spaceship noise when driving!

[SamiS]

Driving along and I can hear a strange buzzing noise, it gets higher when accelerating.

It seems to match the revs, then you change gear and matches the next revs.

Any ideas? I can try to get a sound clip.

[m_jermyn]

Your driving a spaceship....
Nope sorry mate no idea

[magpie]

new viscous fan?more of a whoosh like noise

[Rickbmw1984]

i have the same i think only mines more of a progressive ticking noise coming from the front offside. I was thinking the wheel bearing but not sure

[aj_mckay]

Where is the noise coming from? Engine bay or transmission somewhere (i.e. gearbox/prop/diff)?

[MrWhite]

I know somebody with a Merc 190E that has a similar problem. When you're in the car it sounds like a spaceship. The noise is there at all speeds, and gets louder the faster you go.
He's narrowed it down to the diff and even after an oil change it sounds no better.

Does the sound come from the back of the car?

[bazman]

diff mate, i changed mine on my old 318 in the end. Sorted.

[armanib]

Does it go when you push in clutch?

[SamiS]

not tested dipping the clutch when going along, will try on my way home and report back.

Defiantly not a tickinging noise, its like a churp, maybe something slipping?

It sounds like its from the front when driving, doesn't do it when not driving, so hard to narrow it down.

Edit: Thinking about it, its only when i've changed into the gear for a bit. Gets a higher pitch then stops.

[RM2186]

Thrust bearing on the clutch??

[HartgeH27]

I had a strange whistling sound from front once which was coming from the plenum chamber which was not correctly fitting (on an older 325). Reseated properly and noise stopped.

Didnt make any noise on tickover but when driving very noticeable.

Probably not pertinent in this case but worth ticking off the list of possibles.

[Cook318IS]

powersteering pump whining? (at least thats the problem with mine )

[Chris-W]

Does it only happen with the stereo on by any chance? If it's matching engine speed it's not the diff.

[magpie]

alt bearing?well it will match engine speed

[SamiS]

seems like the clutch is slipping. Release the clutch and it makes this noise, but after I'm fully of the clutch

[SamiS]

Driven it again to listen for the noise.

Its not just out of gear, its when keeping constant revs and slowly accelerating or coming of the throttle. If I accelerate hard I cant hear it, but it might just be because of the damn tappets over the top of it!

If I bleep the throttle with the clutch in the noise gets a higher pitch/faster also. Once I'd been driving a bit, it then stopped altogether, but soon came back.

[town325i]

has the gearbox got any oil in it

[bobbin1982]

Does it only happen with the stereo on by any chance? If it's matching engine speed it's not the diff.

Yeh i had this problem with my austin metro...when i revved the car it sounded like i had a turbo lol it was the car interfering with the sterio....is there any wires touching behind the sterio?

[SamiS]

has the gearbox got any oil in it

Err unknown at the minute! Thinking about it, when going from cold its harder to shift into 1st.

i'll check it at the weekend. How do I check!?

[Globulator]

has the gearbox got any oil in it

Err unknown at the minute! Thinking about it, when going from cold its harder to shift into 1st.

i'll check it at the weekend. How do I check!?

Get the a new container of the right oil and undo the filler/level bolt on the side.
Squeeze as much in as you can until it starts coming out again.

Then look at how much you used and that's how much it needed..

[SamiS]

What oil would a manual 1990 316i need then? Cant see it anywhere online...