Taka

When my car is on deceleration at any speed, I hear heavy howling noise or whooing whining-whirring noise from center consol. sounds like the truck is decelerating on highway. It doesn't matter if the brake is on or not, the noise is there. and if I press the gas, all the noise will be gone.

I searched around and figured out it's either rear Driveshaft or Center support bearing (on propeller shaft?)
I looked up on my manual but I'm a bit confused. can you tell me which one am I supposed to change (sorry I couldn't use my scanner so I just used my digicam)? Center support bearing (on propeller shaft?) or rear drive shaft on this diagram?

I remember some member has changed his driveshaft, I want to varify that if he's refering to the propeller shaft or rear driveshaft, cause I went to car-part.com but I can't find this propeller shaft or center support bearing. (rear driveshaft = around $250).

another questions
how much do you think it's gonna cost if I go to local shop (for labor)?
if I dont repair this driveshaft or center support bearing, would it damage the transmission or other parts? or it's harmless..

thanks for your help. I'm planning to give my car to friend so I'm finding out if I should change it now or later for her.

Taka

btw it has 177k miles.
I can change the transmission mount at the same time right? how many mounts do I need to purchase? is there any like front transmission mount and rear mount? any other parts I should change at the same time?

and here's another pic, thx to strongsail for this underbody picture, very useful

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

correct.

SC400TT

iTrader: (4)

If you're sure it is the Center Main Bearing, then, get it new from Lexus. I certainly would not go through all of that trouble to change it out with an old one. You should verify that is the problem, and not a transmission problem first, as well.

I replaced my Center Bearing due to a soft clicking noise that occured during deceleration between 20 and 30 mph. It fixed the problem, and greatly reduced vibration in the car. I also replaced the Trans mount, and the engine mounts are being replaced in a few weeks. I have also replaced the 4 main rear axle/I-Beam mounts as well. Car drives exceptionally smoother.

Also, unless you are highly qualified to do the work, I would pay someone to do it. remember, that driveshaft is balanced, and you need to ensure that it is put together exactly the same as it was before you disassemle it. You will also need a special press to get that new bearing in place.

Altstadt

Taka

since I'm not sure what's causing this noise so I'm gonna go either local shop or lexus dealer for a diagnostic. and I'll get the parts myself and ask local shop to do all of the work.

which one do you think is cheaper & reliable way to ask diagnostic, at local shop or lexus dealer? in addition, since I'm planning to sell to my friend, I want to do the complete diagnostic for her. I never done complete diagnostic but what is it anyway? Does it include any of following ?(basically I want to change if it's bad condition):
- Engine mounts and transmission mounts
- front end sway bar bushings
- rear Driveshaft
- center main drive shaft bearing
- PS pump
- alternator
- timeing belt/water pump
- brakes and rotor
- upper/lower control arm (bushing)
- transmission

if there are nothing to do with the complete diagnostic, how much should I expect to pay for inspect those?

sorry lots of things in my mind right now that I want to fix, and a bit confused..
let me go back to original topic again. so when you referring the driveshaft, it is the shaft btwn the rear wheel right? not the propeller shaft on the diagram (btwn trans and diffe).?
Is it uncommon to replace the propeller shaft but center main bearing? is there any other name for this propeller shaft since I can't find on part database?
Thx alot!

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

told ya what it was. I have paypal and am always looking to win a bet

DaMaster

Does anyone know the price of a center main bearing and how much roughly installation should be for one? I have a 97 SC400 with 93k miles and I think I have this exact problem. Whenever I am slowing down as soon as I hit about 28 mph's I hear this whirling noise almost like a small motor spinning and as soon as I get down to about 20 mph's it disappears and it doesn't matter if I'm using the brakes or coasting. I had originally thought it was something like my power streering pump acting up and that I could only hear it on slowing down due to less wind noise but after reading this thread I'm almost positive this is not the case. I have also noticed that for whatever reason if I'm in the PWR mode it is a LOT LOT more noticable than if i'm normal...any thoughts on this? My biggest question is this something that I need to fix ASAP?

On a side note I just want to thank everyone out there in CL, I've been lurking silently on here for over a year and have absorbed a ton of info on my baby...now if I could only get her running like she deserves to be....

Taka

other center support bearing threads:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=48243
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=77126
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=98795
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=45249

DaMaster, I'm not sure but sounds like your problem is similar to center support bearing problem.
I dont know yet but my problem might be somewhere else. I dont have much vibration and I have this heavy howling noise like gloglogloglo..whenever I decelerate from any speed.

Thanks to aliga, we took my car to his mechanic. we checked the driveshaft roughly but it was fine.
so the problem might be at my transmission which is going bad $$$ I changed my tranny oil 30k miles ago. also insepcted the lower control arm bushing, engine/tranny mount, and they are ok.
Btw I need to change the PS pump, brakes, and drive belt.

so before changing the transmission, what other possble things we need to inspect? any suggestion? One of my other car just died because of the transmission failure...

Thx

DaMaster

Thanks for leading me in the right direction Taka. I know I searched for it but I think I was searching for a center main bearing instead of a center support bearing...makes all the difference in the world in the info you find I'm taking my car to the dealership tomorrow to get my brakes worked on so I'm going to have them look at the bearings and trans mounts and see what they have to say.

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

look up in the forced induction forum for babym3's post about this.

Pianoman72

I had the exact symptoms as you minus the center console noise on another car. The differential was diagnosed to be the problem, not the transmission. Don't know if that helps but thought I would throw that out.

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

the driveshaft bearing can be dry and still not have play. I am not fully convinced.

DaMaster

So I went to the dealership (it's a toyota dealership, don't have a lexus one around...) and they fixed up some minor brake issues and I told the mechanic that I wanted him to look at my center support bearing and let me know what he found. Well I got my car picked up at noon and the guy tells me flat out "You don't have a center support bearing on a SC400" What the.... Did I just hear that right?!! He said the noise was coming from my rear differential but insisted I have no support bearing. So I'm guessing this guy is completely smokin crack but the real kicker is my family and I have taken our cars to this place for yeeeeeeeearrs and I've always believed them to be very mechanically inclined and good service. I'm debating on printing out that picture Taka posted at the top to see what he says about that.

On a side note, anyone know a good mechanic in the Tidewater area of Virginia, sounds like I could use one...

SC400TT

iTrader: (4)

Unbelieveable!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Altstadt

setwire

Had a similar problem with my 93 SC 400.
Lexus thought it was bad spline where 2 main drive shafts join.
Turned out to be a nut that connects the trans output drive tio the shaft inside the transmission.
The locktite had failed and the nut came loose.
Mechanic tightened up the nut, reapplied locktite and the noise went away.
Put your car on a hoist, leave trans in Park, check and see if your drive shaft can be rotated when Trans is in Park.
That is how my mechanic found the problem.
Rob