Car makes loud whine in the morning
#46
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You can rule one thing out..this is not a clogged cat, or anything else to do with your exhaust. However it is something to do with your accessory drives. This happens all the time in my 95 SC300, and I'm 90% sure its my belt tensioner, and my serpentine belt itself is cracked and broken. Since I'm not driving it at all this winter I'm not going to worry about it..but in your case I would either find someone who knows what they are doing and replace your belt/tensioner or both...or start learning how to do it yourself..its really not that scary I promise.
"I am fairly certain (though I haven't removed the belt yet to try) it is not the belt / a pulley. I know what these sound like when they're on the way out, and this is NOT it...plus, it seems too coincidental that it goes away when put into D, but it is louder when first put into R. After doing some research, I am leaning towards some type of tranny issue or rear end."
I have no problem replacing the tensioner / belt, that should take no time at all. Plus, how could a bad tensioner / belt / pulley cause hard shifts? I definitely (based on my first hand experience) think the noise is related to the hard shifts...
I want to get the video posted tomorrow first and we'll see...
#47
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The one morning I decide to video the noise and I wake up looking at 71F!!! Sure enough, it starts up with no issues, no noise, no hard shifts - nada. The only thing I noticed, after I decided to check it last night, is the tranny fluid is showing about 3" above the fourth mark on the dipstick...this was last night (hot) AND this morning (cold). I never thought to check the fluid level as I bought the car in April and did a service history check prior to doing so. The transmission had a full service at a Lexus dealer about 8,000 miles before I bought it, so I assumed it was fine. I am certain the level should not be showing that high, but would like some comments...
I will try a video sometime this week if it cools back down!
I will try a video sometime this week if it cools back down!
Last edited by keskipper; 11-29-10 at 06:10 AM.
#51
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Anyway, drove it around to warm up, parked in driveway, shifted through gears like you suggested, left it in N with parking brake on, checked and it's now at the bottom of the 3rd mark (i.e. the low end of the Hot range). I may have to add a little back, but will wait until after checking how it does tomorrow a.m. as we are supposed to get a cold front tonight and it should be ~60F. I will be listening for the "whine" and checking the shifting smoothness...
#52
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Alright, my final post on this (I hope):
I got the tranny fluid level corrected. This morning it was ~30F, started the car, ran for 30 seconds, no whine, slipped into gear smooth as glass and drove around with zero hard shifts. I am fairly confident the overfilled fluid level was the cause, though I am not sure why. My guess is too much fluid at colder temps has a thicker viscosity equaling higher pressure thereby causing a strain on the pump and once it warmed up after driving, the viscosity was lower and reduced the effort to pump the fluid. I guess I am lucky that it didn't blow out the seals from what I have read...
Hope this helps someone else in the future. I learned a key lesson--never assume anyone did a job correctly, even a Lexus service tech--check it yourself...
-Kevin
I got the tranny fluid level corrected. This morning it was ~30F, started the car, ran for 30 seconds, no whine, slipped into gear smooth as glass and drove around with zero hard shifts. I am fairly confident the overfilled fluid level was the cause, though I am not sure why. My guess is too much fluid at colder temps has a thicker viscosity equaling higher pressure thereby causing a strain on the pump and once it warmed up after driving, the viscosity was lower and reduced the effort to pump the fluid. I guess I am lucky that it didn't blow out the seals from what I have read...
Hope this helps someone else in the future. I learned a key lesson--never assume anyone did a job correctly, even a Lexus service tech--check it yourself...
-Kevin
#53
take the damn belt off already and spin everything by hand!!!! u know what ef that...take the belt off and turn the dam car on if you still hear your sound then its not your powersteering or ac compresssor or starter or annything external to the engine....its gonna be your crank pulley or something with the timing belt .....if u dont have sound guess what?!?!? its gonna be something thats not connected to the engine lol....hot damn this should be easier but your making it hard by not doing the simplest thing pulling a dam belt off.... also do you have the ac on when you turn the car on im starting to wonder if this clicking your hearing is the ac/ compressor clutch engaging and dissengaging....
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