My 1997 Nisan pickup makes a noise in the rear as we start moving. We raised it up and found that the left wheel seems locked

When in gear and when in motion, a tappin noise is heard from the rear. When we lifted the truck and put it in gear, the left wheel doesn't move and makes the tapping noise while the right wheel spins. I don't know what it may be, we thought it would need differential oil but it has oil.

My car has 2270000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
The noise is coming from the wheel bearing at that position, possibly the brakes (unlikely, but do check for any failure to retract) and if not those two possibilities, the differential is faulty. To distinguish among these possibilities, and get this repaired, the recommended service is a vehicle noise diagnostic – rear axle/bearing noise. If you request that service, the responding certified mechanic will get this investigated and let you know of the required repair and the cost. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

The most common and most easily identifiable symptom of a bad wheel bearing is an audible one. If you notice a grinding or grating noise coming from your wheel or tire, take note that this is very likely caused by a bad wheel bearing—especially if the noise gets louder as the vehicle accelerates.
If you notice your car making a grinding sound when it accelerates, your issue is likely to do with your transmission, a problem with your differential, a bad wheel bearing, a damaged CV joint, or a worn engine/motor mount.
Loud squeaking or squealing noise while accelerating could mean there`s a problem with your engine belt. It could mean the belt`s loose or worn. Or it could mean that one of the belt`s pulleys is starting to fail. Loud rumbling noise when accelerating might suggest there`s a problem with your exhaust system.
What`s happening: You probably have a leak or crack in your exhaust system`s manifold. The roaring you hear is excess engine noise that would normally get silenced by the muffler. When your exhaust system fails, all of your engine`s sound waves and vibrations get channeled into the car.
A worn wheel bearing can cause a howling noise. If you`re also hearing a rumbling noise when turning, then it`s likely a bad wheel bearing. You may also trace this noise to a loose pinion-bearing preload. It`s likely the case when you only hear the noise when decelerating.
, it is unsafe to drive your vehicle. While you may be able to eke as many as a 1,000 miles out of a bad wheel bearing, ignoring the problem for too long can have serious safety consequences—including one of your wheels stopping without warning while you`re driving.
What sound does a bad water pump make? Any high-pitched sound, or an increasingly loud whining sound as you accelerate is usually coming from the car water pump. The same sound happens when a belt is loose, or the bearings are bad. No matter which of these it is, getting your car to the mechanic is a must.
Many whining problems can be solved by tightening or replacing belts, which you can do yourself, or by replacing fluid. In fact, the first thing you should do anytime your car is making strange noises is to check all your fluid levels.
How can you stop a wheel bearing making noise? Unfortunately you can`t: the only solution to a worn, noisy wheel bearing is to have it replaced by a garage; bearings are not repairable.
A bad wheel bearing tends to put on quite a show, so don`t worry; it won`t be hard to miss. You may hear roaring sounds coming from your wheel and though those sounds may seem like excessive road noise, it`s best to get it checked out. Additionally, your vehicle is going to shake.
The typical sound associated with a bad bearing is a grinding noise that changes with vehicle speed while accelerating above 30 mph. A rumbling, growling, chirping or cyclic noise of any kind from the vicinity of the wheels is a good indication that the bearings need to be inspected without delay.
Once you notice any sign indicating a bad wheel bearing, avoid exceeding 500 miles with that issue. A failing wheel bearing will increase your difficulty in driving. But with a high-quality wheel bearing, you can drive for another 1000 miles as per the estimate.
Uneven wear is a leading cause of tire noises because contact between the road and uneven tires isn`t uniform. The unbalanced tread depths cause tires to emit loud noises while driving. Usually, you`ll hear sounds caused by uneven wear coming from one tire. Alignment issues can also cause tire noises.
Among the various causes of a noisy bearing include manufacturing defects, lubrication, contamination, mounting conditions and application.
If a whirring noise is heard, or if the wheel exhibits looseness when rocked by both hands, that bearing is certainly faulty. A slightly bad wheel bearing may sneak through these tests, particularly the rear bearings of a rear wheel drive vehicle. Disassembly and close inspection may be needed to be sure.
If you notice that the actual temperature of your room is at least five degrees warmer than your desired temperature and your air conditioning system doesn`t kick on, you could have a bad thermostat. If you`re still using a manual version, use this time to upgrade to a smart model.
A faulty thermostat will result in strange temperature changes during engine operation. In this case, the thermostat will not get stuck in one position, but there will still be false readings causing control issues. The engine temperature will change unpredictably and the radiator coolant will not flow normally.
When a thermostat gets stuck open, it`ll allow coolant to circulate continuously even when it`s not needed. Unfortunately, that will overcool the engine and cause it to operate below its optimal temperature range. As a result, the engine will lose fuel efficiency, and its components will experience excess wear.
This study shows that the main failure cause is the inappropriate lubrication of the bearing rolling elements (approximately 80% of the cases), followed by inadequate bearing selection (10%), improper mounting (5%), indirect failure (4%), and material defects and manufacturing errors (less than 1%).
In the case of small non-separable ball bearings, hold the bearing horizontally in one hand, and then rotate the outer ring to confirm that it turns smoothly. Separable bearings such as tapered roller bearings may be checked by individually examining their rolling elements and the outer ring raceway.
If your wheel bearing fails, it can cause the wheel to stop while you are driving or possibly even to fall off. At the very least, before a wheel falls off, a failed wheel bearing can/will cause significant damage to your vehicle, so it`s very important to keep an eye on these and keep them maintained.
A loud noise coming from your vehicle when you accelerate, particularly one that sounds similar to a lawn mower is most likely due to an exhaust system leak.
The most major issue that a humming noise can mean is a failing alternator. The alternator is responsible for keeping your car`s battery charged and electrical system working, so you should get it repaired immediately.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

