Technical Whining noise

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Technical Whining noise

ldelta11

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Sep 28, 2022
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Hi. I have a Lancia Delta 1.4 120hp, 2010 with 130.000km. It is similar to the Fiat Bravo 1.4. While driving I hear a constant whining noise. When I accelerate, when I drive constant or when I let off the gas, it’s the same noise. Only when I press the clutch in and the rpm drops to idle the noise disappears. Could it be the famous M32 gearbox problem?
 
If the noise goes away when you declutch, it may be that the issue is clutch or clutch release bearing rather than the gearbox. My Bravo started making gearbox noises but these were there regardless of the clutch position anytime wheels were turning. My noises were in the top two gears. The other gears were OK. The cost of a gearbox job lead me to sell. The Bravo Delta is a very good car if it was just a clutch on mine I would still have the car. I think yours does sound like clutch which although expensive is still worth repairing. At 130K the clutch release bearing could easily be the culprit. Its also always worth checking the gearbox oil level is OK. I had to butcher my sump plug tool to take the level and filler plugs out as they were very tight!
 
Thanks. On my car, when I press the clutch, the noise disappears. I hope the gearbox is ok. I think I will wait to see if the noise gets more pronounced or it stays the same.
 
Today I listened more carefully and discovered that the noise is present also with the clutch pressed in and also with the gearbox in neutral.
 
Is that with the car moving ? I jacked mine up and blocked it and then started the engine and tried each gear with the engine idling and it was clear which gears were affected. Doing this is not good for the car and should only ne ar very low engine rpm for a short time. ABS lights did come on but went away when it was driven a short distance. You can get some additives to quieten noisy bearings but if they are on the way out its going to be pretty pricey to get the gearbox repaired. Its not just the M32 box that can fail my car had a different box. If you do have a bearing issue in the box its important to get it sorted straight away as if something breaks up inside the box costs will rise steeply as internal parts are generally quite costly so acting early is prudent. The alternative is a second hand gearbox but that is a lottery. A good additive such as Moly slip or the current equivalent may keep it going for a while longer if you decide to get a second hand gearbox. It may be a final drive / diff issue which I suspect may be slighly cheaper and easier to fix. If in doubt it would be worth paying for a proper diagnosis. A Fiat dealer may advise what the problem is free of charge if you ask for a price to fix the noise.
 
It is with the car moving. I am starting to think that it might be also a wheel bearing. Tomorrow I will lift and check every wheel for play or noise.
 
The wheel bearings are good. Today I went for a longer drive and I discovered some things:
-the noise is most pronounced in gear 3 and 4
-when I press in the clutch or when I put it in neutral the noise disappears almost completely
-the gear stick moves in gears 1st and 5th when I press the gas while driving
At this point I think the gearbox is the problem…
 
Hey.
Was it the gear box? Did you fixed it?
Thank you.
I did not do anything… The noise is still present but I drive with it like this. I am pretty sure it is the gearbox that makes the noise. I will see how the problem will continue in the near future. Maybe next year I will send the gearbox to be rebuilt. But at the moment I will use it like this.
 
I can say that I thought about changing the oil in the gearbox, but I don’t know if it will make a difference.
 
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