aroo1986

Hey everyone,
I have a 1999 ES300 with 124,000 miles bought the vehicle used and just the other day the car started making like a whine noise when in 1st gear. As soon as the transmission shifts into 2nd the sound goes away. Tranny fluid is full and is still a red color doesnt smell funky. I first thought it was a powersteering issue but the sound only happens when car is in drive. In neutral there is no sound and sound doesn't change when steering wheel is moved. The transmission fluid and filter was changed at 119,000 miles. When I get home from work I will try and get a video to capture the sound. Any info or what to check or advice anything will be greatly helpful.

Thanks.

Oro

Something to consider given the history is the filter. I haven't opened that transmission, so I ask other members:

Is the '99 equipped with a wire mesh filter screen like in the U151E and most other Toyota transmissions from this period, or is it a paper cartridge?

OP - are you checking the fluid level:
a) when hot
b) when running, and
c) after shifting through all gears?

Otherwise you will not get an accurate reading.

crwys

The 99 has a paper filter.
Yes make sure to drive the car till it's warmed up. Park it with the engine running. Set e brake. Shift into drive, reverse, 1st, 2nd, then neutral, then check the fluid.

Don't want to worry you but my 99 had a similar symptom. Started with a transmission whine only in the 1st, took a couple months but it eventually started slipping. Upon removing the transmission it seemed only the torque converter failed but I did a full rebuild anyways.

ArmyofOne

Drivetrain whine is a characteristic of these cars. It is likely the main input shaft bearing. No cause for concern. I have seen cars with many hundreds of thousands of miles on their original bearings and they whine too. While not "normal", it is normal for the age. My 2002 does the same thing in first gear and at parking lot speeds. Still smooth as silk on the highway and runs like a champ otherwise with 160k

aroo1986

nsghtbrwry

To throw a wrench into this discussion, a whine in the U140E could also be a fluid pump that's worn. That seems to happen too often on these (guess what I've got sitting around waiting for a new pump). If your fluid is in good shape that's a good sign, but I was reading somebody's account on TN that developed problems soon after and the pan magnets were hairy with metal shavings.

aroo1986

So how would I figure out if it's the fluid pump?

Oro

Do a line pressure test with a fluid pressure gauge attached to the at test port. Monitor idle and stall speed line pressure values for each gear. This will ID a pump anomaly or narrow down things.

But first verify the fill level with the correct procedure and rule out the simple/most obvious things.

aroo1986

I have read on here that different years used different transmissions and to count the number of bolts on the transmission pan to see what one I have is this the only way of knowing for sure what transmission I have on the ES?

crwys

FOR Sure I would say yes. If you have a 99 with variable valve timing you most likely have the U140. Like %100 sure lol. I don't think any vvt-i engines had the a514
18 bolts on the transmission pan is the U140

aroo1986

Here goes a clip of the sound guys. Please any other advice or ideas will be really helpful.


Thanks for everything again.

nsghtbrwry

This is correct, when they added VVTi for the '99 model year they dropped the A541E for the U140E. Instead of counting the pan bolts, you can check the driver's door sticker, it'll list which trans it has.

That noise isn't the fluid pump. Fluid pump whine will be present in all gears, at idle, etc. Sometimes it modulates a bit in pitch if you have a crescent/variable-displacement pump.

nsghtbrwry

Also, I did a large write-up on several common jobs/fixes to a '99 ES300 a while back on TN. It's still a work in progress, but here's a link to where I installed an auxiliary cooler and inline filter:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/10...l#post12279962

...that'll help quite a bit in extending the life of these glass transmissions. HTH

aroo1986

Sorry I have been offline for a while guys but I still can not seem to figure out where to even start to look to fix this problem. So here is a little more info for all you out there.

Car shift fine and smooth
Car goes into overdrive fine
Car doesn't make the sound when in neutral and revved up
I have noticed that when in second gear the whine is there but at a level that its really really hard to hear

so my question is from what anyone has experienced or from what issues I am having does this seem to be narrowed down to it being something funky with the transmission. Should I be looking else where as to what this sound is?

nsghtbrwry

I can't provide any direct guidance, but a story that might help a little bit: I have a buddy with an '00 that he bought from a coworker. The coworker had the transmission replaced (U140E) with a used unit at 140k (car now has 165k). When he is leaving my court, it always makes a whine when he puts it in gear. I've done drains-and-refills as routine maintenance, but nothing has changed the whine. Car has only had T-IV put in it, and he complains that randomly on the highway, without any CEL or any warning, RPMs will go way high/trans slips.

Just saying if you suddenly start getting slippage one morning, we'll have some common ground to go off

EDIT: One more thing. I've noticed sometimes reman torque converters make whining noises. I've installed eBay reman TC's, but nowadays I use the blue Dacco's. The Dacco's have never made noise. across two U140E's, one A140E, and an A540E.