gear whine, how loud?

[usdmej]

how loud should the gear whine be on our cars? i have a 996 c2 with PSE and sometimes (especially first gear driving off) the gear whine is louder than my exhaust. is this normal? how do i check transmission fluid?

thanks in advance

[dr7966]

I posted the same question with no response earlier. My 1st gear has kind of a growl with what seems like the sound of a bearing going out. To check the fluid you will need to get the car up pretty high on jackstands or ramps so that you can access the side of the trans and get under there. There is a plug on the passenger side that you remove. The fluid level should be to the plug level. I dont know what PSE is but I am assuming you have a six speed manual.

I think it takes a 10mm allen and mine was very tight. I had to use a breaker bar and a pipe extension. Some say to remove the plastic underbody cover but I didnt need to.

As long as you are under there you might as well change the fluid by removing the bottom plug. I drained out 3 quarts of blue fluid and replaced with Mobil 1 75w90. You will need to get a pump with a tube to pump it into the side hole. I had a pump and poured the oil into a coffee can to make it easier to pump out. It should take ~3 quarts.

I am hoping that these trannys are built pretty well and will hold up. The fluid change helped mine so I am going to keep driving it and hope it stays together.

Good Luck

[1999Porsche911]

People's description of sound varies from one to another. One person's whine is another person's growl. Without a sound file or hearing it in person, there is not way to determine whether it is normal or not.

However, 1st gear is a very low ratio and will make more noise than other gears. There should be no noise that could even remotely be described as a bearing.

[Bronston]

People's description of sound varies from one to another. One person's whine is another person's growl. Without a sound file or hearing it in person, there is not way to determine whether it is normal or not.

However, 1st gear is a very low ratio and will make more noise than other gears. There should be no noise that could even remotely be described as a bearing.

I believe that oil analysis services will do transmission oil as well as engine oil. It there is a bearing or gear failing the wear products will show up in the oil. The last time I had an oil analysis done (aircraft engine) it was under $30 with a turnaround of about a week. Pretty cheap for peace of mind.

[usdmej]

People's description of sound varies from one to another.

it's a very distinct sound i was hoping others would know what i'm talking about. you the whine made by sequential transmissions/dog gears? the ones you dont have to clutch in to change gears. its an "eeeeeeeeee" whining sound

thats the sound i get in 1st gear, not that loud, like i said equal to the my exhaust

i'll make a vid clip if u guys need

[vitamincpp]

Hi, I've found your post now, because I am a new porsche 996 carrera 4 owner! I have the same whining sound on first gear, regardless of the clutch being pushed or not. The sound is much similar to what most cars produce when speeding on reverse. My service specialist told me it wont vanish with oil change, and he suggests opening the gearbox and eventually exchanging worn out bearings. So I am curious how did things develop with your gear box? Have you changed the oil with any positive results?

Edited September 21, 2010 by vitamincpp

[adamedunn]

I was experiencing this problem on my 2000 C2 in 3rd gear. It was starting to annoy me so I took it to my local independent repair shop. They first tried changing the fluid but that didn't do anything. They then opened the transmission open and found that a syncro or two was damaged and a bearing or two was damaged. They are now ordering the replacement parts. I'm glad I have an extended warranty because the quote was $2750! Hope this helps.