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?