I have a 1999 Pontiac Grand AM SE 3.4 V6 that's making an odd noise.?

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It's making an quiet squeaky noise coming from the front passenger side tire area. It sounds like the olden day sprinkler. It's too quiet to hear without the passenger window rolled down... but it is there. It goes away when I brake, but is right there again as soon as i reach 5+ MPH. I've gotten my serpentine belt, tensioners, and steering replaced to "fix" the noise. But this one sounds a little different than that. It gets faster and slower when i accelerate, or slow down. Which i think points at my transmission, or axle.. but i don't know much about cars. Any help would be appreciated, and i don't want to get something else "fixed" and spend another couple of hundred, without some insight as to what it might be this time. Thanks. :)
 
Constant velocity joints are usually reliable and largely trouble-free. The two main failures are wear and partial seizure.

Wear in the outer joint usually shows up as vibration at certain speeds, a bit like the vibration caused by an unbalanced wheel. To determine if the joint is worn, a driver should find a big empty parking lot and drive the car slowly in tight circles, left and right. Worn joints will make a rhythmic clicking or cracking noise. Wear in the inner joints shows up as a "clunk" or "pop" when applying power or, if severe, when lifting off the throttle.

Partial seizure causes a strange "pattering" sensation through the suspension. It is caused by the joint overheating, which in turn is usually caused by the outer joint gaiter/boot having split, allowing the joint to throw out its grease. If caught in time, one can clean the joint carefully, repack with grease and replace the gaiter/boot. Kits which include the grease, gaiter/boot, and retaining clips are available from most automotive manufacturers. Some universal gaiters/boots are split lengthwise enabling them to be fitted without having to disassemble the wheel hub and CV joint.
 
Take the car to a shop that has a dyno and have them run it in place to determine the nature of the noise. This could be a bearing, brake pad, backing plate chaffing, CV joint or axle, in any event, you need to know.
 
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