What's that whine?

D

Dragonslayer

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Los Angeles

• Apr 25, 2011

• #1

'98 XJ, 2WD, 4.0L, auto.

My car has developed a whine somewhere under the hood. It was faint at first for a few
weeks, then it has gradually gotten louder. The closest thing that would describe it is that
it sounds sorta like a supercharger whine (but there's no supercharger there).

I can't seem to be able to pinpoint exactly where it's coming from - even with
a stethoscope.

I checked the fluid on the power steering pump. It's OK.

Any ides? Any suggestions?

 

xjtrailrider

NAXJA Forum User

NAXJA Member

Location

Roanoke VA

• Apr 25, 2011

• #2

Power steering pump or maybe the transmission. My 96 is starting to whine when its cold and its definitely the transmission.

 

ParadiseXJ

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Paradise, CA 95969

• Apr 25, 2011

• #3

Does it sound anything like this??




If so, put that stethoscope on your distributor...

 

ehall

NAXJA Member

NAXJA Member

Location

Southern Maryland

• Apr 26, 2011

• #4

Alternator makes a dull whistling kind of whine when it's charging. Clean your battery terminals and see if goes away.

 

D

Dragonslayer

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Los Angeles

• Apr 26, 2011

• #5

Using my stethoscope, it seems as though it's coming from the left side of the tranny.
It's louder when the car is cold.

I bought the car last year and I never had the tranny pan off. Could a clogged filter be
starving the tranny of fluid and make that noise?

 

Swamprat

NAXJA Forum User

Location

little Tijuana

• Apr 26, 2011

• #6

i'll put my money on one of those invisible superchargers...


actually my jeep does this too, but mine is the power steering

 

S

sjx40250

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Alexandria VA

• Apr 27, 2011

• #7

Does it vary with engine rpm or vehicle speed?

 

xcm

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Southern Oregon

• Apr 27, 2011

• #8

was having this problem for the past 2-3 months, started out only when it was cold, then only when the motor was cold, then most of the time....


then my transmission went out, and i havent driven it since, probably not related though.

i do wish they made invisible superchargers though, that'd be sweet.

 

D

Dragonslayer

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Los Angeles

• Apr 27, 2011

• #9

I dropped the transmission pan and filter today.

The filter screen was covered with some kind of orange gritty stuff.

The most difficult part of the operation was scraping off the old, brittle, cork pan gasket
(using Permatex Gasket Remover) and then clean the pan, magnets, and screws until
everything was surgically clean.

I put in a new transmission filter (w/ nitrile gasket), put it all back together, poured in
4 qts of Dextron III.

Fired her up and …problem solved! No more whine!

Thanks all.