maaliish

Car is warm, driving over 40mph this weird whinning noise appears it sound like this: (c'mon everyone together now.... wheeeeee

Weird thing is that the noise seems to be affected by everything, braking, acceleration, etc. For example, lets say I am driving 40mph, listing to this wheeee sound. If I floor it, the sounds begins to change pitch, while increasing volume. So I am now accelerating upto 70mph, switching gears, and all along the noise seems to mimic the RPM, i.e increasing in volume and pitch, as RPM rise. When I am at speed and let clutch in, take it out of gear and let the RPM drop to idle, while crusing in Neutral, the noise is still present, allthough far from as loud as it was while under WOT. The noise seems to completely go away when under braking. And harder I brake, less noise there is. This is true even while braking while in gear with clutch out.

All of the factors confuse the hell out of me. I do not think that its anything serious, but just the fact that all RPM, speed and braking affect the noise puzzles me. The noise kinda sounds like turbo whine only a little more wheee instead of pshhhhh (part my noise making skills).

I changed my tires to winter yersterday morning and noise appeared yersterday night, allthough it could be that I did not hear it rightaway. The noise seems to originate at the drivers front wheelwell, but it is hard to tell. I thought that winter tires could be it, but why would noise change pitch depending on RPM? Shouldn't speed be the only factor in this case?
Braked also came to mind, but again, why would RPM cause the pitch to change? If its the engine, then why does the noise go away under braking while present at idle, crusing at over 40?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

TooSlow

a whine that matches RPM. Breaking would make it go away because you've let off the throttle. It could also just be vibration from the tires. Just a few suggestions.

maaliish

changing gears. Thats what so weird about, one reason seems to eliminate the other.

evanem

your car is haunted

maaliish

LOL, thats the only reason that makes sence to me

TooSlow

out. It may not be the same thing, but it would explain the pitch change when you change gears (the shaft spinning at a different rpm). But I'm not sure if it would go away completely when you hit the brakes. One way to suspect the throwout bearing would be the clutch test. While rolling at 40mph (when you can hear the whining), push in the clutch. The sound should go away. Put the car in neutral. If you let the clutch out and bring the RPMs up to the speed it was at 40mph and you still hear it, it is likely it. In my truck it was a little different because I could hear it even at idle at stop lights. It also sounds like a wheel bearing (hitting the brakes would shift the weight off the part that is wearing, thus no more noise).