops]

It is doubtful that alignment issues will cause a big difference in road-noise. It's more likely your tires. Many tires develop road-noise after they pass half of their tread-life.

 

[Sluh]

Try rotation. But from my experience too, tires become way noisier past a certain wear.

 

[niteflite]

Hm..is that right? I just had a rotation done last week. I think in their inspection sheet it said i still have close to 8/32 left....is this possible after 20k miels? Or did it say 6/32...i know the brakes are at 6 mm.

i don't recall having such road noise on my other non-hyundai cars 20k miles in.....or even 30k. i just don't remember much noise on the honda accord

 

[Sluh]

Well, rotation would not help then.
It's not about hyundai or not. It's about particular tire model. My michelins MXM4 on wifes sonata became loud at the last third. Pirelli's P7 she have there now are the same.
Also, the quieter the car itself is, the more you will notice it. Tire thread acts as a pavement noise absorber. Once it's thinner - more noice comes trough.

 

[PMCErnie]

Buy new tires and get a 4-wheel alignment at that time.

 

[Sluh]

If you can handle the noise till they are worn enough to replace, I would leave it till then.
Then would buy good tires and _maybe_ do the alignment.
But only at the reputable alignment focused shop, check bmw/performance/racing/etc forums for recommendations in your area. Many times already my road handling got noticeable worse after doing alignment (dealer or not) as a preventative maintenance on the car that was not touched from the factory for 50k miles. If you don't have problems with tires wear, pull, did not hit the pothole or a curb _really_ hard - I would much better leave it alone since.

What model tires are on it? check reviews for it on tirerack, sometimes people post the same experience about noise with with wear.

 

[Mark_888]

I am not sure why OP did not mention the brand and model of his tires, which are obviously the problem. As others have pointed out, it is quite normal for tires to not ride as smooth when worn past 50%, compared to when new.

There are some tires that claim to better at this than others, such as the Michelin Premier. Energy Saver tires are usually some of the worst in this regard (but get slightly better MPG).

Also, if a rotation was recently done and the noise occurred right after that, it could be related to the rotation, so next time do more frequent rotations. I rarely rotated my tires on previous cars, but have found that it is cortical to do them on the Genesis. Fortunately, I bought my tires at Costco which does free rotations every 7500 miles (so long as I remain a Costco member).

 

[niteflite]

the tires are yokohama avid envigor i believe...put on the cpo dealer. not sure what the original tires are on a 2012 genesis..i'd guess kumho or hankook or some other korean brand.

but yes, i looked at the reviews..sounds like others experienced what i'm experiencing. with plenty of life left, i plan on riding them out. then will have to replace them with a set of tires..maybe from costco. bridgeston turanza or whatever is on sale.

 

[Sluh]

You not the only one. I just took off nearly brand new firestones I got the car with and replaced with Pirelli p7 plus. Only because of unbearable noise. Happy camper now. Just bite the bullet.

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[niteflite]

Ok, I noticed feather ing on the outside of the back tires. I just had a rotation so I'm guessing they were in the front for the pay 10k miles. What's the cause of the feathering - the tires? Maybe 25 k miles with the noise and I get a new set. Or a new car.

 

[Sluh]

Feathering is a poor wheel alignment sign.

 

[niteflite]

oh darn. so if 2 of 4 tires show moderate feathering, would it be worth getting an alignment? or is it too late and should i wait until i get 4 new tires?

 

[Mark_888]

oh darn. so if 2 of 4 tires show moderate feathering, would it be worth getting an alignment? or is it too late and should i wait until i get 4 new tires?

It is somewhat unusual for the rear alignment to need adjusting in my experience. If you put two new tires on the front, you can get a front end alignment.

 

[niteflite]

Well, the local dealer charges 80 for a 4 wheel alignment. Wouldn't hurt to have then do all four right?

 

[Sluh]

Sure, 4 wheel. All 4 are adjustable on genny.
Since you have signs of poor alignment, you have nothing to loose entrusting this job to someone.