The most likely causes for your Abarth 500 having a thumping sound are interior noises (like rubbing objects), noises from under your car (like worn brake pads or tyres) or noises from under your hood (like a slipped belt or a worn alternator).
Abarth 500 has a thumping noise/sound
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Why does my Abarth 500 have a thumping noise/sound?
It is important to note that when trying to identify a sound coming from your Abarth 500, you try to pinpoint where the noise to coming from. Is it coming from inside the car, the front dashboard, the boot of the car, the engine, the tyres or maybe from something scraping along the road? Is the thumping noise happening when your car is idle or when you’re driving slow or when you’re driving fast or when you’re driving over bumps or when you’re accelerating or… do you just hear it all the time?
Is thumping coming from under your car?
The most common reason for your Abarth 500 to have a thumping noise/sound coming from under your car is worn brake pads. The remedy for this is having your brakes checked and possibly having your brake pads replaced. You can try and wash your car, spraying the wheel wells to remove dust, but this only has a slight chance of helping. While you’re checking the dust around this area, have a look at your tyres as you can hear a thumping-type sound from tyres that are not correctly aligned. Other potential causes can be loose lug nuts (may not have been tightened after changing tyres), faulty ball joints (noticeabole when turning your car), axle problems or worn-out shock absorbers (try pushing down on the front or back of your car to see if you hear the sound).
Is thumping coming from your engine or from under the hood?
The most common reasons for there to be thumping noises coming from under the hood/bonnet of your Abarth 500 are worn belt tensioners and pulleys or low oil/coolant. For some quick troubleshooting, top up your oil and coolant to see if this stops the noise after driving around for a little while. Other potential causes for thumping include dirty or worn out spark plugs, using regular fuel instead of premium fuel in newer cars, a build up of carbon inside the combustion chamber of your engine, worn crankshaft bearings or a damaged crankshaft.
Is thumping coming from inside your car?
The most common reasons for there to be a thumping noise coming from inside your car are loose interior panelling, open glove compartments & centre console lids, thumping drink bottles in holders, worn window channels/seals, small items (like loose change) thumping inside plastic compartments or wind causing loose objects to create a thumping sound. These can generally be fixed cheaply by removing the objects, closing compartments or using a screwdriver to tighten thumping interior components.
How do I fix my Abarth 500 when I have a thumping noise?
If the thumping sound is coming from inside your car, the fix can be simple and quick – find the loose object & remove it or find the interior component making the noise so you can fix it with a screwdriver. If the thumping noise is coming from under your car hood/bonnet, you can wash your wheel wells, checking that your tyres are looking good and topping up your oil and coolant. If you’ve tried these and your car is still thumping, we’d recommend that you book a mechanic to look at your Abarth 500 as soon as possible.
Should I still drive my Abarth 500 when it has a thumping sound?
We’d recommend that you do some quick checks to make sure the noise isn’t from dusty wheel wells, low oil/coolant or from an interior noise then, if these are not the causes, only drive your car as far as your local mechanic, if the thumping noise continues.
