Whine - pitch is roadspeed related.

[funkyspider]

I have an MY03 A4 Avant 1.9 TDi 130. Manual transmission.

I've noticed a whine from the front. The pitch of the whine is definately road-speed related, not engine speed. It becomes noticable at a low pitch at around 30 and increases in pitch as the roadspeed increases. At 80-90mph (on private roads of course) it's pitch is like ourt 8yr old girl humming a constant note (yes it's that annoying

), it's not a high pitch squeel, definately a whine.

The pitch is the same in all gears 60mph 4th,5th,6th etc.
It's the same pitch if I engage the clutch and let the engine revs drop off at this speed so it's definately not engine or turbo.

It doesn't sound like a wheel bearing to me (although it could be), so my initial guess is diff, I can't tell if it's coming from one side.

Any ideas please and is it serious enough for me to rush the car in for looking at, it's due a service in a couple of weeks anyway.

Thanks

 

[simon.m]

i think you have listed most things id say. does it get louder when your going around a bend that would say its most lightly a wheel bearing if its not a wheel bearing it will be drive shaft wine. me i would have it looked at asap as it would drive me crazy plus dont want it doing more damage to any thing else.

 

[funkyspider]

Thanks, I'll book it in for its service next week.
It doesn't get louder when cornering, just constant with road speed. Diff or drive shaft ?

 

[simon.m]

it seems that way mate but thinking about it i had a tyer that made a wine sound once when i first got my car cheap tyer on it.

 

[funkyspider]

Tyres are fine, Toyo proxies with 1000, and there's some new low noise tarmac on M6 and it's constant noise from that onto the old tarmac where the tyre noise changes.

 

[simon.m]

ok was just a thought so prob what i said above then

 

[Broken Byzan]

6 speed?

If its the 6 speed 01E box it could be the diff pinion bearing, they are known to collapse and cause noise. The part isnt mega expensive but its a box out and complete strip down to fix sadly

5 Speed, er oil level in box?