Transmission Whine

Hi All,

My 2005 Jimny has developed quite a significant whine in 4th & 5th gear at speeds around 40mph.

We changed the rear wheel bearings last weekend in the hope this would fix it, but no luck.

Doing some research I suspect this is a gearbox problem, but before I go to the trouble of removing the box are there any other common problems and/or is there any way to diagnose more accurately?

Regards,

Stewart

Jimnys do have transmission whine all the time but if this noise is new and is getting worse then it does sound like gearbox failure which in 2005 -2007 Jimnys is very common. My 2005 Jimny went rather suddenly and was worse at the lower speeds 30-40mph from memory.
www.bigjimny.com/mediawiki/index.php/Gearbox_R72_rebuild

To help the accuracy of our diganose it helps if you could say something about if the noise changes in frequency/hum/tone between fourth and fiftth, and if there is difference between when accelerating or coasting.

mine got a noise that is mad upon strain going uphill and worse in first gear. there is a whine that increase in frequency with speed and does not change with the gears. wich tells me it is the transfer case. probably mostly the chain.

My 2005 gearbox had a slight grinding noise from the bearings in some gears wich was increasing fast. And before i got to think much of it, the bearings gave in and the teeth on the gearwheels lost pieces and the full breakdown was a fact. My recommendaition is to park the car and save the gearwheels while you can still change the bearings.
Mine was a total loss after just a few km's.

Compared to my SJ413 that had a whine in 1-3-5 th gear and was so loud i did not bother with a stereo in the end. But it never broke down.

If it is the "gearbox issue" then stop using the car ASAP and get the bearings changed. Otherwise the shaft with the bearings collapses into the rest of the gearbox and expensively destroys it and it turns from a bearing replacement into a complete rebuild

Trying to think how to confirm even though its sounds likely its the box.

Could you
Drain the oil and look for metal
Remove the rear prop shaft and go for a drive in 4WD (its Now FWD only), this eliminates the rear axle and prop shaft.
Worth a go or daft ideas?
Please correct me if I am wrong or suggesting something stupid, its no problem.
            

Hi All,

Thanks for the advice so far - let me try to answer the Q's:

The noise is worse in 4th than 5th and almost no noise in 3rd at the same RPM's (although obviously engine noise is much greater in 3rd @ 40 MPH)!

The noise is worse when under power, but is still there if you dip the clutch.

I have changed all the oils and there was no swarf in any of them.

I haven't tested removing the rear prop and driving in 2WD.

Thanks again for everyone's advice.

Stewart