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I have had a whining sound getting louder and louder for the last 3-4 months. It appears at 45-50 km/h (25-30 mph) and 65-80 km/h (40-50 mph). At 80 km/h it will stop completely.
The only thing that seems to affect the sound is the vehicle speed. It is not affected by:
- RPM
- Gear, or N or D
- Acceleration, deceleration or braking
- Turning left or right
- Empty or fully loaded car
- Going uphill or downhill
It's a little difficult to point out where it is coming from, but I would say from the middle or the front of the car. I had a bad differential before and that was another kind of sound.
Does it go away when you press the "0" button in the climate control?
No, it doesn't. But you are right that it sounds like an AC problem. Or a bad water pump. But that feels very unlikely since the sound is only speed dependent not RPM.
to me that sounds exactly like a rear DIFFERENTIAL input bearing or INTERMEDIATE shaft bearing.
The metal particles from the gear wear pits the ball bearings race... oil change plus a magnetic plug are the 1st line of defense.
Once serviced I would totally disregard that noise, given new diff oil ASAP...
No danger.
😎
Thanks, I will do an oil change in the differential and try to find a magnetic plug for it. When you say intermediate shaft bearing, where is this located? I am looking in EPC but not sure which bearing this is.
Thanks, I will do an oil change in the differential and try to find a magnetic plug for it. When you say intermediate shaft bearing, where is this located? I am looking in EPC but not sure which bearing this is.
Look under...
do you see a fat pipe that runs from front to back? That's the propeller shaft.
In the middle of it.. that the intermediate shaft bearing.
Look under...
do you see a fat pipe that runs from front to back? That's the propeller shaft.
In the middle of it.. that the intermediate shaft bearing.
Take a picture... I'll point it out or google it.
Ah, I see, it was just another name for the propeller shaft center support bearing? It has been replaced about 2000 km ago (a couple of months before this sound appeared). Maybe the new one is defective or incorrect installed.
Ah, I see, it was just another name for the propeller shaft center support bearing? It has been replaced about 2000 km ago (a couple of months before this sound appeared). Maybe the new one is defective or incorrect installed.
While this is possible it's unlikely a new part can get wasted that fast... unless it's a reject-copy from fleeBay, then sure.
Look down the line at Differential Input Shaft BEARING... when neglected these become musicians to demand attention.
..
I've had the center support bearing issue as well and had it replaced with an OEM part. It would whine between 35 and 60km/h until the car was driven a bit, in mild weather it would disappear in less than 1km, in very cold weather up to 5km. It would often not whine if the car was parked indoors.
The dealer diagnosed it using a Chassis Ear, which is a system with small microphones that can be attached to chassis components and a speaker with a switch that allows the technician to listen to each one individually on a road test to pinpoint the issue. They attached microphones to the transmission output shaft, transfer case, rear differential, and center support...The noise was clearly coming from the center support bearing. It did take a couple of attempts due to the noise clearing up so quickly, we decided to install the microphones before the shop closed for the day and leave the car parked outside the dealership all night in -25c weather prior to road testing first thing in the morning. Another clue was a slight vibration that could be felt by placing your hand on the transmission tunnel right behind the center console, which is where the center support is attached.
Replacing the center bearing reduced the noise by 90%, but I still a whining noise in cold weather at 40km/h, but only at 40km/h +/-. It's fine at 35, fine at 45, only when the speedo is right at 40 does it whine. It also quiets down within a couple kilometers of driving, weather dependent. My theory is that a lubricant is warming up and flowing better after driving for a bit, quieting things down. Going to try a differential oil change at some point to see if that fixes it.
While this is possible it's unlikely a new part can get wasted that fast... unless it's a reject-copy from fleeBay, then sure.
Look down the line at Differential Input Shaft BEARING... when neglected these become musicians to demand attention.
..
Sorry, I was replying with another account, didn't see that
I have been searching everywhere but it seems there are no magnetic M24 x 1,5 (12 mm length) drain plugs available.
The propeller shaft center bearing was a Meyle, it should be OEM quality. The reason this was replaced not long ago was a sound, like a high pitch "chip-chip-chip" and then it was pretty obvious that it came from near the back of the car.
This new sound is "definitely" coming more from the front or middle. Every passenger are asking why there is a screaming sound from my comand screen or AC buttons. But I guess sounds can travel strange ways in a car and fool the ear.
As I understand the oil pump in the transmission is located in the front and therefore a whining pump would depend on RPM and not speed...
it's not a 4Matic, right so no transfer case upfront?
If it is confirmed to be rear differential I would just replace the 1Qt of oil and see..
Rebuilding those requires expertise and time to adjust gaps properly.
The results can be more disappointing than satisfying unless you get the right surgeon.
it's not a 4Matic, right so no transfer case upfront?
If it is confirmed to be rear differential I would just replace the 1Qt of oil and see..
Rebuilding those requires expertise and time to adjust gaps properly.
The results can be more disappointing than satisfying unless you get the right surgeon.
No it's not a 4MATIC.
Thanks for the link, I guess this is the plug you ordered? 🙂
If your diff oil is super contaminated with metal, I'd consider doing ...:
- a second flush and
- clean the magnet,
- then be done: no extensive rebuild regardless.
If your diff oil is super contaminated with metal, I'd consider doing ...:
- a second flush and
- clean the magnet,
- then be done: no extensive rebuild regardless.
Thanks for the confirmation!
Now I have replaced my differential oil and it was brown and and little clear, couldn't see any metal in it. It was also replaced seven years and 100 000 km ago.
No changes to the whining sound unfortunately...
If your diff oil is super contaminated with metal, I'd consider doing ...:
- a second flush and
- clean the magnet,
- then be done: no extensive rebuild regardless.
So now I am back with some news. The whining got worse, so I replaced the intermediate (propeller) shaft bearing again. This time I only replaced the bearing itself, because the holder and rubber was just a few months old. The whining disappeared! But maybe 2-3 weeks later it came back, but now it is not as loud and it appears at another speed, 55-60 km/h. It's louder if it is cold outside, and after driving for like 15 minutes I can no longer hear it. I am not sure, but it feels like that sometimes when I go over a sharp bump the whining stops.
What do you think I should do next? Try with another used propeller shaft? It would be quite cheap and easy.
Any updates? I have an identical problem, changed support bearing, front wheel bearings, rear dif and gearbox.
Not really. I was involved in an accident and I haven't restored the car yet.
Did you use an original support bearing?
I found information that the bearing can have different clearance, where CN is normal and C3 is a little bit different. According to a forum post the whining may be solved but using a C3 bearing.
That was going to be the next thing for me to try.
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