My growler howls!

[Tim]

I have a lovely 99 XK8, with 60k on the clock. However, one of its gremlins is a noise that sounds like the wind howling. It is detectable from 10 mph, and rises steadily in volume, with a steady pitch, as speed increases. At 70mph, it adds about 4 dB and is quite intrusive. It sounds as if it comes from the driver's footwell, and can hardly be heard from the passenger side. It is occasionally muted by a change in road surface. This leads me to think that it is a tyre noise, carried through some fault in the suspension. Is there any rubber in there that might have been worn through? Anybody else encountered anything like this, or have any bright ideas?

[Nik]

Hi Tim ,
O/S/F wheel bearing possibly I changed from 18" Flutes recently to 20" Sepangs and thought the tyres were noisier , turned out that the N/S/F wheel bearing needed replacing , all quiet now ,

Best of luck ,

Nik

[mike020150]

Hi Tim, I agree with Nik, a wheel bearing is the most likely culprit. If you don't already know, unlike earlier Jaguars, there should not be any free play in the bearings. So, jack up the car, spin the wheel to listen for any noise or roughness and then rock the wheel top to bottom. If there is any play, roughness or noise, get the bearing replaced. Mike.

[jagtech]

might possibly be wind getting past the wheel arch liner and travelling up the a-post

[Tim]

Thanks, guys. I jacked up the front wheel and found friction and noise in one. So I shall change that bearing as my first solution.