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  #1  
Old 01-20-2003, 11:47 PM
Gabriel
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whine starts at 40mph

hey,

i just bought an svx a couple of months ago here in California. It is a silver 1992 with 102,000 miles and only one previous owner. The tranny was rebuilt 15,000 miles ago. I am really proud of the car (it is my first!) but have noticed two problems.

1. When I get up to around 40 mph after a minute of driving from cold, there is a noticeable whine from the car under acceleration. It starts out as a grinding sort of low whine, then increases in pitch and loudness (to 55mph or so), so it sounds more like a mosquito- at higher speeds it is still present at a high pitch, but not so loud. Below 40mph the sound is not discernable. The noise is only present under acceleration- as soon as i lift my foot from the gas pedal it ceases. It seems only affected by the car speed, it does not change if i move from 4th gear into 3rd at the same speed.

I realise there may be more than one possible source of this sound, it seems the usual advice involves dealing with the throttle body. Is it recommended for someone like me, who has not more than changed a tyre before, to attempt to clean the throttle body myself? I am confident that i could, if i had clear instructions (being smarter than the average bear)...

2. The second problem is an intermittent cutting out of the engine. Without any warning, in a variety of situation; sometimes when pulling up to a stop sign, and once even on the freeway, the engine simply stops, and ALL the dash warning lights come on. I simply push the selector to neutral, and turn the key all the way off and on again- then it starts immediately. Generally this problem happens at low speeds. The first time it happened, the day after i bought the car, i was terrified. I thought i had bought a real lemon! I have learnt to deal with it, but it would be nice if it didnt happen at all!

Gabe
p.s. Does anyone know if there is a trustworthy SVX mechanic in, or around Santa Barbara CA?
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  #2  
Old 01-21-2003, 12:14 AM
alltrac alltrac is offline
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yeah up here in sacramento I work at a dealership I have seen several svx's worked on also a third gen rx7 mostly all new cars but still some old mechanics. big dollars tho to see a pro
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  #3  
Old 01-21-2003, 12:18 AM
alltrac alltrac is offline
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also I would say its the wheel bearing if its not good PM for the car
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  #4  
Old 01-21-2003, 02:17 PM
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They all do that......

Whine I mean.

Er, no, it's the owners usually about the cost of tranny work, not the cars.

Another question Gabe. Do you get this sound when the engine is revved up and the car is stationary? If not, it might indicate that the whine is from the running gear, tranny or diff or something.

If the whine is in relation to engine speed rather than road speed, then possibly it is a bearing, something that gets a load when the car is driving. Check out the alternator bearings. Mine were bad when I got my car, and it used to light up all the dash lights also, but the car did not cut out as far as I can remember.

Engine cutting out is funny. You should try the diagnostic codes [run a search, Doug/Mohrds listed them here recently] and see if any sensors are shot. I think the car has an IAC {Idle Air Control } valve. If this was stuck or inoperable, it could cause cut-out as the car was coming to a halt, particularly if you had A/C and lots of other electrical loads running at the time.

BTW, welcome to the board, not enough of us Irish round here at the minute.

Joe
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  #5  
Old 01-21-2003, 04:14 PM
Gabriel
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hey joe,
thanks for replying. I will try the self-diagnosis test and report back what it says.

Regarding whether i can hear the sound while revving up with the car stationary, and the engine versus road speed question: as i say, the whine only starts at 40mph, irrespective of the gear i am in. When I am stationary there is no whine. (Tho the rear end fidgets a bit if i push it to 6500 revs while stationary.)

I thought the cutting out might be someting to do with the o2 sensor or perhaps a faulty throttle position sensor.

Sacremento is a hell of a way to go.... surely there is someone adept in LA? Mapquest tells me that Sacramento is 390 miles away. I know there are svx guys in San Diego, 'only' 200 miles...but i was hoping to find someone closer.

So any thoughts on whether I'm capable of cleaning the throttle body myself?

