Hiya,

My wife's panda is starting to make a kinda whining noise when the clutch is released at idle and goes away when I press the clutch down. It's also noisy in 1st to 3rd when driving. Also it's quite jumpy when you back or from mid ish revs in first. My local garage has said I need a complete new box in the car. Is this the case.

happycallis said:

Hiya,

My wife's panda is starting to make a kinda whining noise when the clutch is released at idle and goes away when I press the clutch down. It's also noisy in 1st to 3rd when driving. Also it's quite jumpy when you back or from mid ish revs in first. My local garage has said I need a complete new box in the car. Is this the case.

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hi, congrats on 1st post

the boxes are generally pretty durable,
but all things wear out in time..,

the clutch release bearing sounds like your whining noise

normally the gears are in "sets" , 1st , 3rd , 5th
2nd +4th,
unusual it's quieter in 4th + 5th,

may be engine / gearbox mounts are tired,

what age / mileage is the panda..??,

Charlie

The panda is a 2004 with about 56k on the clock.

unless it's been a learner car,
or never left a towns inner speed hump zones,

I think a new gearbox is unnecessary,

where are you based..?,

Charlie - Oxford

There are a fair few speed bumps up my way. We have not had the car from new. We bought it with 38k on the clock and drove sweet as a nut when we first got it. I'm based in Crowthorne Berkshire.

Anyone else have any more ideas what may be the matter?

happycallis said:

Anyone else have any more ideas what may be the matter?

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When was the oil level in the gearbox last checked?

The 1.1 gearbox is not highly stressed and will normally last the life of the car, provided the oil level is maintained. If the oil leaks out, usually the result of an oil seal failing, all bets are off and substantial internal gearbox damage is likely.

Whining in the intermediate gears probably rules out the clutch release bearing - failure of this bearing will normally only produce a noise when the clutch pedal is depressed.

It's more likely that one or more of the gearbox bearings has worn out; if this has happened, then swapping out the 'box with a replacement from a breakers is likely to be the cheapest way to fix this. Rebuilding a gearbox is a job for a skilled fitter - these are like hen's teeth now - and old geartrains running in new bearings often still whine anyway. Secondhand boxes are cheap and plentiful, and the labour to swap it shouldn't be too horrendous.

The next step now is to have the gearbox oil level checked, if this hasn't already been done. It only takes a few minutes. If the oil level is seriously low, refilling it and then keeping an eagle eye on the level might just be sufficient to see a 10yr old car through to end of life, though I doubt this will completely fix the whine.

I don't know when the level was last checked to be honest. Is it an easy job to check my self? If so how do I get to it?

happycallis said:

I don't know when the level was last checked to be honest. Is it an easy job to check my self? If so how do I get to it?

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Like most modern cars, the level is checked by removing the filler plug and ensuring the oil comes up to the bottom of the filler hole. Topping up is done by squirting oil into the hole until it starts to run out. IIRC the Panda also has a drain plug, so you can easily change the oil if you want - not part of the service plan, but perhaps a good idea every 50,000 miles or so.

Even after a high mileage, the oil should be perfectly clean, so inspecting a small sample of the oil for any sign of discolouration or contamination is a good and cheap way to check the general condition of the gearbox.

You can certainly do this yourself, (you'll need the correct socket to undo the filler plug), but it's one of those jobs that's much easier with the vehicle on a lift. Access is from underneath the car, and it's essential that the car is perfectly level for the check and top up. Gearbox oil is usually sold in flexible bottles with a suitable extension tube to make it easier to get the oil where it needs to go. Make sure you protect the ground underneath the car, as it's also one of the stickiest and hardest to remove fluids imaginable.

I'd have thought an independent garage could check it for not much money, and also top it up at the same time if that's what is needed. I'd have thought the garage you took it to would have done this before recommending a new gearbox.