Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!andy From: andy@utzoo.UUCP (Andy Rubaszek) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Advice needed on noisy rear end Message-ID: <3047@utzoo.UUCP> Date: Wed, 29-Jun-83 14:28:40 EDT Article-I.D.: utzoo.3047 Posted: Wed Jun 29 14:28:40 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 29-Jun-83 14:28:40 EDT Organization: U of Toronto Zoology Lines: 27 I am at my wits end trying to find where a weird, unpredictable noise is coming from. The noise is a sort of muffled whirring that appears to be coming from the differential (or at least from the rear end). The car is a 1979 Olds Cutlass wagon with 70K miles on it. These are the things I have checked so far with no luck: a. prop shaft and u-joints (balanced and look ok) b. transmission and speedometer drive gear c. rear tires and brakes d. differential fluid level (it was low, but topping up made no difference) e. rear wheel bearings sound ok (I haven't taken them out tho) f. new pads on front discs; calipers and rotors ok g. front wheel bearings are not great, but more or less ok. The noise develops at about 30 mph and remains steady until around 35 mph when it goes away only to reappear at about 55 mph (well, sometimes 60 mph, but I don't want to get yelled at). It SOMETIMES goes away when I apply the brakes or there is a curve in the road (left or right). It is most pronounced when I am just maintaining speed (more or less coasting). I finally gave up and went to a reputatble mechanic who said it sounds like "something" in the differential. He suggested I put in some Moly-slip additive. I did, and it didn't do a thing. So, the mechanic is stumped and I am getting fed-up. I don't know where else to look, and the thought of spending a few hundred bucks to strip the rear end only to perhaps find nothing is wrong is my last resort. Has anyone had a similar problem or can offer some advice? The latest advice I got was to wait until the noise gets very bad or the "something" breaks. Any comments?