club.liberty.asn.au

Hello ever helpful H6ers. I have an interesting new noise that I would love your thoughts on.

Background: 2005 3.0r-b, solid kms on the clock (150k), but quite a few upgrades/parts replaced over the years by former owner and then me. Car religiously serviced at S+J and tuned by Kido on one of his Adelaide trips. Gearbox bushes were redone by S+J not that long ago (maybe 12 months).

Anyway, recently out of nowhere I have been hearing a new sound. Ominously, it is associated with the transmission somehow.

Specifically:

1. When just easing the car into first gear, there is a very brief whine similar to the normal sound reverse makes. This is only there occasionally around the 1,500rpm mark for about a second, and doesn't happen every time. My best attempt to reliably reproduce it is to get the car moving forward at a very slow speed (say 3-5km/h), put the clutch in and then slowly ease the car back into gear. Whine is clearly linked to engine RPM, not vehicle speed.

2. Reverse is also slightly whine-ier than it usually is.

3. The above may be slightly more noticeable when turning the steering wheel (although not sure about this, may just be that turning at low speed is typically right in the troublesome rpm range).

4. No sign of this noise in any other gear or at speeds above 'car park' speeds.

5. Definitely not 'normal' 3.0r-b whine, which I know and love. Sound is definitely new.

6. No signs of any actual change in performance. Of course now I am freaking out and imagining that I can feel things being subtly different all the time...

Any thoughts? The car is going in for S+J to have a look at this, but I would really like to have some idea what I'm dealing with before it does.

Might be best if you could post up a small video/recording showing the sound, might make it easier for people to get a better understanding of the issue.

GL solving it mate

Could be so, so many things, and not necessarily gearbox related?
You have indicated a slight dominance to RPM related than gearbox related??

Here is a hit list that are pure stabs in the dark from items that possibly make whines, and in the RPM range that you are nominating.
Choose the one that suits your needs??

Power Steering Pump
The pump when warn, will give a whine at low engine speed as it becomes loaded.
(You mention turning/touching the steering wheel?)
Check this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrwyJQymYjA

Accessory Belt Idler
The one mounted on the A/C Compressor bracket seems to wear out first.
Check the bearing race for looseness. (Why not replace it anyway. The bearing is only a handful of dollars)

Timing Chain Tensioner & Guides
Apparently does not whine but makes a rattle like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljDu20C ... e=youtu.be

Post a video on-line and then a host of knowledgeable people will be in a better position to assist.

Also, start Googling for existing common threads
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=9553

Thanks for the replies.

To help anyone else out with similar symptoms, it was actually two things:

1. Power steering hose wear allowing a small amount of air to bleed into the system, causing a few funky whirring noises at low speed.

2. A completely dead clutch.

And in the course of those getting fixed, my gearbox mount turned out to be cracked, too.

Just drove it home and it feels like a new car. I actually stalled when starting off because I wasn't ready for how bitey it is.

These cars feel like putting money in a big pile and burning it at times...