Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Webby the Bear on 03 May 2016, 20:27:44

Title: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: Webby the Bear on 03 May 2016, 20:27:44
Trying to figure out another noise that has just come on grrrrrrrrr

I'll be doing 40-50 and there's a continuous whine. When I then slow down the pitch of the 'whine' comes down too. Kinda like the jet engines shutting down on a plane. But obviously not as loud lol

I do have some very shit noisy tyres on.

I'm thinking checking oil level as first step. But can anyone comment / concur with the noise?

Cheers
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: RobG on 03 May 2016, 20:29:49
Swap the front wheels to the rear after oil check
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: Webby the Bear on 03 May 2016, 20:30:19
Will do rob, cheers
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: Stargazer57N on 03 May 2016, 20:34:59
Very hard to say without hearing the noise, Could be tyre noise, wheel bearing, propshaft bearing/UJ or diff. Does the noise change tone when cornering ie louder when turning right or left as this could indicate a wheel bearing. Or is it louder on the overrun by which I mean when you come of the throttle as this could indicate a prop or diff problem. Sorry I can't be of anymore help than that without hearing it.
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: dave-b on 03 May 2016, 20:36:22
My Meega's always been ok, but I've had weird noises on my Vectra that turned out to be tyre noise, coming from uneven wear on crap tyres!
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: Entwood on 03 May 2016, 20:42:02
The only way I diagnosed mine was to jack the car and place on substantial stands, then using small telescopic jacks raise each wheel by jacking on the base of the shock absorber to raise the wheel to the "normal" driving position, not doing this risks putting great stress on the CV joints. Then start the car and place in drive. It very quickly ran through the gears and settled at around 30 mph in top. I was able to then crawl around underneath and have a really good listen to everything .. the diff sounded very noisy at this point.... to check it was not a bearing or CV joint I pulled on each handbrake cable in turn to stop just one wheel and check if the noise changed ... in my case it did not, which proved, to me, that the diff was buggered. Changed the Diff and the noise stopped ... Q.E.D .. :)
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: Webby the Bear on 03 May 2016, 20:46:30
Thanks lads. It's not the wheel bearings. I did the rear brakes the other day and shook the wheels, spun them etc. just to see what they were like. No roughness or noise or play. Also the noise isn't affected by turning. So. Hopefully that rules out a bearing.

Yeah I'd say it does get louder on the over run. And the pitch also goes lower and deeper directly linked to the speed

Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: Webby the Bear on 03 May 2016, 20:47:38
Ps, no uneven tyre wear as they're virtually new tyres.
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: ronnyd on 03 May 2016, 21:05:27
Have you told the wifey to get out yet :D Sorry, coat time.
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 03 May 2016, 21:33:10
Do you still have SAI fitted  :-\
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: zirk on 03 May 2016, 21:44:15
Diff whine can be very similar sound to wheel bearings, normally slightly higher in pitch and with less rumble, difficult to tell, but first call is to check oil level, how many miles?, or in the case of an Omega I should say how many hundreds of K.
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: EMD on 03 May 2016, 23:51:43
Mine had a mot advisory from the last owner and they said rear wheel bearing failure , turns out it was a duff diff  ::) Sounded like a jet plane coming in to land when slowing down  ;D
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: Webby the Bear on 04 May 2016, 17:57:02
Thanks ladies.

Car is on 114k miles. Yes I do have all the SAI gubbins attached :-)
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: frostbite on 04 May 2016, 18:51:27
Low oil can make the diff groan at speed

The auto box makes a whine as it does its thing which changes pitch but it's faint sound
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: Webby the Bear on 04 May 2016, 19:12:51
Quote from: frostbite on 04 May 2016, 18:51:27
Low oil can make the diff groan at speed

The auto box makes a whine as it does its thing which changes pitch but it's faint sound

Thanks frostbite.

I don't think it's standard auto box operation as I've had the car 7-8 years and this noise has come on and its distinctive to the point where I'm like "wtf is that"  ;D

I'm taking my motor to work tomorrow so hopefully it's low on oil and I can top it up (have a couple of bottles of ep90 in the tool box)

If it does need topping up does a top up generally cure the noise or quietens it down? And the fact it has got noisy is there damage already done?
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: frostbite on 04 May 2016, 20:06:26
It depends on how old the fluid is. The noise is fluid breakdown  causing planetary gears to touch

Your better off doing a drain and fill to get as much metallic  debris out as possible then you'll need about 2l of oil or till it spills out of the fill hole

I sure that once you get the noise it will always be there due to wear but much quieter
Title: Re: What does diff whine sound like?
Post by: Webby the Bear on 04 May 2016, 20:11:48
Hmmm. I'm willing to bet it's never been changed. I certainly haven't. I'll drain and refill.

Cheers mate  :y