i've been driving my car for about 2 weeks (and a half) now (got it pre-owned; 04 basic) and i noticed (or hearing) some sort of a "humm" sound from the front (tires?). its like this: when im driving (specially on a flat road/freeway) and beginning to pick up speed (like going from 30mph and above), i hear a constant "humm" which, supposedly, when driving, you won't hear anything "special" than that of the exhaust (and some debris from the tires). its quite annoying so i went to the nissan dealer and have a mechanic check it. what they say is that it comes from the tires and that i need to replace them . they checked and showed me that this isn't related to the feathering issue that they have. wow. got a pre-owned from the dealer and then after 2 weeks, got advised to replace them??? they said that its probably due to the fact that the stock bridgestone tires are "hard" and that, to get rid of the noise, then i should opt to get the "soft" type of tires from firestone/bridgestone.

anybody has an opinion on this?

also, i hear a bit of a sound (like a humm as well) when the car is like parked and then when i do backing, and twist the steering wheel to manuever (reverse), and then go to 1st gear and twist the steering to the opposite direction, then i would hear this "humming" sound thing. like something is stuck or like something needs greasing or something like that

thanks in advance for those who would reply. im thinking i need somebody outside of nissan to check my car. anyone here could recommend a good place (that knows 350z's) in houston? thanks again.

 

when tires get more worn they usually start getting noisier also. i wouldn't worry about it. i think you're being overly sensitive to your car. just replace the tires when the tread gets low.

the hum during steering is noise from your power steering pump. that's not abnormal. as long as it's not crazy loud or whining it's ok. you can check your fluid level just to make sure. i normally don't turn my steering wheel unless i'm rolling ever so slightly. puts less strain on the pump. i also don't keep the wheel at full lock. that's hard on the pump too.

 

you are correct that i get overly sensitive.. im very particular to detail specially on "unusual" sounds i hear in the car. i wanted a sports car and got a deal on it, but i really didn't expect to hear these sorts of sounds. i would pay for these to go away. the tires though are quite new. if i need to replace them, what brand of tires would best fit the Z? are yokohama/advan tires better? if this is related to the feathering issue.. i'm thinking about going to discount tires or any shop that does balancing and alignment just to ensure that problems relative to feathering are corrected.

 

as mentioned, as just got this car 2 weeks ago and i was thinking of enjoying driving it rather than thinking about these noise from the tires. i do hope you guys understand.

 

yeah, i think i remember reading people with feathering had a lot of tire noise. i don't know what the new alignment specs are that decreased feathering. i'm sure someone on here will know. get those specs then go to a reputable alignment shop (ask the TX autocross guys) and check your numbers.

i'm not saying it's bad to be oversensitive. it's good that you are aware of what your car is doing. that's better than people who can't discern anything. it takes some practice to get good at NVH so consider yourself better than the average driver.

if you say the tires are quite new then why did the dealer say you needed to replace the tires? makes me suspicious.