Engine Tranny noise 02 MT

Tranny noise 02 MT

Hey Guys,

I have a 02 Prism (aka corollas illegitimate brother) with 83000 mi. It has always had a little if that "japanese car whine" from the tranny. Kind of a dull roar..like a gear type noise. After letting my gf's sister drive it 1,000 miles with my jet ski in tow..(we moved from ny to mn, I had to drive the big truck) it is REALLY loud now. Only when accelerating or decel. Only in gear with the clutch not pushed. Any ideas?? The mechanic said it may be the throwout bearing..but I dont want to spend tons of money if I dont have to.....

The throw-out bearing is stressed when you PRESS the clutch IN. It allows the clutch to keep spinning while disengaging from the flywheel. Although it does continue to spin when the clutch is released I believe.

First order of business should be to change the fluid. Inspect what comes out and note if there are any metal chunks. I would get a large SS bowl to drain the fluid into as the metal will settle to the bottom and you will be able to see what's coming out. Replace it and see if it makes any difference - I bet it will.

Does the noise change with what gear you are in? It's possible that it MIGHT be the differential - I do know that automatic transmissions have separate differential fluid which needs to be changed, but I'm pretty sure that the 5MTs share fluid between the gearbox and differential. My 2003 Corolla shares differential fluid with the transmission and it also has some gear whine - but it's only noticeable at low speeds (1st and 2nd gear).

Hope this helps and let us know what happens,
Trav

hello, thanks for the response.
I did change the fluid, it was pretty skunky..black and a tiny bit greyish (h2o?)..no significant difference in noise level. I should probably find a way to check for metal in the old oil...It was up to level when I changed it. The noise is pretty constant at all gears. I did notice it was LOUDER the other day when I was towing my jet ski, so Im afraid I may have a gear thats worn..I wish I knew someone in the minneapolis are with a car like mine so I could see how theirs sounds..thanks!

I can tell you that a differential going bad makes a kind of roaring noise and gets worse the faster you go. Black fluid sounds not good, however with 90,000 miles on it, I suppose you can expect that. The grayish color is normal. Probably microscopic chunks of metal in suspension. What type of fluid did you put back in there?

Trav

it was pennzoil full synthetic ..75w90 gl I think..7.50 a quart at walmart..I would have gotten mobil one buts thats all they had ..I tell you, the sounds IS like a dull roar..yikes. How much for a new diff? Maybe get the trd LSD if I have to have it changed out

UPDATE>> NEED NEW TRANSMISSION

Hey guys, at only 90k my tranny just went out..TOAST! Im not very happy, the local chevy dealer (Toyota wont even look at it because its a chevy prizm) wants $2100 for a USED tranny with new clutch. This is more irratating than you can imagine. The whole car is only worth 3-$5,000 anyways! Anyone in the miineapolis area know of someone to replace a manual tranny cheaper? Thanks guys.

PS So much for Toyota reliabilty. The thats whole reason I bought my second corolla was my 95 was bulletproof.

Odd - what happened exactly? I mean - how do you know it's dead? Just won't go into gear or what?

You should certainly be able to find a used 5-speed for $500-800. I know a 5-spd for my '03 goes for about $800, so I could only assume that one for your car would be a little less (depending on mileage and condition and such). Go to www.car-parts.com. Good site to search junkyards nationwide.

Is putting it in yourself out of the question? That's what I'd do...but then again, I like doing that kind of stuff.

I'd tend to shy away from a dealer - ask around and see what shops in your area would do a decent job putting one in...perhaps a transmission shop.

FWIW, you might even take the transmission to a tranny shop and see if they could repair it...but then again, transmission are one of those things that tend to never be the same once it craps out.

Trav