I've got a 2006 Prius - yesterday afternoon my wife and I noticed a high pitched whine coming from the front (maybe right hand side) of the car - we don't hear it until we reach about 50mph. It gets louder as we increase speed and then trails off when you step off the accelorator and can't hear it all below 48-45mph. We bought the car new and are familiar with the various noises the car makes, but this one is new - never heard it before yesterday. The car has about 86,000 miles, no issues before. Has anyone experienced a similar situation. Thanks
I suggest that you take your car in for service soon to have this checked out. If you are lucky, a wheel bearing is bad. If unlucky, the transaxle is having a problem.
Thanks Patrick. I took the car to a mechanic I trust and he said the bearings and transaxle, rotar, brakes, etc, are fine - and he's not sure what it may be. He did say, and I noticed this too, that when you accelarate the sound gets louder (50-60mph), but when you let off the accelerator the whine/hum gets lower as the spead drops. The sound first came Tues afternoon, all of a sudden and out of the blue - we had not heard this sound before. The tires are a couple of years old, good tread and even wear, so I don't think it's that. Could it be the transmission or the regenerative brakes? There are no warning lights on, the car accelerates just fine (no slipage or loud squals like I've heard in other cars when the transmission goes). I am going to check the wheel well to see if there's a hole causing wind to create the noise. Thanks
Re: high pitch whine at 50mph Please note that with the Prius (and for that matter, any front-wheel drive vehicle), the transaxle is one physical unit which performs the same functions as the transmission, driveshaft, and the rear axle in a rear-wheel drive vehicle. The Prius transaxle also performs regen braking, as the two motor generators are located within. My guess is that the transaxle has a problem. I think that you should visit your local Toyota dealer soon to see what they have to say about this. Good luck.
Have you or anyone else done anything to the car lately? By the way, transaxle == transmission. The transaxle contains both electric motors as well as the differential. It wouldn't hurt to rotate the tires, to opposite corners in the case of bi-directional tread, to see if there is any qualitative difference it the noise. Someone else reported a high pitched squeal due to a cracked air intake due to an accident. While yours hasn't been in an accident, if the air filter has been touched recently, maybe the cover wasn't seated correctly. If you let us know where you are located, someone here might be able to recommend a hybrid specialty shop.
May be wrong but but check under the left & right rear view mirrors to see if the plastic tape has come off that covers the screw holes on the bottom. If you see a hole put some tape over it. Good Luck
Thanks, I am in Champaign, Illinois - I only know of the Toyota dealership here and if there is someone else in the area that would be nice to know.
This is such a quick and simple fix that it's worth checking. I have experienced a similar speed-dependent noise, which was solved by covering these little holes. If the drivetrain seems fine and you've had it checked, this phantom wind noise sounds more likely.
