I've got this Diferential whine (at least Im pretty sure thats what it is) but I can only hear it at low speeds once I get over 3k rpm I cant hear it, possibly due to my loud exhaust (invidia 70mm single). I need advice. I might be imagining it but when Im driving it seems like the sound is louder from the drivers side rear than the passenger side but I cant be sure. The sound can be heard during accell and decell and with brakes on or off.

What I've tried so far:
I changed the rear diff fluid. There were hardly any shavings on the drain plug. Unfortunately this had no effect. The whine is still there.

I put the rear on jacks and put the car in first (while running) so I could get up close to try to locate the sound while the tires were spinning, but I couldnt hear it at all this sound is very noticeable if the car is on the ground though, at parking lot speeds its just embarasing. But while in the air no noise could be located.

I gave the diff and axles a quick look over while down there and everything looks normal.

I thought it might be something with the rear brakes and checked those, and all seems good there..

What Im currently considering:
Im wondering if the axle nuts need retorqued, if that could be the cause? I might try that next.

Im really scratching my head with this This car is daily driven year round. Never tracked or drag raced or launched.

Any suggestions or advice?

 

When I first ripped the interior out of my car, I was convinced I did something to destroy the diff. I was so scared by the diff whine that I was sure it was going to fall apart.

Basically the diff is a whiner! It whines all the time, but usually the combination of loud ambient noise and the insulation of the interior of the car hides the sound from being noticeable. I think you just may be hearing a normal noise that you didn't previously notice.

 

What gear oil are you using? Maybe you should try something different (higher viscosity). If you live where it is hot like in Texas, gear whine becomes more apparent in the summer months.

 

can you give us a better description of the noise itself, gear whine is a quite unique sounds, but if you are hearing a screetching type noise that would be totally different. I can't see normal gear whine being something that would cause an embarrassing noise, maybe it' a bad bearing, does it increase with speed of the vehicle ?

 

hey i dont mean to hijack this thread, but im having the same issue. the whining sound that i have is constant from 1st gear all the way to 6th gear. when i let off the gas the whining sounds goes away, but when i put my foot back on the gas the whining sound comes back.

 

Well, when you take your foot off the gas, you stop putting torque through the gearbox....

 

Running Mobil1 75-90, I had whine when things were hot. Amsoil 75-110 and no whine yet, but only two weeks of hot weather use.

 

Diff noise somehow concentrates itself at the centre of the drivers' head area (LHD cars).
No I'm not kidding, its true.
Lean over to the right and its gone!


Gear whine usually disapears offthrottle.
Gear whine is also a lot less when the diff / gearbox is cold.

Embarrassing noises at parking lot speeds doesn't "sound" like gear noise to me unless the gears (diff or trans) are shot, busted, drys as a bone and worn to pieces.

No load = no noise, combined with low speed noise: one more vote for (wheel) bearings.
It could be secondairy reduction bearings in the gearbox but I could definitely hear them with the car on jackstands.

Long shot:
It could be as simple as a small rock embedded in a brake pad.
Any strange markings on the rotors?
I guess it would be noticable with the wheels in the air so I guess that's not it.

Its not the axle nuts.

 

Diff whine that goes away on the over run can be a sign that your pinion teeth are starting to crack away from the pinion. It seems something which only effects early MY00 models.

 

I just got my S recently and I hear a whinning noise at pretty much ANY speed :\

I was reading this thread you were highly involved in Spit fire (https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/409...whining-noise/)

I need help, not sure what it is, noise sounds as if it comes directly from below the shift boot, Im pretty sure you can only hear it when the driveshaft is spinning.. Can it be the gearbox bearings, or the diff?