Whining sound from Sl65

[carlsturm]

Guys, my SL65 has developed a pronounced and new whining sound on acceleration. This is twin turbo so some turbo spool whine is to be expected, but the whining sound is much louder than I've ever experienced. I've had car for about 6 months. Any ideas on why the whine sound has significantly increased? Car is going to dealer next week for scheduled maintenance Thx in advance.

To remove this ad, register today or login if you already are registered!

[carlsturm]

I've noticed the whine happens on deceleration also. I'm thinking it might be transmission related. Sound doesn't seem to come from rear (differential). Dealer will diagnose next week I guess.

Anybody else experience similar?

[abiazis]

Let us know......what is found.....maybe bearing issue of some kind...

My transmission sometimes winds up and winds down with some extra whining noise

[WHTEVO]

Check the ABC/ Tandem pump.

Good luck.

Aaron

[alx]

Have them check rear diff fluid level as well as tranny fluid level. You might have sprung a leak.

[carlsturm]

Thx for the ideas guys. I've noticed the whine occurs even when car is at rest and in neutral gear. So, I'm assuming that eliminates transmission & differential. Car goes to dealer on Wed and I'm not driving it.

I'm praying it's not main engine bearing (can you tell I'm a worrier)? :\

[kustom2k1]

Bearings make a knock noise. Whine usually comes from gears.

[alx]

Originally Posted by carlsturm

Thx for the ideas guys. I've noticed the whine occurs even when car is at rest and in neutral gear. So, I'm assuming that eliminates transmission & differential. Car goes to dealer on Wed and I'm not driving it.

I'm praying it's not main engine bearing (can you tell I'm a worrier)? :\

there are still gears spinning in the tranny at idle.

have the tranny fluid checked.

also, it could be something under the hood. it could be a pulley bearing, a belt, a water pump, a tandem pump, alternator, a/c compressor... etc...

best to pr1ck your ears and listen carefully

[carlsturm]

Thanks for the further suggestions guys. It definitely does sound like a gear type whine. I'm not accustomed to having such a 'turn-key' car that dissuades the owner from checking tranny fluid unless they are armed with a special tool. Does an error message post to dash when tranny fluid gets low?

SL is into dealer on Wed.

[alx]

Originally Posted by carlsturm

Thanks for the further suggestions guys. It definitely does sound like a gear type whine. I'm not accustomed to having such a 'turn-key' car that dissuades the owner from checking tranny fluid unless they are armed with a special tool. Does an error message post to dash when tranny fluid gets low?

SL is into dealer on Wed.

i dont think there is a warning on tranny oil temps or level.

let us know what you find

[WHTEVO]

Originally Posted by kustom2k1

Bearings make a knock noise. Whine usually comes from gears.

Spun main bearings won't make your usual knocking noise you would hear with rod bearings.

Aaron

[carlsturm]

Whining is a transmission issue. Dealer is swapping out entire trans with new one. I'll get details next week when I pick my car up.

CPO + extended warranty is paying off as this will not cost me a penny.

Biggest question is what caused this issue at 30k miles. I'm not rough with my cars. This is previous owned car and you never know how the prior owner may have treated it.

From what I hear, the tranny in the SL65 is supposedly rock solid. I'd expect more issues to surface with the newer 7sp tranny than this tried & true.

[WHTEVO]

Definitely report back when they are done. Hopefully they are not guessing. Not that it matters anyways since you don't have to pay anything. So regardless, a new tranny is a good thing.

The reason i mentioned the pump is because i have heard a similar issue first hand with a whining sound on accel and decel which sounded tranny related. It tuned out to be the tandem pump after alot of troubleshooting.

Good luck.

Aaron

[carlsturm]

Update - The dealer replaced the whole transmission and torque converter. I'm pleased that their policy is to replace transmissions rather than tear them apart and try to fix the specific issue. They leave transmission internals to the Mercedes transmission experts. When you think about it, the transmission is probably more complex than the engine internals.

They discovered some metal flashing in the pan but I'd think you might find some metal filings in any trans?

Anyways, my SL is CPO with extended warranty until 2014 so this repair costs me 0$. They also replaced a leaking rear ABC strut, bled the system and aligned my car for 0$.

[alx]

Originally Posted by carlsturm

Update - The dealer replaced the whole transmission and torque converter. I'm pleased that their policy is to replace transmissions rather than tear them apart and try to fix the specific issue. They leave transmission internals to the Mercedes transmission experts. When you think about it, the transmission is probably more complex than the engine internals.

They discovered some metal flashing in the pan but I'd think you might find some metal filings in any trans?

Anyways, my SL is CPO with extended warranty until 2014 so this repair costs me 0$. They also replaced a leaking rear ABC strut, bled the system and aligned my car for 0$.

That particular one is sturdy and simple as it is a Chrysler one. I wonder what went wrong. They are generally bulletproof at stock engine powers.

[WHTEVO]

So it's fixed? Good to see a warranty company not trying to get out of repairs.

Aaron

[C Rob]

Please let me know what you find out. My SL 6.3 AMG is making the same whining sound. Started 2 months ago and is driving me crazy.

When my transmission is disengaged (Neutral) I dont hear it.