My 1997 Nisan pickup makes a noise in the rear as we start moving. We raised it up and found that the left wheel seems locked
ANSWER : The noise is coming from the wheel bearing at that position, possibly the brakes (unlikely, but do check for any failure to retract) and if not those two possibilities, the differential is faulty. To distinguish among these possibilities, and get this repaired, the recommended service is a vehicle noise diagnostic – rear axle/bearing noise. If you request that service, the responding certified mechanic will get this investigated and let you know of the required repair and the cost. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

Very Loud Knocking noise from left rear wheel when turning left and braking
ANSWER : The problem could be in the transfer case unit, but the device is mounted closer to the driver than the rear wheel so the noises or vibrations are generally a little more obvious. Especially during sharp turns the transfer case and rear end assemblies are working pretty hard with the wheels turning at different rates. I suggest hiring one of our mobile experts to diagnose the noise you’re hearing. Wheel bearings and worn out suspension components like sway bar links cause similar noises.

Can front wheel drive car engine power rear wheel drive
ANSWER : Anything is possible with enough engineering. The changes you are looking at would take major structural changes and would definitely not be an easy job. You could possibly consult a manufacturing engineer to get more details on how this could actually be carried out and whether it would be feasible.

Car makes loud tapping/knocking when turning slighly left or left front left tire area. started after clutch replacement
ANSWER : Hello. I would need to know what the noise sounds like in order to get a better understanding on what may be going on. Most of the time, if this occurred right after the transmission is removed and replaced, it is caused by something not installed correctly in the clutch or it may be an axle issue. From what you are explaining, it sounds like you have a cv axle that may be failing. This can occur after they are removed and replaced during this repair. If you want to have this drivetrain noise fixed, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose and repair this.

The left front wheel makes a metal grinding noise when turning right at a slow speed – 2009 Cadillac CTS-V
ANSWER : Hi there – based on the symptoms you describe, I believe your left front wheel bearing is shot. I would recommend having the wheel bearing/hub assembly replaced by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, and repair this problem.

Steering wheel gets stuck left, grinding noise – 2004 Dodge Ram 2500
ANSWER : Hello. It sounds like the steering gear box and/or the power steering pump is going bad. The steering gear box is what is allowing the wheels to turn left and right when using the steering wheel. There are gears and other moving parts in the gear box that can get binded up or get stuck. The power steering pump also has internal parts that wear out and may make steering difficult. Have a certified technician, like one from YourMechanic, inspect the steering system and make the necessary repairs.

Fuel pump engages. Batery good, alternator good volts, jump start helps when wont start. Temp does not matter. Intermittent?
ANSWER : Hello. Thank you for writing in. There are several reasons your vehicle may only start when jump starting. The first and most common is a build up of resistance that is causing you to need a boost of voltage to get the engine started. This may be due to poor battery cables, a bad ground connection, a poor starter solenoid, and a couple of other issues. The first thing you want to do is perform a visual inspection of the starting system. Make sure there is no corrosion build up in the battery cables. You can also check the resistance across these wires and make sure you have a solid connection between components. You then want to make sure the starter solenoid is doing its job. It is responsible for taking the small amount of electricity sent by the ignition and turning it into a huge electrical charge that is strong enough to push over the engine with the help of some gear ratios in its favor. Do some more testing, and stick to the basics before assuming its something seriously complicated.

The truck wasn’t starting up or making any noise. I replaced the starter and it still doesn’t want to start up. It just makes a clicking noise
ANSWER : Hey there. You have a bad battery or there is a bad connection in the starting system. The battery should be load tested and the state of charge should be checked with a hydrometer. Your starter requires about ten times more power from the battery than any other system in your car. Even if the headlights and all other electrical components work, it is not a good indicator of the condition of the battery. So a thorough testing of the battery should be performed first.

If the battery checks out, then the problem is a bad connection in the starting circuit. The first test I do, which may be irrelevant since you have already replaced the starter, is to tap on the starter with a hammer while someone is attempting to start it. If it cranks the motor, it needs a starter. It is possible a new starter is bad, so there is still some value in performing this test.

If this doesn’t reveal a bad starter, another simple and test is to attempt to crank the car for up to thirty seconds. Pay attention to smoke or any electrical burning smells that might occur. If you experience one of these, immediately stop and look under the hood for a hot spot in the battery cable connections. Feel both battery posts, the positive and negative battery cables, the ground connection at the frame and the main power connection at the starter. If any of these are hot or warm, it is a bad connection.

If that doesn’t reveal anything, the next step is to use a test light to see if the starter solenoid is getting power from the ignition switch. If it is not, you will need to use a test light to find our where the connection is lost. The suspect parts are the ignition switch and the neutral safety switch (aka the transmission range switch). You will need access to a wiring diagram and a test light for this portion of the testing.

If you should require further assistance, I recommend having a professional technician, like one from YourMechanic, diagnose your starting issue so that this can be repaired.