not sure

i've tried searching - tons of it! yet, i can't seem to nail it down to a definitive answer as i normally could. i see a buncha responses of a/c compressor TSBs and oil cooler lines making similar noises, but nothing seems to hit the nail on the head.

symptoms are - primarily according to wife since it is her vehicle, yet i did drive it for 200 miles or so under these circumstances - 2006 RX 330, 58k miles; runs/drives great, but once up to speed and above 40mph (she pinpointed 45mph which may have influenced my judgment) if you let off the accelerator and coast a whining noise occurs from what appears to be the front passenger side. which is where the belts are. and, the sound did initially have me thinking it was a low/dry power steering pump, yet the reservoir has plenty of fluid in it (though it is quite dark).

anybody else have similar experience to this?

thanks so much!

brian

HtownBlue

I would check belts, belts tension, Alternator, A/C compressor clutch, and possibly bearings and power steering.

I would try replicating the sound by simply increasing the RPM's to a high level and see if the whine is evident then. If so you know you have something involved with the PS, AC, Alternator etc. because it is tied to engine RPM.

If not, you could have somethign tied to wheel motion such as bearing and tires or possibly cv axle.

Kendig

Almost certainly bearings. Probably in the differential, could also be excessive gear wear in the diff (which is often due to bearings). Just to pretty well rule out wheel bearings, rock steering wheel back and forth while the noise is happening to see if there is any difference.

hypervish

Are your wheels balanced properly? A noise like that, can come if your wheels are unbalanced. I believe Firestone will check it for $29. Not bad.

TechEd

When test driving a used 2009 in a strange city this past July, I commented about hearing a siren on the busy street but never could find the emergency vehicle in my mirrors. When returning to the dealership, we heard a whining noise when coming to a stop. It was a deal-breaker for us. I agreed to wait for their tech guy to look at it. They replaced the rear brake rotors and after a test drive, the noise was gone and we made the purchase.

not sure

i had the time to spend a little while with my wife's RX this past weekend. I gave it an oil change and swapped out the front brake pads with Wagner ThermoQuiet Ceramic ones (knocking out another recurring noise wifey complained of).

The occasional brake squeal is gone and the oil is fresh, but the whining (I hesitate to call it a whine, but it's 80% of one anyway) still occurs. **HOWEVER, I drove it more and discovered that the "whine" can occur at any speed, but only upon letting off the accelerator. clues?

another weird observation was that the oil filter didn't spill any oil when I removed it. I did drain the oil from the pan thoroughly before twisting it off so maybe it all drained from it since it does sit at maybe a 20 degree angle above parallel, but I almost swear i've had cars in the past with the same setup.

thanks!

RX330inFL

When you have the time, try reproducing the problem but instead of just letting up on the gas also put the car in neutral to see if the noise continues or not. Am wondering if you are hearing the effects of transmission braking.

not sure

thanks, RX "Rex." I actually don't believe I've tried that. I was centered on the AC compressor when I test drove it. good suggestion!

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

wheel bearings???

kmagnani

I have a 99 RX300 with EXACT symptoms of winding/wining sound. I tried putting transmission into neutral and it had no affect on the noise. Local tech said it was a gasket problem with the cabin. When noise started I cracked windows, again with no affect on sound.

hobblyjig

I'm having pretty much the same issue. I've got whining noise that comes from somewhere in the front of the car. It shows up at around 25mph. If I speed up it goes away until I get up to freeway speeds (around 60mph) and then it comes back but is quieter than at 25mph. If I speed up or slow down very quickly (like when getting on the freeway) then I don't hear it at 25mph.

The background of my problem is that I did have a failing right front wheel bearing. That caused grinding and vibrations and the whining started and before I got the bearings fixed. I expected that when I had the wheel bearing and hub assemble replaced it would fix all the issues. But the whining is still there.

I have tried revving up the RPMs while the car is parked and cannot reproduce the noise. I have tried driving 25mph and while the noise is present and hitting the breaks, turning the car back and forth, and putting it in neutral. None of those actions have any effect on the whining noise. The only thing that changes the whine is the speed of the car. I'm lead to believe that because putting the car in neutral doesn't change the noise at all I can rule out transmission issues. And because hitting the breaks doesn't have an effect I have ruled out break issues. And because I can't get the noise when the car is parked, its not a belt issue.

Have I ruled out something I shouldn't have?

Since the whine started after the wheel bearing was bad could it be related somehow? Something that wouldn't have been fixed with the repairs I had done? My thoughts have gone to some sort of axle or drive shaft issue?

I should also add that I'm in Baltimore and my car is always parked outside. The whine started about 3 weeks ago, and It has been extremely cold for the last month here (never above freezing, and as low as 0F). I have no idea if the cold is related to the issue. Previous to this winter the car lived in a garage.

Finally I will say that I have had 3 mechanics go for rides with me and none of them have figured out what the noise is.

I hope someone can give me some direction on this. Thank you!!!!

JE

iTrader: (1)

Without hearing the noise personally it's hard to say but I have actually heard tires make a strange sound before when there are issues with slipped belts internally etc. If your handy switch front to rear and see if it changes or goes away. If it's not changing with engine rpm just speed it's likely wheel bearing or tire related in the front. We could set you up with a diag and figure out the issue just give us a ring and we would be happy to look at it.

Tzakiel

There is definitely something to this. I wish I could figure it out. I have the same exact problem but at 60mph and with my 2013 gs350 awd. Only when accelerator is not pressed and car coasts down in speed. Any update or additional insight? For me as well the dealer mechanics can't figure it out and blame tires. If it were tires it wouldn't matter if I had the gas pedal down or not.

NateJG

As gears are loaded on the "coast side" (the torque direction opposite their usual engine-loaded forward motive direction), they frequently make noise as described. iIt is common on hypoid rear axles in rear-drive vehicles.

Transmission gears make noise as described. Straight-cut (as opposed to "slanted" Spiral-Bevel") gears offer high strength; while spiral-bevel gearing is frequently used in transmissions to quiet gear noise by ensuring that teeth are in mesh (contact) more than afforded straight cut gears. Noise by itself is not an indicator of an impending failure. Certain tooth profiles, while strong and long-wearing, make noise. Spiral-bevel gearing necessarily causes side loading of the gears due to the angular contact and resultant thrust. That side loading can lead to bearing wear - contributing to noise.

Lube viscosity and shear strength can mask gear noise - so transmissions with old oil tend to be noisier than those with new oil (and an old nasty trick of used car dealers was to put sawdust into the rear drive axles of tired and noisy vehicles to mask worn gear noise to potential buyers).

One more diagnostic test - that none of the very astute mechanics above did not mention - is to try the noise test again at the same speed - but in different gears at the same speed - noting whether or not the frequency changes.

If the frequency changes, the noise is possibly related to the transmission; whereas if it stays the same, it is possibly in the final drive (I'd say "the rear end", only we're talking a front-drive vehicle; and the last gearset isn't hypoid - I think).

Have we ruled out tires? Different road surfaces?

I'm basing my comments solely on a gear-related issue - whike there appears to be some contention as to exactly where the issue originates - system wise.

Lastly, does the intensity of the noise change with increased deceleration loading (I.e., and e.g.: downshifting so as to have increased engine braking)?

LazarusLng

Shift into neutral when you are coasting. I bet the noise goes away.