Gear Whine...Differential?

[RickyCRX]

I recently purchased an '03 V8 4Runner Sport, 2WD model. This morning on the way to work I exited the highway and as I was coming down the hill on the frontage road realized I was going a little faster than I normally do, so I shifted down to 4th, then to 3rd to give a bit of engine braking. When I shifted into 3rd around 50-55mph, the RPM's were around 3000-3500 I guess it was, and I could hear a distinct gear whine coming from the rear of the vehicle.

Does anybody else have this if you put it in 3rd gear around 55mph and take your foot off the gas? I have never heard this noise until now, but I also have never engine braked in anything other than OD, which does not put as much of a 'reverse load' on the differential as 3rd gear does.

The vehicle has 53k miles, so if there's a problem I want to bring it up to Toyota before the powertrain warranty runs out. If it's normal, I will just live with it.

I am already planning to change to Amsoil synthetic gear oil for the diff. I may do that and see if it goes away.

Ricky

 

[RickyCRX]

How loud is the noise you are getting? Does it do it even when you're decelerating in overdrive?

Now that I know the sound is there, I can actually (although barely) hear it when I'm in overdrive and decelerating, but it's really only noticeable when dropping down to 3rd around 55-60mph.

During acceleration there doesn't appear to be any noise.

I may have to go test drive a new one and see if it does it.

 

[bbumbles]

It is pretty loud it is harmonic I think it is backlash in the gear set I have been hearing it since 3K. It is still the same at 8K I have an 04 limited my wife has an 03 sport and I can hear hers too but not as bad as mine. She has 60K on hers this is only when you let off around 60 to 55MPH I knew this would come up it will only be a matter of time I told Toyota when you spend 40K on a truck we do not want to hear that is normal operating noise. I told them normal for what? I never heard it in any other vehicle but I got no where with Toyota. I guess stay tuned for a TSB I hope.

 

[RickyCRX]

Wow... 60-55 is EXACTLY where mine does it, too.

I guess it's not a big deal, then. The only reason I'm not too worried if it's a "normal" thing is because I can barely even hear it when I'm in OD and decelerating. I have to have the radio off to hear it, it's that quiet. Now, if I put it in 3rd gear and decelerate 60-55, yeah, it's a lot more noticeable.

 

[bbumbles]

Ya I would not worry I spent allot of time at as bunch of dealers and they all said the same thing. Good luck it should be fine.

 

[coman]

06 Whine

I have a new 06 SR5 V6 4WD that has a lot of gear whine noise on deceleration. It's especially bad around 60 mph. It's perfectly quiet as long as there is tension on the drive train but when I back off the accelerator it starts to whine. I hear it a little around town as well but in the lower gears. I can maybe live with a little noise in town, but on the highway, it's very annoying. I've found that if I run in 4WHi in town, the noise goes away but that doesn't help at the higher speeds.

I only have about 1000 miles on it and I haven't taken it back to the dealer yet. From what I read here, I'm not expecting them to do anything about it.

How many other folks have this issue? Does anyone have a solution/suggestion?

I've been lurking here for months and the members seem to have lot of good ideas. Sorry my first post has to be negative. I like everything else about this vehicle, but this noise just gets on my nerves.

 

[RickyCRX]

Re: 06 Whine

I have a new 06 SR5 V6 4WD that has a lot of gear whine noise on deceleration. It's especially bad around 60 mph. It's perfectly quiet as long as there is tension on the drive train but when I back off the accelerator it starts to whine. I hear it a little around town as well but in the lower gears. I can maybe live with a little noise in town, but on the highway, it's very annoying. I've found that if I run in 4WHi in town, the noise goes away but that doesn't help at the higher speeds.

I only have about 1000 miles on it and I haven't taken it back to the dealer yet. From what I read here, I'm not expecting them to do anything about it.

How many other folks have this issue? Does anyone have a solution/suggestion?

I've been lurking here for months and the members seem to have lot of good ideas. Sorry my first post has to be negative. I like everything else about this vehicle, but this noise just gets on my nerves.

I hate to say it, but I would say to just turn up the volume on the stereo... I've put another 15-16k miles on my vehicle since I originally noticed the noise (currently at ~66k miles total) and even with a VERY fast 5,900 mile cross-country road trip (12+ hour days of driving through severely hot desert environments at well over 80mph) and several hundred miles of high-speed towing at 75-85mph pulling ~5,000lbs worth of car and trailer behind me, the noise has not gotten any worse... I did, however, switch to Amsoil synthetic differential fluid right after I got the vehicle and before I started doing these trips and towing. I don't know if that's prevented anything else from wearing further or not, but the noise level has not changed whatsoever from when I first noticed it.

Ricky

 

[bbumbles]

I have allot more miles same sound no worse. I switched to Moble 1 when I first bought it.