2006 Corolla automatic transmission whine

Wouldn't it still be under warranty? You might check with the dealer for any kind of defects.

Not under waranty.

Take it to a tranny expert and get an opinion. We have two Toyotas, a 2007 and a 2008. Both trannies are dead quiet.

Noise, vibration, and harshness are difficult to diagnose without experiencing them first hand. Besides the transmission, other possible sources of noises are the differential, wheel bearings, power steering pumps, alternators, etc.

My recommendation is to take it to a Toyota dealer and go for a test ride with dealer personnel to determine source of the sounds.

You mean to tell me Toyotas have less then 4 years/30k miles warranty?

Not mine.. I had a 7 year, 70,000 mile warranty.

Before I became one of the people who went on test rides with customers if they were not happy with the dealer's explanation or the dealer had trouble identifying the sound, I was a customer relations analyst. As a CR analyst, I used to have to give that line for all NVH issues so it became permanently ingrained in my head, as did the toll-free number for Toyota's national CR line. I just changed offices and don't have the phone number for my new office memorized but I still remember the phone number from over 30 years ago.

Yup!

I'm sure the noise (whine) is coming from the transmission. It's definitely a gears type of noise. I wanted to know if anyone had a similar experience and whether it eventually caused the transmission to fail, or can I just "live with it".

I'm sure the noise (whine) is coming from the transmission. It's definitely a gears type of noise. I wanted to know if anyone had a similar experience and whether it eventually caused the transmission to fail, or can I just "live with it".

Noises that occur only when the vehicle is moving is even harder to diagnose without a chassis dyno and oscilloscope.

I'm sure it's a defect. However, if you read the following article then you know Toyota is going to give you the run around in order to save warranty costs.

I have had one tranny, GM, that started to whine after it was rebuilt. My Dodge started to whine as it aged, and it was due to a vibrating valve, annoying but not a defect.

Reading some patents yesterday, I found specific language about whining due to ATF foaming (the patent for fluorinated polyethers for ATF praised their ability to defoam these formulations).

So unless you are a tranny expert, which I sincerely doubt, you are not sure.

The OP needs to have a competent transmission mechanic look this over. Or just live with it, and if it fails repair it.

Some more inputs that may help diagnose the whine:

- whine changes in pitch at gear shift and car speed.

- it's louder after car was driven for a while

- under certain conditions (load/speed) it disappears.

It's very likely a defect either due to unusual wear or manufacturing loose tolerances, since such noise should not be present. However, I hope it won't cause premature failure, and it's merely an annoyance. I'm wondering if a transmission specialist in this forum may point to the cause of it. Is it possible it's the torque converter? If yes, does it live on borrowed time?

What is the condition of the ATF?

Sounds that change in pitch and/or amplitude with changes in gear shift or vehicle speed are not likely to be the transmission gear noise because if it were, the sound would disappear as the planetary and sun gears are stationary or rotating.

Torque converters generally do not make noise unless a bearing is bad and since TC speed is determined by engine input speed, the sounds would be more likely related to engine RPM than to the particular gear engaged.

A more likely cause of whine is the differential. Too much differential pre-load can cause a whine, and too little can cause a clunk. Differential whine often decreases or disappears when you back off the throttle and coast. If that is the case with your car, the whine probably will not have a negative effect on differential or transmission life. That said, differential whine is usually repeatable under the same operating conditions and doesn't come and go randomly.

A random noise could come from the valve body, and unless the ATF is changing color rapidly, it is more of an annoyance than something that is going to cause premature transmission failure.