2MCHPSI

When it is very cold outside, from inside the RX upon driving at first startup, a really high pitched whine can be heard from the tranny area. It goes away after warming up. ANyone else experience this??

2001 RX 300 AWD

Lexmex

Are you sure it is the tranny. Sometimes the air intake (at least before I modded it) would make a whine.

2MCHPSI

Yeah I am pretty sure. It does not last long until it warms up.

Tammy

What's the fluid look like? Does it smell burnt?

RHS

I have a 2000 RX300 and mine does the same thing. After a few minutes, it goes away. Since it's my wife's car, I don't remember hearing it before.

Fern

Please be more specific... when you start up the car or when you first start driving it.

I have gotten intermitant whining during the first few minutes of driving on days when its colder. The whining sound that I get appears to be more transfer case related than trani. My noise was more noticeable when driving between 35-45 miles an hour.

However, I NEVER get any noise on just startup (with car in park).

I would try the following:
if noise is when your driving, try shifting car into neutral and see if noise persists, if so, most likely not trani... But then again you would know that being a previous GM tech, right!

Congrats Kevin on the RX300 purchase.

2MCHPSI

Wow it looks like I am not the only one that has an RX doing this.

Fern, It very well could be the transfer case, and the funny thing is, I have not been able to duplicate it lately. My noise was only when moving and around the same mph, but a little higher around 40-55. It doesn't seem to effect anything, just wierd. Fliuds all look ok.

Being a previous GM tech and usually only owning GM vehicles in the past, I must say this Lexus is schweet! As a matter of fact, I only have Toyotas and this thing in my driveway these days. I am not planning on going back to GM any time soon either

RHS

Mine is 2 wheel drive and I have noticed the whine also.

Fern

Hmmm,

RHS has got me thinking... rear diff perhaps?

Poorly isolated transmission lines which is no real problem?
Belts?
Idle speed control motor?

Do an internet search on Toyota whining noise and you'll be surprised what you get.

Cheers,

Fern

LexRexBlue

('99 RX AWD) Mine whined while coasting. The mph changed during the 2 months. In the end it was 35-40. Sorry to say, it was the transmission. They tried changing the differential in back and then front first. Lexus would only let them do one part at a time. Finally, it showed up in the morning most and they kept it overnight and decided it was the transmission. (The car had had no problems shifting gears). I had this all done before the warranty went out. I'm happy to say that it is over a year later and the car is still running great. It is dependable, too.

Fern

Did Lexus ever specifically indicate why trani would whine..?

Maybe some of the more mechanically inclined members can elaborate. My RX is the first auto-trani car I have owned.

bamarx300

I just replaced the transfer case on my wife's RX300. It seems that there was a slight whine before we replaced it. I haven't driven it enough to notice whether or not the whine is gone. I did learn through this ordeal that the transfer case and the transmission are seperate and have different fluids in them. The reason we think the transfer case went out was that the fluid got too low or it leaked out without us knowing about it. You might check the fluid level in your transfer case.

Fern

Hey bamarx300,

the mechanic that replaced the transfer case in your car, is that the same guy with the questionable reputation?

If so, I'm not so worried about the tranfer case going in my car...

Fluid leaking out of transfer case? The fluid should have been gear oil, the same spec as the rear differential.

Interesting that it would have leaked out of transfer case but not rear diff.

I have reason to believe that some dealers may be putting Toyota type IV fluid in the transfer case rather than gear oil, which is wrong... Wonder if thats whats causing transfer case failures.

Lexmex

I would second Fern that transfer case is one of those things that is not the highest priority. I think there is changeout on the fluid scheduled at 120K.