I test drove an '02 today that I am very interested in. But as I drove (with the a/c on and cold) I noticed a strange noise from either beneath my feet or just in front of the firewall. It sounded like a cross between something grinding and something rubbing.

My first thought was that it might be the tires rubbing the fenders, as I noticed it initially under acceleration while turning. I noticed it too while accelerating on a straight when the surface was uneven. Later, however, the sound occurred on a flat straightaway with neutral acceleration.

So, can anyone offer me advice on what that sound might have been? Am I on the right track with the tires? There were signs of rubbing on the tires, though it was just a little and quite superficial.

Or might it be something more serious? A Guibo? U-joint?

I want to offer a fair price on the car but I need to know how much work it'll need after the sale.

Thanks for any help!

if you can get under there have a look at the guibo -- shimmy buisquit -- if its cracked etc it could account for that noise. Guibo's are like 50-60 bucks(?) and not all that hard to replace, so if its that its not a huge deal

Cool, thanks for the advice, 74tii!

no probs. Say hi to Fujicakes from me

Don't forget about the center support bearing ($30). They tend to wear out quite often. It's a bearing sleeve with a rubber dampener around it, held in place with a metal bracket.
Mine has the rubber all busted out. I've got a new one ready to put on, but that big 12-point bolt has been a real pain to get loose.

Took it out again today with the mechanic, and it seemed to be belt slippage on acceleration when the a/c was engaged. I'm not quite sure how to solve that problem, but the mechanic didn't seem too concerned about it.

Thanks everyone for your feedback on this! Now I've just got to decide if that's the car for me or not.

Took it out again today with the mechanic, and it seemed to be belt slippage on acceleration when the a/c was engaged. I'm not quite sure how to solve that problem, but the mechanic didn't seem too concerned about it.

Thanks everyone for your feedback on this! Now I've just got to decide if that's the car for me or not.

Loose belt, or does anyone think the compressor is starting to sieze? The compressor siezing is a possibility, but its much more likely to be a loose belt, especially since your mechanic isn't worried.

Check for a loose belt.