tk wrote: > I have a 2001 330Ci with 30,000 miles. I hear a slight rear end gear whine > under light load. It doesn't seem excessive yet; but, I thought it unusal > for the milage. Does anyone else have this and could it be considered > normal.
FWIW, my 2001 330Ci has "suffered" from a mild rear-end whine since it was new. As you noted, it's noticeable only when the drivetrain is lightly loaded.
In my case, I hear the whine only when going above about 60 mph on the highway, and even then, the whine is heard only when the throttle is backed off a bit--the whine usually appears when the gas mileage indicator is hovering around 45 mpg (I'm using the mileage indicator as a rough indicator of drivetrain "load"). At any "load" above or below that 45 mpg mark, the whine goes away.
The whine is most noticeable when the car is going down a long, shallow grade on an interstate. The whine is not really "loud", but it's definitely noticeable.
I have no idea if the whine is harmful, but I've noticed no ill effects in about 53k miles traveled thus far.
Chris