Can anyone help me with this sound?

[xtremeskier97]

I took a video of the sound. It's in 2 parts because the file came out too big.

To me, it sounds like wheel bearing or a joint? Anyone have a clue?


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v4...=MVI_32071.flv

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v4...=MVI_32072.flv

[ASG14]

I was gonna saw bearing too. Take off the wheel and redo that to get a better idea where the sound is.

[xtremeskier97]

I had the wheel off first and did the same test, but didnt record. Sounded exactly the same though. From what I can tell, the sound is on the driver's side, but cant tell if it is the bearing or one of the joints on the driveshaft.

[new echo owner]

Have you try a stethoscope or a handle to narrow down the noise? It sound very much like the side bearing in the transmission final drive. See if the noise changes if you stop one wheel from spinning.

N.E.O.

[xtremeskier97]

Uhh..not going to climb under a running car to use a stethoscope.

How do I stop one wheel when it's in drive? Won't that damage something?

[new echo owner]

Use a long bloom handle or stick if you car concern with the car falling on you; actually since you have jack stands underneath, it wouldn't have gone anywhere.

BTW, you shouldn't spin the wheels too fast, the inside joints will come apart on your axles, been there and seen that happened. Always try to keep it below 25 mph.

You can actually stop one wheel and let it idle without causing any damage, just like making a turn. Unless you have limited slip final drive, you can put one wheel on the ground and let the trans idle in drive. Try it with the engine off in neutral, you should be able to spin the one that is up in the air. The only thing is that, the wheel will be turning twice as fast, if the speedo says 20mph, the wheel is spinning at 40mph.

N.E.O.

[xtremeskier97]

I'll have to try these things this saturday when I have more time to work on it.

If there are anymore suggestions, please throw them out there.

N.E.O., what are you leaning towards with that sound?

[new echo owner]

The final drive in the transmission is my guess without being able to listen to it closely.

My reasoning is that wheel bearings will usually, not always, but usually quiet down when you unload them like you have done. However, having said that, wheel bearing do make a lots of noise if the inner race is spinning on the hub instead of the bearing regardless whether it is loaded down or not. And along with the noise, there may also be some play in the wheel/wheel bearing.

BTW, from the video it was difficult to tell if the noise is louder in one side of the vehicle than the other, was there a difference from side to side? Did you happen to check if there is play in the wheel bearing with the wheels of the ground?

You will have to be the ears to try and narrow down what area you think is the noise the loudest.

N.E.O.

[xtremeskier97]

Definitely loudest on the driver's side.

And the sound is loud in all gears. Pitch or loudness does not change with gear change. So would/could this still be final drive of transmission? (im clueless when it comes to transmissions)

I havent checked for play. That is another thing I will do this weekend when I put it back up on the stands.

From what I can tell, the drive axles look the same on both sides? Is this true? I know on my old accord, they were different on each side. I noticed while under there that my right outer boot was ripped...so I was just curious. If I replace both side axles, I wonder if the noise would go away. If it was wheel bearing related, it wouldnt, but if it was axle/cv joint related, it should, right? BTW, BOTH of my wife's outer boots are torn on her I4 Noticed that Saturday too.

[new echo owner]

Well, whether it is the final drive or the wheel bearing, the noise wouldn't have change since they are both turning at the same speed. When you listen for the noise see which side of the axle is the noise the loudest. Use a long screw driver or extension, place it close to where the axle rotates, if it is the transmission, the noise will be the loudest on the transmission side or vise-versa for the wheel bearing.

For the axle, yes and no; from the outer joint to the inner joint they are pretty much identical; however, the right side have the half shaft attach to it too. You can actually just replace the boots, that's what I would do if it is my own car, since I am not a big fan of the aftermarket reman axles, too many unknowns and maybes.

N.E.O.

[BMR]

I just replaced the CV shafts on my Camry, so it's fresh in my mind; yes, they are the same for both sides. And to NEO's point, I had to re-replace one of them after only a few thousand miles; it was making clicking noises again on hard right turns. If it matters, they were reman'd by Cardone (sp?). FWIW, the V6's shafts are cake to replace compared to the I4's. No cantankerous carrier bearing to deal with.

If you're going to replace the shafts you might as well replace the wheel bearings while you're in there, unless money is tight. It's just a little bit more work to do, and the bearings are ~$65 each plus whatever the shop charges for the press-fitting. I paid $35 for that, so $200 total for both sides. And the shafts were ~$70 each, with a hefty core charge. I posted a DIY for the bearing replacement a while back, if that helps.

To your question: "If it's the shafts the noise should go away, right?", I'd say yes. But after I listened to your videos, I'm not certain it is your shafts. How many miles are on them? If they're much over 100k, I'd say it's highly possible. But with 230k on the car, I'd also say it's highly possible it's your bearings (presuming they're the originals). If it was me, I'd take apart the driver's side. With the CV shaft out of the bearing, it's easy to inspect them separately. If the wheel bearing feels rough AT ALL, or has any perceptible play, it's bad. If that loud clattering noise in your video is your bearing, it should be obvious.

If it's your transmission, put a bullet in its head. That would cost waaaay more than I'd want to put into an old Camry.

[xtremeskier97]

I will definitely try these things out this weekend and post back with some results. Id MUCH rather it be the wheel bearings, because im not looking forward to replacing shafts or boots.

[new echo owner]

Keep us posted.

N.E.O.

[xtremeskier97]

OK...gotta chance to look at it again today, and I did what NEO stated. I stopped one of the wheels and let the other keep going, and the sound continued, no matter which wheel I stopped. So it isnt wheel bearings. My guess is transmission. I crawled under the car carefully while it was on jackstands and jack, while the car was in drive with both wheels spinning, and it sounds like it's coming from inside the transmission pan. That is the loudest point I could find.

Do I need to start looking for a new transmission?

I did a drain and fill prior to this and used some Trans-X stuff to help it stop slipping so bad, and the fluid was oil black. I was going to drain/fill 3 more times within the next month or so, but if this looks like it cant be fixed, Im not going to bother.

Thanks guys!

[xtremeskier97]

Also, what year ES300 transmission would work in my 93 XLE? I forgot.