Gear wine a problem?
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Teching In
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Gear wine a problem? Hey guys, sorry if this subject has been beaten to death, but i can't find another topic that kinda fits my case.......
Anyway, I've got a 1999 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 with around 76,000 miles on it (I've had it since the beginning of the summer). About a month to a month and a half ago i started to hear some gear whine (at least that's what I've diagnosed it as from searching around this site) after i kinda thrashed on (which i don't' do a lot). It went away for about a week, but then i took it up to 120, and it started it again way worse and didn't go away. It seems to get worse after thrashing on the car.....so that kinda leads me to believe it is something that needs to be fixed. It has got worse over the last couple of weeks. Also, it only happens when I'm accelerating, and it seems to be at its worst in 3rd gear.
So is this something i should be concerned about and have checked out, or is it normal and shouldn't be given too much worry?
Btw, I'm only 17, and don't know a ton about cars yet, so i won't be able to check anything out unless it is something that is somewhat simple (i am mechanically inclined though).
What do you guys think?
Anyway, I've got a 1999 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 with around 76,000 miles on it (I've had it since the beginning of the summer). About a month to a month and a half ago i started to hear some gear whine (at least that's what I've diagnosed it as from searching around this site) after i kinda thrashed on (which i don't' do a lot). It went away for about a week, but then i took it up to 120, and it started it again way worse and didn't go away. It seems to get worse after thrashing on the car.....so that kinda leads me to believe it is something that needs to be fixed. It has got worse over the last couple of weeks. Also, it only happens when I'm accelerating, and it seems to be at its worst in 3rd gear.
So is this something i should be concerned about and have checked out, or is it normal and shouldn't be given too much worry?
Btw, I'm only 17, and don't know a ton about cars yet, so i won't be able to check anything out unless it is something that is somewhat simple (i am mechanically inclined though).
What do you guys think?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: May 2007
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I honestly don't know. I got it from a shop in Cali that took people's cars and added rims, stripes, and little things to make them look cool, and in some cases put performance parts on them (mine was a floor model they needed to get rid of, and came with custom exhaust, wheels and rims). It is possible that the car could have originally had a custom rear end and they didn't know it, but i kinda doubt it.
Always, always check the simple stuff first. If I were you, I'd drain the old fluid out, and refill it with new fluid. It'll be a good chance for you to get under there and see what's going on...whining can be caused by many things, but from what you described, it sounds like it is happening to your rear end after you get done doing stuff that would really cause the axle to heat up. That could be a sign that it is low on fluid, since that is what keeps everything in there from overheating.
I honestly don't know. I got it from a shop in Cali that took people's cars and added rims, stripes, and little things to make them look cool, and in some cases put performance parts on them (mine was a floor model they needed to get rid of, and came with custom exhaust, wheels and rims). It is possible that the car could have originally had a custom rear end and they didn't know it, but i kinda doubt it.
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i have a 12 bolt w/4.56 gears and the rear end whines on decel and cruising speeds but full throttle it all go. but i sounds like it had a gear put in at one time would'nt worry to much untill you snap it lol.....then get a 12 bolt !
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look at the rear end make sure pinion seal isnt leaking first off. Id have it checked out by a shop it could be something simple. I have 373s that whined on decel, I had pinion nut tightened up and noise went away.
if it had gears installed, then they could have been installed wrong. wrong clearance with shims. also could misfilled fluid, or old/bad fluid. or worse of all, it could be something coming apart. i would take the cover off, drain it and see what is going on in there.
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Teching In
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Ok, well again, i know very little about newer cars, so if i did take the cover off, would i be able to detect if something was wrong if it actually was messed up? Also, how hard is it to drain and replace the fluid?
An easy way to tell what gears you have is to get the car up in the air so the rear wheels can spin, and you spin the driveshaft and have your buddy watch the tires and see when they make a complete revolution. A typical manual transmission car will be equipped with 3.42s from the factory, so the driveshaft should spin 3.42 times for every one time the tire spins. If it doesn't, then go from there. Other common ratios are 3.73 and 4.10 in a 10-bolt. If the gears aren't 3.42, that could be a reason for the gear whine (improper install)...
As for changing the fluid...not hard. Just need some basic wrenches, and a drain pan. Remove the rear cover, and the fluid will come pouring out. Check the magnet on the cover, and clean it off. If there is excessive metal on it, then you might worry...otherwise, remove the old gasket, grab a new one, and put the cover back on. The fill plug is on the passenger side of the center of the axle, and you'll need a 3/8" extension to loosen it (just the extension...the hole is a square). Make sure the car is level, and fill from that hole. When it is full, it will start pouring out the bottom of the hole. Put some sealer on the threads, and put the plug back in. It should take about 2 quarts or so to fill it. You might need some GM limited slip additive too...but that is differential dependent.
