Hello everybody,

Hopefully someone can help and guide me with this one....... I've got a whining noise, not very loud but noticable. When driving along there's a whine comming from somewhere, when I depress the clutch it goes away, when I engage it again the noise comes back so I'm suspecting its the clutch thats at fault, to me thats the obvious conclusion, it doesn't slip or anything but the bite point is quite low, the cars done just over 70k, its got a towbar and I've got no idea what the previous owner towed with it.

But.... reading another recent thread on here someone is suggesting a similar transmission whining noise could be coming from the IRD so I'm now thinking (and getting paranoid about it!!) that it could be the case with mine and its on its way out???

I'm thinking that as the noise goes away when the clutch is depressed could this be taking the load off the IRD or am I totally off track??? The VCU is currently at Bell Engineering for checking over so the car is running in 2WD at the moment which takes prop, VCU, VCU bearings and rear diff out of the mix.

Thanks for reading this far and for your time!

Freely3

Can't ever remember hearing of a clutch whining on a freeby when it was on its way out. Have heard many of times that the IRD can whine though.

Let me guess... it's only when you're engine braking?

Hi,
Thanks for the quick reply
The noise is present when driving at a constant speeds, depress the clutch it goes away, release the clutch its back. Cant say for sure if its worse under engine breaking as when I'm doing the clutch in and out thing its just a second or two after taking my foot off the accelerator.
Freely3

Possibly the clutch concentric slave on its way......does it make the noise when at a stop out of gear....then press the clutch and it goes away?

I tried that and no, the noise isn't there when the car isn't moving which is making me think more about an IRD issue, or gearbox?? Getting really worried about it now!

In my experience clutches still whine or whir when not moving but engine running. Sounds like IRD to me.....

Mines similar..has a low whining sound when I reach about 50 mph, I just put it down to general engine noise..dont know if thats the case as this is my first Freelander.. it stops as soon as I lift my foot off the accelerator.

id have a look at pinion bearings on ird output to rear prop ,pinion is driven by bevel gear and would be more noisy on power ,just as a diff is usualy noisy on overrun ,which is bevel gear (crown wheel )driven by a pinion

jamesmartin said:

id have a look at pinion bearings on ird output to rear prop ,pinion is driven by bevel gear and would be more noisy on power ,just as a diff is usualy noisy on overrun ,which is bevel gear (crown wheel )driven by a pinion

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Cheers mate, Id better have a check

freely3 said:

Hi,
Thanks for the quick reply
The noise is present when driving at a constant speeds, depress the clutch it goes away, release the clutch its back. Cant say for sure if its worse under engine breaking as when I'm doing the clutch in and out thing its just a second or two after taking my foot off the accelerator.
Freely3

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It does sound like IRD to me. First step might be to drain the IRD oil and see what sort of state the old oil is in.

Brack said:

Mines similar..has a low whining sound when I reach about 50 mph, I just put it down to general engine noise..dont know if thats the case as this is my first Freelander.. it stops as soon as I lift my foot off the accelerator.

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Hello Brack and others. I appear to have the same problem - my 5door 1.8 whines only when I push the gas pedal. It is mostly audible on highways in higher speeds. Driving up or down hill (with engaged 5th gear but foot off the gas pedal) doesn't cause it. I still have to determine whether the "whining tone" is different in 3rd, 4th and fifth gear.

Really wondering what might cause it, since currently I have the propshaft off and the IRD is even blanked. Logically it could be engine itself, clutch, tranny or the IRD. I have brand new BorgBeck clutch (about 2 months) so it isn't really a culprit - as it whined with the old clutch too.

I suspected bearings in IRD and tranny too, so I had both of them opened - there were no worn teeth on any of the gear wheels inside and the garage convinced me that the bearings are in mint condition (maybe they just didn't feel like changing them, but I couldn't see any wear or looseness on them by myself). I change all the fluids in them as prescribed (or even more often) so their good state didn't surprise me, but I still don't know what to do with the whining noise - it is seriously getting on my nerves on long journeys and I don't drive that fast at all - about 120 km per hour. Please help!