'94 Olds Cutlass Ciera wheel bearing going bad?

My '94 Olds Cutlass Ciera 3.1 engine - 27,000 miles: At speeds above
around 30 MPH I am hearing a slight "rhythmic throb" -- or "wah, wah"
sound. It doesn't appear to be associated with the automatic transmission
because when I put it in neutral while driving down the road and let the
engine idle - the sound is the same. When the car is stopped with engine
running I don't hear the sound. I'm guessing that it is a wheel bearing
just starting to go bad. However, when I jack each rear wheel up and spin
it by hand, I can't notice any thing unusual. When I jack each front drive
wheel up individually, put the transmission in drive and spin the wheel with
the engine I can't hear the sound either. Any ideas? Thanks Gene

On Apr 12, 10:39 am, "Gene" > wrote:
> My '94 Olds Cutlass Ciera 3.1 engine - 27,000 miles: At speeds above
> around 30 MPH I am hearing a slight "rhythmic throb" -- or "wah, wah"
> sound. It doesn't appear to be associated with the automatic transmission
> because when I put it in neutral while driving down the road and let the
> engine idle - the sound is the same. When the car is stopped with engine
> running I don't hear the sound. I'm guessing that it is a wheel bearing
> just starting to go bad. However, when I jack each rear wheel up and spin
> it by hand, I can't notice any thing unusual. When I jack each front drive
> wheel up individually, put the transmission in drive and spin the wheel with
> the engine I can't hear the sound either. Any ideas? Thanks Gene

When the tires on my car get about half worn I get a low noise like
that from the front end. Try totating tires and see if the noise
changes or goes away.

On Apr 12, 10:39 am, "Gene" > wrote:
> My '94 Olds Cutlass Ciera 3.1 engine - 27,000 miles: At speeds above
> around 30 MPH I am hearing a slight "rhythmic throb" -- or "wah, wah"
> sound. It doesn't appear to be associated with the automatic transmission
> because when I put it in neutral while driving down the road and let the
> engine idle - the sound is the same. When the car is stopped with engine
> running I don't hear the sound. I'm guessing that it is a wheel bearing
> just starting to go bad. However, when I jack each rear wheel up and spin
> it by hand, I can't notice any thing unusual. When I jack each front drive
> wheel up individually, put the transmission in drive and spin the wheel with
> the engine I can't hear the sound either. Any ideas? Thanks Gene

Check the tires.

On Apr 12, 10:39 am, "Gene" > wrote:
> My '94 Olds Cutlass Ciera 3.1 engine - 27,000 miles: At speeds above
> around 30 MPH I am hearing a slight "rhythmic throb" -- or "wah, wah"
> sound. It doesn't appear to be associated with the automatic transmission
> because when I put it in neutral while driving down the road and let the
> engine idle - the sound is the same. When the car is stopped with engine
> running I don't hear the sound. I'm guessing that it is a wheel bearing
> just starting to go bad. However, when I jack each rear wheel up and spin
> it by hand, I can't notice any thing unusual. When I jack each front drive
> wheel up individually, put the transmission in drive and spin the wheel with
> the engine I can't hear the sound either. Any ideas? Thanks Gene

Check the tires.

"Gene" > wrote in :

> My '94 Olds Cutlass Ciera 3.1 engine - 27,000 miles: At speeds
> above around 30 MPH I am hearing a slight "rhythmic throb" -- or
> "wah, wah" sound. It doesn't appear to be associated with the
> automatic transmission because when I put it in neutral while driving
> down the road and let the engine idle - the sound is the same. When
> the car is stopped with engine running I don't hear the sound. I'm
> guessing that it is a wheel bearing just starting to go bad. However,
> when I jack each rear wheel up and spin it by hand, I can't notice any
> thing unusual. When I jack each front drive wheel up individually,
> put the transmission in drive and spin the wheel with the engine I
> can't hear the sound either. Any ideas? Thanks Gene
>
>

you wont hear much noise out of an iffy bearing unless its loaded with
weight (on the ground)....find an open road with little traffic and get
to offending speed. then turn to left and right as far as possible and
still staying on road. wheel bearing noise will usually disappear while
on the opposit track from bad bearing (meaning, when in the left turn
mode and the noise quits its a right bearing. visa versa for right turn)
or just wait for it to get so bad a deaf blind man could point to it.
like mentioned before, it could be a tire noise also................kjun
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