I have strange road noise that is dependent on speed. It makes no noise whatsoever below 50mph. It does seem to require the car warm up for a while.
If I go particularly fast on the freeway, above the speed limit at 75mph, the noise happens almost immediately. This isn't as crazy as it sounds, everybody on the freeway is driving that fast, if I didn't do this I'd have people angrily on my tail.
It sounds sort of like a stick dragging on the ground, but there is an occasional mechanical clunk. It has nothing to do with engine speed, shifting gears does not change the sound.
I think it's coming from the left front wheel, which did hit a curb really hard when I was driving without my glasses, about 3 months ago. It bent the wheel, it was a really hard bump, the wheel is now the spare, no harm really done there.
It seems to have more to do with the brakes or the perhaps the wheel bearing, steering right or left doesn't affect the sound. It seems unlikely that it's the half shafts because its more of a grinding sound than a rattle.
Once started, the noise can continue all of the way down to 50mph, but after it cools it stops and then it takes a few moments of 60+ mph to get it started again.
This is work I can do myself, but what do I try first? The wheel bearing, the brakes, or the half shaft?
It probably ISN'T the transmission, but I have the six speed manual. There is only 30K miles on this, it is probably related to hitting the curb.
Can you make a YouTube video of the noise & paste the link here?
I would the car to a good alignment shop and have them check it. That curb hit might cause serious issues to your suspension.
The alignment was already checked by the dealer for the usual service visit about two months ago. It's fine. The car doesn't pull, it drives perfectly normally except for this noise.
A stick dragging aling the ground? Like a growling or grinding sound? If so, i'd bet on it being a bearing going out
It wasn't a stick, I looked under the car. It seemed to only happen in warm weather, and only at very high speed, but whatever it was, it stopped completely a few days later.