fiat punto-old but very good condition always good runner

[finnyboy]

This is my old car that ,y husband is using for work. I loud noise from the front wheel area has appeared in the last day or so. A grinding/scrapping noise?? We have checked for marks on brake discs to suggest the brake pads but they are ok. All levels of all fluids have been checked and are ok. When i drive the car the noise is louder the faster the car goes. when the wheel is spinning. Also, it feels like something is dragging on the wheel, stopping excelaration causing revs permin to go very high??? Please help me??? What can it be??

[gsr600]

Hi
Why dont you jack up 1 wheel at a time (front) - ensure the handbrake is on hard & someone sits in the drivers seat and slowly release the clutch with it in gear of coarse & engine running to see if the noise appears-
PLEASE ENSURE you have axle stand or blocks to support the vehicle as well.
then the other person could try to assertain where the noise is coming from.
and apply brakes softly - if no noise is being heard.
if no noise with or without brakes applied, it may be a wheel bearing & may not be audible with no load to it,
or CV joints.
Hope this helps.

[Superfly80]

Hiya! Sounds to me like the clutch is on the way out, noises of which will seem to come from the passenger side of the engine bay. Does the noise change or abate when depressing/releasing the clutch pedal? If not, do the following: put the car in 1st gear and see if dropping the clutch stalls the engine, then try it in 2nd, then 3rd and so on. if the car manages to gather pace and not stall in any gear then the cluch has gone and needs replacing.

[finnyboy]

just to advise you, i forgot to mention the car is an automatic. so unfortunately cant be the clutch. thanks

[Superfly80]

Ah ok, all that effort...
Well my Haynes suggests if that if the Speedgear transmission is either noisy, slipping and/or has trouble selecting any gear and fluid levels are ok, then it needs a pro mechanic to look at it. Not much help then.