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From: Toronto, Canada
Gm 3.42's only 500 miles and already whining?
They have a nice spot in
for 10 bolts i bet! haha... Thread Starter
Teching In
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It'd be doubtful that you'd be able to tell anything just by looking at it, unless there were huge chunks of metal stuck to the magnet. You could take pictures and post them up, and we could give you a guess, but that's about it.
An easy way to tell what gears you have is to get the car up in the air so the rear wheels can spin, and you spin the driveshaft and have your buddy watch the tires and see when they make a complete revolution. A typical manual transmission car will be equipped with 3.42s from the factory, so the driveshaft should spin 3.42 times for every one time the tire spins. If it doesn't, then go from there. Other common ratios are 3.73 and 4.10 in a 10-bolt. If the gears aren't 3.42, that could be a reason for the gear whine (improper install)...
As for changing the fluid...not hard. Just need some basic wrenches, and a drain pan. Remove the rear cover, and the fluid will come pouring out. Check the magnet on the cover, and clean it off. If there is excessive metal on it, then you might worry...otherwise, remove the old gasket, grab a new one, and put the cover back on. The fill plug is on the passenger side of the center of the axle, and you'll need a 3/8" extension to loosen it (just the extension...the hole is a square). Make sure the car is level, and fill from that hole. When it is full, it will start pouring out the bottom of the hole. Put some sealer on the threads, and put the plug back in. It should take about 2 quarts or so to fill it. You might need some GM limited slip additive too...but that is differential dependent.
An easy way to tell what gears you have is to get the car up in the air so the rear wheels can spin, and you spin the driveshaft and have your buddy watch the tires and see when they make a complete revolution. A typical manual transmission car will be equipped with 3.42s from the factory, so the driveshaft should spin 3.42 times for every one time the tire spins. If it doesn't, then go from there. Other common ratios are 3.73 and 4.10 in a 10-bolt. If the gears aren't 3.42, that could be a reason for the gear whine (improper install)...
As for changing the fluid...not hard. Just need some basic wrenches, and a drain pan. Remove the rear cover, and the fluid will come pouring out. Check the magnet on the cover, and clean it off. If there is excessive metal on it, then you might worry...otherwise, remove the old gasket, grab a new one, and put the cover back on. The fill plug is on the passenger side of the center of the axle, and you'll need a 3/8" extension to loosen it (just the extension...the hole is a square). Make sure the car is level, and fill from that hole. When it is full, it will start pouring out the bottom of the hole. Put some sealer on the threads, and put the plug back in. It should take about 2 quarts or so to fill it. You might need some GM limited slip additive too...but that is differential dependent.
Ok. Is a new gasket a standard part that i can get from any auto store, or is that something i will have to order? Also, is the same for the fluid and sealer, like are they standard things that can be bought at a auto store? Do i need the limited slip additive if the gears are stock?
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Teching In
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Cool, another stupid question: do i need to put sealer on the threads every time i check the fluid?
BTW, thanks for answering my many noob questions
.
Oh yea, and just to elaborate on intensity of the whining sound; my friend said he could hear my car 40ft away on the freeway it was whining so loud.
BTW, thanks for answering my many noob questions
.Oh yea, and just to elaborate on intensity of the whining sound; my friend said he could hear my car 40ft away on the freeway it was whining so loud.
Last edited by Goin'Sideways; Oct 31, 2007 at 12:25 AM.
Cool, another stupid question: do i need to put sealer on the threads every time i check the fluid?
BTW, thanks for answering my many noob questions.
Oh yea, and just to elaborate on intensity of the whining sound; my friend said he could hear my car 40ft away on the freeway it was whining so loud.
BTW, thanks for answering my many noob questions
.Oh yea, and just to elaborate on intensity of the whining sound; my friend said he could hear my car 40ft away on the freeway it was whining so loud.
As for the sealer, I pull the old stuff off and put new sealer on every time I mess with a sealed thread. It is just good practice.
Thread Starter
Teching In
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Crap, so I just got back from the store and re-read what you posted, and realized i got synthetic fluid. Even though it is what the computer said (they had to look it up at the store because i don't have a owner's manual) was for my car (well that's what the lady said), will it be ok?
Also, do I have to have a new gasket to change the fluid? The guy at the store said i'd need to order it, but there is another store that probably has more parts and might have it, but i don't have time to go get it before tomorrow (and the whining is getting worse)....
Also, do I have to have a new gasket to change the fluid? The guy at the store said i'd need to order it, but there is another store that probably has more parts and might have it, but i don't have time to go get it before tomorrow (and the whining is getting worse)....
