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Whining sound while driving

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by james wang 20, Nov 18, 2024 at 3:16 AM.

  1. james wang 20

    james wang 20 Junior Member

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    Did I get something wrong?There is a humming sound in the car while driving. It is very obvious when the speed is 50km/h, and it can also be heard at other speeds. It does not seem to be related to the accelerator. I took a video.


     
    #1 james wang 20, Nov 18, 2024 at 3:16 AM
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2024 at 4:39 AM
  2. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Get something wrong???? What did you do?
    No whining heard, just the normal road/tire/wind noise.
     
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    You did something?
     
  4. james wang 20

    james wang 20 Junior Member

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    This is a used car. I don't know what the previous owner did. I have adjusted the toe and lubricated the brake caliper guide and piston. I suspect the sound comes from a bearing. I wonder if this sound is normal?
    The whining sound is actually more obvious than in the video
     
  5. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    "IF" it's a wheel bearing, you'll have to pull the axels, and press the brake pads back
    so you can rotate the hub(s) and listen for grinding. Though you might be able to skip pressing
    the pads back.
    With the rears, you also may be able to spin them without removing the calipers.
     
  6. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    If the whine has a pitch, and you can hear it at 30, 40, and 45 road speed, is the pitch do, fa, and sol, respectively, at those speeds? (This isn't a perfect-pitch question; it's the intervals that matter, not any absolute pitch.)

    If so, it could be a wheel bearing. If not, better look elsewhere.
     
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  7. james wang 20

    james wang 20 Junior Member

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    There seems to be no change in pitch, no pitch change like do fa, only a change in volume. Sound volume is related to speed. It is most obvious at 53km/h. Above or below this speed, the noise will be attenuated. The noise has nothing to do with the throttle. When accelerating or decelerating at the same speed, the frequency of the noise will not change. I even suspected that the noise was caused by gear meshing in the gearbox. Paradoxically, neither RPM nor vehicle speed can affect the frequency of the noise. If it is wheel bearing noise, does its frequency change with vehicle speed?
    upload_2024-11-19_21-10-46.png
     
  8. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    It could also be tires. As they wear and the tread gets thinner, they will get noisier....
     
  9. james wang 20

    james wang 20 Junior Member

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    Yes, the tires are worn. The first two have been used for about two years and have a mileage of about 20Kkm. The rear two have not even been replaced. I don’t know the mileage. The tread wear is close to the life indicator bar. Even if there is no eccentric wear, it has become It's very hard, maybe that's a problem with it。