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Sometimes a Lexus Whine is the Front Transmission pump going. Seems you don't think its the trans at all. Listening to the Vid also does not sound like the Lexus trans pump whine either. The Trans pump can throw you off noise wise and sometimes does not change with RPM or speed once it starts Whining. That some more roaring than whine noise?
I don't know if you have already done this, but I would drain and refill the diff and front transfer case fluid also. Listening to the recording it sounds like 100% drivetrain, front and/or transfer case, rear diff??? I did notice a little shake on the dash? Is that the car or just the recording device shaking? My guess is front transfer diff, or rear diff. This is strange, cause it also had the drive axel wheel bearing type noise also. ppl have already been replacing wheel bearing on these 4th Gen GS's. I think to nail it down you may have to lift the car, let someone put in gear carefully and accelerate to listen and pin point where its coming from.
I have changed the front and rear diff fluid when I first started noticing it. Not a lot of crud on the drain plug magnets and the fluid wasn't terrible.
Is there a separate transfer case fluid to drain and refill? I know on some it is part of the transmission and on some it is separate. I haven't looked into it but I don't think it has that. I will do that at the same time I check the transmission/transfer case mount. It is pretty much narrowed down to that at this point.
I've even tried my one-man detection method of driving through a covered underpass so that the echo off the concrete walls is amplified. You can't hear it from outside the car.
I have changed the front and rear diff fluid when I first started noticing it. Not a lot of crud on the drain plug magnets and the fluid wasn't terrible.
Is there a separate transfer case fluid to drain and refill? I know on some it is part of the transmission and on some it is separate. I haven't looked into it but I don't think it has that. I will do that at the same time I check the transmission/transfer case mount. It is pretty much narrowed down to that at this point.
I've even tried my one-man detection method of driving through a covered underpass so that the echo off the concrete walls is amplified. You can't hear it from outside the car.
Oh ok. No I don't think there is another to drain and fill. Did not know you already did.
OK, got the car on the lift, turned off traction control and ran it up to 40MPH and I can still hear the growl though it is different being a few feet in the air.
I have two problems I need to solve to further diagnose the issue.
1) The cruise will not work if the traction control is off
2) You must push it into neutral to stop the tires because the ABS still works and the tires won't stop turning at full brake pedal.
I haven't had my usual car working buddy around lately so I may see if I can get my wife to get in the car on the lift and have her run it up to speed so I can VERY CAREFULLY listen for the noise.
Finally got my wife to run it to 35MPH on the lift. Without a load, I couldn't get the noise to be produced.
At this point, I guess I keep driving it until it either gets worse or fails. We all know it won't go away on its own.
I have the same exact issue happening with my 450h only RWD tho. I have had two mechanics tell me it wasn't a wheel bearing, but it has to be. They said it was tires, I have rotated them completely around and had them road force balanced. No change, plus I only have about 4k on the new Conti's. I'll be changing the right front first as that is where it seems to be coming from, but I can't really tell. Sound starts at 20 mph and continues to increase with speed. Left right turning yields no difference.
I have the same exact issue happening with my 450h only RWD tho. I have had two mechanics tell me it wasn't a wheel bearing, but it has to be. They said it was tires, I have rotated them completely around and had them road force balanced. No change, plus I only have about 4k on the new Conti's. I'll be changing the right front first as that is where it seems to be coming from, but I can't really tell. Sound starts at 20 mph and continues to increase with speed. Left right turning yields no difference.
Any new developments?
Yep, I replaced the left rear wheel bearing... twice because I screwed up the first one by not getting the dust shield back in place. Which took out the ABS sensor on top of the wheel bearing and the dust shield. The whole sad story is in my wheel bearing thread.
Lexus are built so tight and quite. They have proven sound barriers and deaden type everywhere. A wheel bearing noise just sounds different in them. That's why many miss that it is a wheel bearing noise.
I saw some interior noise test a few years back. The 4th Gen GS classed, rank #3 out of lots of other cars.
10-05-21, 10:33 AM
