Noise when moving... transfer case?

[s1ngle]

Hey all,

So I had to swap out my shift cables today because one of them decided to kink. But anyway... I had all the center console stuff out of the car, and this noise ive been noticing was a lot louder, I believe its just because the center console and all the carpet pieces were muffling it.

The noise could be described as a bandsaw type noise, a spinning, metallic whirring noise. This happens when the car is moving, whether or not it is in gear, whether or not I have the clutch pushed in or out. It doesn't vary with engine speed.

So i'm thinking its my transfer case. I had a dealer look at it for the recall, they told me all I needed was a drain and fill plug, but i'm positive they didnt do any serious diagnosis, just looked at it and saw it was leaking. At that point I didnt bring the noise to their attention because it wasnt that loud. Now it seems pretty bad.

Is this indeed transfer case noise? Anyone have this sort of noise before?


Info on the car: 15k miles on a rebuilt tranny, and has a lower mileage JDM 6 bolt engine swap. Transfer case I believe to be original.

 

[andymoraitis]

I know you're new to the site and I'm sure the drivetrain gurus would like to jump in and help, but the first step is to please fill out your vehicle profile so that we know what year DSM/Talon we're dealing with and what mods have been done.

Andy

 

[s1ngle]

Alright, sorry about that. My profile is updated.

 

[s1ngle]

and actually, now that I think about it, maybe the noise wasnt just muffled. I just leave this a bit more open. Could this be in relation to the adjustment of my new shift cables? Should I tighten/loosen them? Could being too tight/loose cause transmission noise? For safety's sake i'm gonna leave her parked today.

 

[andymoraitis]

Speaking personally, the first thing I would do is change the transfer case and transmission fluids and also verify if you're low on fluid. If the dealership found a leak, it's likely that you're low and andy sound can be transmitted more effectively since there's less fluid (if that's really the case).

Most tuners here use either Pennzoil Synchromesh or Redline MT-90 and you'd do fine with either one. If you've never done the service yourself, the directions can be found here:

http://www.vfaq.com/index-main.html

Look under the "Drivetrain" section and you'll find everything you need to do the job yourself. It's a bit messy, but not complicated in the least. Give that a shot and let us know if it makes a difference. If not, we'll start considering other alternatives.

Andy

 

[s1ngle]

Thanks Andy!

The transfer case drained and refilled by me very recently, then topped off again at the dealership after they inspected it. So the transfer case isnt low.

As for the transmission -- I thought of this myself too. I'm going to get some fluid on the way home just to be sure. However, I really doubt the transmission is low on fluid.

Can we assume for now that my fluids are fine, speaking speculatively, could this be related to cable adjustment? More likely a bad transfer case?

Let me ask this... Could this also be a bad bearing in the transmission. Based on my symptoms (doesnt change with engine speed or really wheel speed much, doesn't change if the clutch is engaged or disengaged) what could this be?

I've actually seen a decent number of posts on the subject, one guy found out it was his transfer case, a few others never really found out, but suggestions thrown out were transmission problems, Viscous center coupling, center differential, carrier bearings (though it doesnt sound like its coming from that far back) and all the way back to the rear diff.

Any further ideas? Its kindof unnerving, I dont want to have something lock up on me.

 

[LordZed]

That's the exact thing mine does to a T. It's very unnerving and I have absolutly no idea what the hell it is. I thought transfer case too. Checking the fluid this weekend but it was just changed and topped off. It's done it since we rebuilt the car. Origional 5 speed 91 TSi tranny and transfer case and a JDM 6 bolt swap.
I've had a few people ask "what the hell is that noise?" It's not really audible over the radio, but when your crusing in the quiet enjoying all the fun noises DSM's make you can hear it whirring away. If anyone finds out ANYTHING post it up.

 

[thrdtryGSX]

Check your rear motor mount. I had a similar issue and it was because the the motor mount had "crumbled" and sagged, this in turn allowed the driveshaft to rub on the exhaust. The dealership should have noticed if this were the case but you never know.
Check to make sure both bolts are in the trans mount as well. DAN

 

[LordZed]

Motor mounts are new. But a good suggestion.

 

[thrdtryGSX]

Are all of the spot-welds on your exhaust heatshields still in-tact. A loose weld can make a lot of noise. Are there any weird vibrations that would pinpoint it to the t-case? Did you wiggle the driveshaft to see if your U-joints arent going out? DAN

 

[rabi42]

I had this same problem. It turned out to be a bad bearing in the transmission. I had to buy a new transmission. I'd check the transmission fluid for metal. Was there any kind of warranty on the transmission's rebuild? Did you buy it from someone who said it was rebuilt?

The cables probably aren't the problem. If they were, you'd be grinding gears or not engaging.

 

[LordZed]

Are all of the spot-welds on your exhaust heatshields still in-tact. A loose weld can make a lot of noise. Are there any weird vibrations that would pinpoint it to the t-case? Did you wiggle the driveshaft to see if your U-joints arent going out? DAN

Good point's. As far as MY noise goes, and not to steal this thread, it's definatly drivetrain related. Exhaust is good and I'll have to check the driveshaft but it seems to be a whirring noise like gears. Almost as if they are dog cut and not syncromeshed if you catch my drift.

 

[moparmadd]

You mentioned the chrysler recall on the transfer cases? Did you actually read the recall?

if not... the recall says that if the transfer case is leaking then it must be repaired but if it is leaking and noisy, then the transfer case must be replaced. Take it to any chrysler, jeep, dodge dealership and they will tell you "once a recall, always a recall". Only big problem is finding the transfer case. and trust me, any service advisor would love to take care of you once you mention its a 2,000$ part (can you say commission?)

When i first got my jeep dealership involved in doing this recall, the parts dept. checked and couldn't find any t-cases anywhere in the US. Then i got a call from them and they found me one. so i got the 2000$ transfer case replaced under the recall.