Gabe
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  #6  
Old 01-21-2003, 04:29 PM
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Earthworm Earthworm is offline
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Who was it mentioning that the power antenna would whistle at speed when fully extended?
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  #7  
Old 01-21-2003, 05:02 PM
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let me clarify, it is not a whistling sound. It is a mechanical whine that starts quite low in pitch and has a metallic grating quality. It increases to a mosquito-like whine around 70mph.

The noise is only apparent under acceleration, and stops abruptly when i lift my foot from the gas pedal.

Gabe
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  #8  
Old 01-21-2003, 05:45 PM
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Gabe,

It could be something simple, like a piece of stone or grit trapped in a brake calliper. It could also be a wheel bearing, except I can't see a way that would disappear if you lift the throttle.

Beav, any ideas?

Joe
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  #9  
Old 01-21-2003, 05:57 PM
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Do you know which end of the car the sound is coming from. Could possibly be a differential? How long has this noise been happening and have you had any work done to the car?
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  #10  
Old 01-21-2003, 06:25 PM
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it's a howl

Quote:
Originally posted by Earthworm
Who was it mentioning that the power antenna would whistle at speed when fully extended?
It wasn't me, but my antenna (on the car) definitely causes a ghostly howl at highway speed.
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  #11  
Old 01-22-2003, 12:46 PM
Gabriel
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OK no more postings about the antenna... it is definitely not that. When I bought the car I had it up to a displayed 125mph on a newly resurfaced stretch of the 101. The car was quiet and stable except for some wind noise around the wind screen and door mirrors, that was with the radio on but volume turned low.

I doubt the whine is a problem with wheel bearings, it is too high-pitched in my estimation. And it would not instantly disappear when i lift off the gas, if that were the case. (reappears on light foot pressure to the gas pedal)

I tried the power light codes last night, for both current and previous faults. It registered normal (constant fast flashing) in both cases.

The car has had no work done on it since i bought it in November.

So... anyone got any step by step instructions for cleaning the throttle body?

Gabe
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  #12  
Old 01-22-2003, 07:06 PM
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If the noise is only when under power, it can be the differential (either), a u-joint (one or more) or the driveshaft support bearing.
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  #13  
Old 01-23-2003, 10:15 PM
Gabriel
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As for the whine, thanks for the prognoses guys
ok so three questions remain:

1. Anyone got any instructions on how to clean the throttle body, or know where i can find them?

2. Reputable mechanic in/near Santa Barbara?

3. Today the car just didnt cut out, the rev counter went from 4000 revs steadily to zero in a second and a half or so, despite my trying to floor the throttle when i noticed it dying. This gradual snuffing out is slightly different from the instantaneous engine-off symptoms experienced before. It is more gradual, but I am still helpless to stop it.

gabe
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  #14  
Old 01-23-2003, 11:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by Gabriel
As for the whine, thanks for the prognoses guys
ok so three questions remain:

1. Anyone got any instructions on how to clean the throttle body, or know where i can find them?

2. Reputable mechanic in/near Santa Barbara?

3. Today the car just didnt cut out, the rev counter went from 4000 revs steadily to zero in a second and a half or so, despite my trying to floor the throttle when i noticed it dying. This gradual snuffing out is slightly different from the instantaneous engine-off symptoms experienced before. It is more gradual, but I am still helpless to stop it.

gabe
Mine was doing that several years ago. There was a sensor (of some kind) with a plastic foot that broke, allowing the thing to lift out of contact - or whatever. Anyway, that was the explanation at the time. Warrantee fix. The problem is, about a month ago it started doing the same thing all over again. The dealer's computer cable (SVX only) was bad so they said they'd call when they got the new one in. Haven't called yet. When it's diagnosed (again), I'll let you know what's up.
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  #15  
Old 01-24-2003, 10:19 PM
DavieGravy DavieGravy is offline
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Couldn't a bad fuel pump cause a whine like that?
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