Xsara gearbox whine

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ebod
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Xsara gearbox whine

Post by ebod »

Hi all,
Picked up my latest Citroen this weekend ( oct-02 Xsara HDI110 SX )
Its got a noticable hi-pitch whine coming from the gearbox at <1500rpm. No noticeable noise coming from the clutch when pressing the pedal whilst idling.

Its got 94K miles. Are the boxes tough on these cars ? I thought it was be the same box as the C5 / 407 i.e. rated for a higher duty. Theres a slight slack clunk in between accel / decel but not massive.

Could the noise signify a gearoil change is needed or could the main bearings be getting tired?
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

A minimum of warranty on a s/h car must include any ignorance of lubes in the drivepack. It really sounds to me that the gearbox may need a topping up.
Maybe its been running a fair part of the mileage on low oil.

Claim it and get it checked ASAP. And stick to it until there is no problem - even if that includes turning back the deal :?
Anders (DK) - '90 BX16Image
ebod
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Post by ebod »

Anders , this was a CHEAP ex Citroen leasing car at 3 1/4 years old with full Citroen service stamps.

In the UK, cars suffer from high depriceation. This car was bought from autotrader and I only paid £3200 pounds for it. If I wanted a warranty then I would have to go to a dealer and pay £5000. This problem isn't imminent box failure so no warranty would cover it anyway.

This car was a small gamble but I did actually get the timing belt replaced.

I was only posting to see if anybody could pinpoint what the whining noise could be if it only appears at hi pitch in low revs.
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Post by Peter.N. »

Does it do it at the same revs in every gear or just in 4th/5th if not it could be a front wheel bearing, try cornering when its making the noise and see if its worse in one direction, if so it will be the bearing that the weight is being thrown onto. My XM hs been doing this for the last 10k or so, I bought a new bearing but havn't fitted it as it doesn't appear to have got any worse.
ebod
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Post by ebod »

Nahhh this is definately gearbox/clutch bearing related, Nore noticeable at low gears but thats probably because the general road noise is less at low speed.
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Post by dnsey »

They all do that, guv :D

In fact, PSA gearboxes do have a tendency to develop a noticeable whine as they get older, but it doesn't usually seem to be of any significance.

For the few quid it'll cost, I'd suggest changing the gearbox oil (make sure you use the correct grade). That way you'll know the level's right, the new oil might help anyway, and most importantly you'll see if there's much metal dust or swarf in the old oil, which will tell you a lot!
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Post by AndersDK »

I'm right behind dnsey to watch you do that ... :wink:
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Post by happytorque »

I have a 2002 C5 HDI 110, so i guess its got the same gearbox? Mine started to whine at about 6 months old (6,000 miles). Its most noticable on a steady throttle at about 35 to 42 mph in 4th gear. If i declutch, it stops. If i accelerate it stops. But just hold a constant light throttle and it makes a sort of howling whine. The car has now done 35,000 miles so its been doing it for the last 29,000 miles and has never got any louder. Anyone any ideas what it could be? Trev
TREV
C5 HDI 2.0 34,000 MILES
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