The car started to make weird sounds while driving, like an old modem trying to communicate. It's coming somewhere from the front, can't pinpoint more precisely. I suspect it can be a belt or something, but I don't know. Any ideas before I go to the service with this?

UPDATE: I think I was able to narrow it down to the driver side wheel/suspension. A bearing, maybe?

Could be your engine mount squeaking.

Park car on the level. Open bonnet.

Now stand by the Offside front wheel, place your hands on the engine/cover just above where the belts are. Now rock / posh the engine laterally away from you and let it bound back. You can also inspect the engine at the same time looking for movement of the rod/arm in the rubber mount.

s130 said:

Could be your engine mount squeaking.

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Shouldn't it squeak at idle as well in that case? The sound is there only when moving.

Geolith said:

Shouldn't it squeak at idle as well in that case? The sound is there only when moving.

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*If* it is the mount then it is unlikely to squeak at idle as there is no lateral forces, just rotational. When my mount failed you could see the metal support bar on the engine half of the mounting sliding in and out of the rubber bush in the main chassis/wing mount.

s130 said:

*If* it is the mount then it is unlikely to squeak at idle as there is no lateral forces, just rotational. When my mount failed you could see the metal support bar on the engine half of the mounting sliding in and out of the rubber bush in the main chassis/wing mount.

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Thanks! I'll try it tomorrow and see what happens.

By the way, not sure if it's related, but lately I noticed a significant increase of the dashboard vibration when holding the car on brakes at traffic lights. The vibration stops as soon as I release the brakes. However, it's happening on the opposite side of the dashboard, not on the side making the "old modem" noise.

UPDATE: The sound disappeared eventually and its exact cause has never been established, but the vibration I mentioned in my previous post indeed turned out to be caused by deteriorated engine mount. It was basically torn apart and only held by the weight of the engine itself.