I know all too well what this could mean, and I'm hoping for the best but I just don't know where it's coming from. It's a very slight high pitched whine that runs precisely with the engine RPM's - I just noticed it today and I have no idea how long it may have been going on. Does it when warm and I can hear it with my head outside the drivers side window.

Transmission drain and fills have been done at 31 and 47k and the car now has 52k on it. Fluid is cherry red and sweet smelling. Transmission or Power steering pump or something else.

Just curious what you guys think - I'm not panicking...I just can't imagine the trans on this car could be on it's way out...thoughts appreciated as always.

JBL

 

Do you hear this only while the vehicle is in motion?

As you have an AWD RX330, my first guess would be possibly be wheel bearings or before anything with your transmission. See if any of this sounds familiar:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ing-noise.html

 

My guess is alternator. Have it tested

 

Could be P/S pump... I'll be getting mine changed in a couple of weeks...

You said warm starts, but here's a thread to maybe try and diagnose where possible;
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...-rx-350-a.html

 

No the whine pitches exactly with the engine rpm's. So as the transmission changes the RPM of the engine as it upshifts, so does the pitch of the whine. It's not a steady whine that would be related to the rather constant motion of the wheel.

Thanks for the comments - I'm just gonna keep an eye on her for now. I agree with your comment that the last thing it should be on this car would be the transmission. Would have expected that if I had any problems in this area it would have been the RX300 first, if it is indeed a trans issue.

 

Probably a reach, but the car was pretty dusty from yesterday and I took it to a self car wash and power sprayed EVERYWHERE up and underneath, through the wheel wells, etc.

 

What does it do if you were to just sit in the vehicle with it in park with the engine running and gradually you give it some gas? Same thing but instead of giving it gas move the steering wheel left to right and back? What the others are getting at is that it could be something like the AC clutch bearing or similar along the line of items driven by the accessory belt.

Next time you get home from a drive where it has warmed up and you are hearing this noise pop the hood to see if you can still hear it with the engine running and testing as stated above. What you want to do over time is try to rule things out. Turn the HVAC completely off to see if that has any impact, etc.

 

Could have been a wet accessory belt. Just keep an eye on things and let us know as symptoms change. Probably nothing. Could be a new normal.

 

Be careful using a power washer. That's an easy way to get moisture in your headlights. It's a known problem with the RX and has been discussed many times on this forum.

 

Good call - gonna check the car while it's stationary. I know that it doesn't whine when I turn the wheel while it's stationary. Plus the power steering pumps at least from what I remember are a lower pitch than this, which is definitely very high. Lastly, the HVAC was completely off today so I can rule that out. Will keep you posted.

 

Already had that problem Did my own sealing job on the passenger side a year or so ago and it's been dry ever since.

 

Well there doesn't seem to be any such whining while it is in park or neutral. I thought I heard it but after repeated revvings, I can't hear it like I can when I stick my head out the window as I accelerate. Only happens when I accelerate spiritedly, and it stops shortly after the trans shifts to 2nd.

I've decided I'm not going to be so **** about this. I don't know if this has been going on for a long time or not as the sound is really subtle. Gonna keep an eye, or, uh, and ear on it to see if it gets any worse of course, but for now I'm not going to chase anything down.

Thanks for the responses-

 

Did anyone suggest the belt tensioner bearing?

 

high pitch whinning sound can possibly be the pulley but don't know which one

 

My biggest fear was that it would have been the transmission, but the more I research this the more I suspect it is NOT the transmission but one of the other ideas put forth here in this thread. Reason being if it was the tranny, the whining would be present all the time and not just on an aggressive acceleration out of 1st and into 2nd gear. Sitting tight until it progresses, if at all.