Hi guys, honestly was hoping I'd never be back here complaining about problems. 😂 So.... I have a 1.4 tdi, MK3, 2015, just under 30k on the clock. When driving in 3rd gear, I hear a whining at the 1500rpm range but only when my foot is off the accelerator. If I go higher into the rpm range this whine disappears. If I let my speed go down the whine will reduce until being non existent below 22mph. This whining ain't there in other gears... it's driving me up the wall. Car drives fine though and feels good. Am I just being picky or is this a worn bearing in the gearbox? Don't wanna be throwing money for the sakes of it if I'm just fixating on problems that aren't really problems. This noise is frustrating though and does play on my mind. What's everyone else's experiences? Would record the noise but engine and environmental noise would likely block it out tbh.

 

PS. Clutch is newish so not clutch related.

Edited 12 November, 20214 yr by CReese123

Sounds like the clutch thrust bearing.

I’d say it’s just the fragile gearboxes that end up in these cars.

 

My wife’s 2015 Polo 1.2TSI started doing that after the dealership sorted out a gearbox mounting issue, ie perhaps they “thrashed” it to confirm my reported issue, or did similar after replacing the mounting.

19 hours ago, CReese123 said:

When driving in 3rd gear, I hear a whining at the 1500rpm range

If it's only making the noise in one gear, I'd think it's most likely that gear. The layshaft bearings will be common to 2 or 3 gears so you should get the noise in other gear(s) if it were them.

Although you only have 30k-miles on the clock it is 6 years old so if it's a manual gearbox I'd suggest a warm/hot long drain of the existing gearbox oil to get as much of it out and any contaminants/muck/crud as possible as so that the fresh new oil is less diluted in its effects by residue left in the gearbox from draining.  A poor quality quick and cold drain will leave more residue and dilution of fresh oil.

 

Replace with a good quality oil with extended parameters of protection.

 

This will not solve any mechanical wear but will help with its lubrication - and give the opportunity to inspect the oil that comes out for its colour and consistency and for any bits in it.

 

You could also help by not lugging, high revving or turbo against 3rd gear.

 

If the whine is from third gear good quality fresh oil may reduce the whine.

 

Thing is once you take notice of the whine you will hear it more just because you're concentrating on it.  Have you driven another Fabia of the same type and age to know if the whine is just in yours or varies, has another driver of the same type and age of Fabia driven your car to give comment.

 

My car is well know for rear axle whine, driving back along the motorway with the roof up I could hear it but not this morning in the opposite direction as it was raining and colder so different tyre noise and vibrations and other noises and concentrating more on the drive I didn't notice the rear axle whine - but it would have been there , probably been there nearly 50 years might be worse now but I don't know and I can't remember it being worse that others of the type in my limited experience.

 

Hi all,

Left the car with gearbox specialist. They appear to feel its the gears "winding down" and feel they can notice it in all gears to varying degrees. They feel though it's not a bearing issue nor any issue at all and state it to be normal. They report the gears to be smooth and everything as to be expected. They advised me to continue with the car and not worry about it in the slightest. For them not to want to take my hard earned money I guess they're honest in their feedback. 

That's great news and fantastic to find such good people, recommended them.  If you don't want to do it yourself why not ask them to change the gearbox oil for you that way they will also see the condition of the oil, look for bits in it, perhaps analyse the oil, and you will have new fresh oil to go on with from this point.