turbo like whine noise when cold

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Threads
1
Messages
2
2000 LC manifesting a turbo like whining/whistling noise from the front engine compartment when cold which subsides after approximately 5 minutes once vehicle warmed up. The whining/whistling noise is not associated with engine rpm but occurs in association with vehicle being in motion. Any thoughts or suggestions in terms of troubleshooting this issue?

Regards,

cisdo
 
Brake pad wear indicators.
 
No speedo cable on these, electronic. If front disk brake anti-rattle clip breaks it can rub on rim. Might try changing front diff oil.
What speeds do you hear it at?
 
Check your front diff and transfer case oils. Also, check to see if it's the serpentine belt slipping juuuuuuust a little bit. Maybe it's a little bit of air moving through the windshield seals. Check the seals around the windshield for small openings or uneven areas.
 
I have a 2001 LX and I have had the same thing on mine from day 1. Only happens when it is real cold. Never happens here in Austin since it does not get very cold. First noticed it when we went skiing in CO right after we bought the LX.
I have replaced the fluids with syn (both diffs, trans, and transfer case) with no change. Changing brake pads and rotors had no effect.
Since I now have over 130,000 miles on it I have assumed that it is not going to hurt anything.
The sound varies with the speed of vehicle, not RPM. Goes away after a couple of miles.
Would like to know what causes it, but not going to worry about it.
 
Hi, I have the exact same thing happening with my 2000 LC also. Only happens when it is real cold, and only for a few minutes untill it warms up. All fluids changed, brakes ok etc. etc. The "whine" seems to me to be originating from the drive train, not the engine. I also get a "squeek" from the steering wheel when it gets cold. Reaserched it and I believe it is some sort of plastic on plastic rubbing, that only happens when it is cold. Other LC owners I have talked to are living with these problems also, and of course my friend at the dealership has no answers except "if you want to spend the money, bring it in and we'll tear it apart". I have torn apart the steering column and wasn't able to find the spot that was rubbing, arrrr!
 
I have a turbo whine all the time. I rolled down the window today and damn it's loud outside the car. No clue what it is. It's related to speed of the car not engine speed FYI. Sounds like its coming from under the hood
 
Great thread.

I was just searching on here the other day for a whining thread. My 1999 whines for a few minutes when it's cold. I just moved to Michigan from Florida so single digit temps are new to my cruiser. The sound seems to be coming from the transmission or T-case. The sound disappears after a couple miles of driving.

I also have the steering wheel squeak, but I really notice it anymore.
 
Sometimes gear oil can be a little thicker when its cold so it takes a little longer to cycle the oil all the way through the gears in the t-case or maybe the diffs causing it to make a whining sound due to the lack of proper lubrication. Once the car is in motion long enough the oil is warm enough to get a little more lighter in it's viscosity weight which allows it to run through the gears better and emlinating the noise. You can probably try a 75w vs an 80w?
 
Mine seems to come from somewhere deep in the dash. I just know that in my 62, the sound got louder the colder it got and the worse the speedometer worked. Once everything warmed up it went away.
 
Those turbo like whines are annoying, unless....................

they're coming from your Turbo.:D
 
I thought it happens to hold a higher rpm upon start up when its really cold out as to warm the engine faster, as mine too, also does the whine when really cold. I think it sounds cool
 
Mine does the same thing. Whines when cold for few minutes. Now in its 3rd winter with me, and I've forgotten about this.
 
I also have this whining noise in my 2002 LC, usually when I first start moving on really cold mornings. It's usually preceded by a difficult start where the starter fires extra fast before the engine fires up. The whining always goes away after a few minutes and as mentioned by others, is related to vehicle speed and not engine speed. I threw it into Neutral on a downhill and the whine continued.
 
Thanks for input. As this has affected a number of LCs and no one seems to have experienced catastrophic failure.......I will continue to drive my trusty 2000 LC with 170K miles and not worry.....Thanks for all the input......

Regards,

cisdo
 
As a follow up, my LC is at the dealer receiving service for this problem as I type. A friend's family owns the dealership and he's doing me a favor by diagnosing the problem free of charge. I will post the findings as soon as they become available. It'd be nice to get to the bottom of this, once and for all.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom