Wild noise in drive under load

[Bang and Crash]

I have a 2014 imiev and have today seen a quietnoise become very loud. I removed the back engine cover and recorded short video to get the noise. It sounds ... not good at all.

Noise almost goes all the way away when shifted into neutral suggesting gear box or engine related. Maybe bearing or something else? Noise came on very quickly after being semi muted for many months.

Thoughts?

 

[Bang and Crash]

Also these videos as drive continued one you can hear clunking.

Note in Canada so speed is kms

 

[Bang and Crash]

My gut suspicion on this car without lifting yet is maybe a transmission bearing and or possible gear tooth fell off. Obviously very concerning so I have a bit of work ahead of me.

Has anyone taken a gearbox out in their driveway and and recommendations from folks before I start ripping parts out for closer examination?

Thanks in advance

 

[MickeyS70]

Noise almost goes all the way away when shifted into neutral suggesting gear box or engine related. Maybe bearing or something else? Noise came on very quickly after being semi muted for many months.

Thoughts?

Shifting a triplet into N instructs the MCU to create a ‘neutral field’ inside the electric motor to the effect that it feels like ‘freewheeling’. The motor, gear reducer/transmission are still connected and turning, albeit at a much reduced load, which could explain the muted noise.

Did you have a look at the online workshop manual?
http://mmc-manuals.ru/manuals/i-miev/online/Service_Manual/2013/index_M1.htm

 

[michael8554]

Jack the rear up and rest the end of the trailing arms on axle stands, so that the drive shafts are in the normal under load position.
Take the wheels off.
Then start up and listen.
If it's not obvious where the noise is coming from, then use a big screwdriver as an ear trumpet.
Press the sharp end on the hubs and gearbox, with the handle in the palm of your hand, pressing against your ear.
This should locate the source of the sound.

 

[Bang and Crash]

Thanks for the tips - I have a stethoscope but same same. I'll give it a run up first and see but my gut says I am pulling transmission as I suspect possibly shaft bearing or something went bad. Gearing my mind for the worst and hoping for the best.

I did run through the online workshop manual and near as I can tell when it comes to taking it out big kicker is to crack my axle nuts while vehicle is on its weight to give me the advantage. Outside of that seems pretty straight forward.

Ps - I'm a red seal tech so not just some random keyboard junkie trying to save a buck. The ticket to use tools is probably my undoing though because it also leads me down a path of pulling a transmission from the wife's car in our driveway which leads to her driving my vehicle while its being sorted.


Alas - if anyone else has some tips or insights share away. I'll post my findings when I have them so in the future someone stumbles along the same issue it can be solved a little easier.

Cheers

 

[Bang and Crash]

Spun things while on blocks... sounded like rocks in the trans so drained.. and fluid has a cool purple tint with a very fine glitter to it. Pure genius design does not allow for any way to stick a magnet inside to fish around but I tried a little and got some small fragments. Pretty sure something lost a tooth in there. Doesn't really explain the high pitch run up noise I heard the last time but.. checking on cost of transmission tomorrow and see how it goes. For now its a driveway ornament. Guessing if it goes to scrap I should get at least a little something for the battery? Otherwise not sure whether this one is going to be worth the repair time.

Thoughts?

 

[Peter Vanhoutteghem]

Hello. The glitter and fragments could be from the wrecked bearing. I would think that a worn ball or roller bearing could (have been before it broke into fragments) be the bearing slowly deteriorating. This would be cheaper to replace than gears. What mileage has the car done? A bearing should not fail prematurely.

 

[Peter Vanhoutteghem]

Sorry....the bearing could have been the source of the whining sound.

 

[Bang and Crash]

Sorry....the bearing could have been the source of the whining sound.

Hi Peter - yes I have similar thoughts also. I'm not ruling anything out at this point and since the trans is about the size of a sewing machine i'm not concerned about ripping it out and tossing it around either.

Car has approx 105,000 kms so by all rights very early in life to experience the failure. Trans fluid was done at 96k but the noise was present (although quieter) before that fluid change. Noise seemingly went from dull whine to... shrapnel in the distance of a single charge cycle.

Regardless of vehicle being replaced I want to rip this one apart and verify what it is so I know and don't wonder.

 

[Gary12345]

Ive seen a few gearboxes eat themselves, one even punched a hole in the side when the cogs went walkabout. You can swap them over, tho there are 2 variants but its only the gear sensors on the side so they can be moved over if its different. Cheers

 

[Bang and Crash]

Ive seen a few gearboxes eat themselves, one even punched a hole in the side when the cogs went walkabout. You can swap them over, tho there are 2 variants but its only the gear sensors on the side so they can be moved over if its different. Cheers

As in the boxes from different years are interchangeable? What do you mean I can swap them over? This probably makes more sense once I pull apart but right now I'm not picking up what you're laying down.

I did have a chat with a dealership parts guy... for a new one - he wasn't seeing anything in Canada or USA on his system so it would be 3 weeks from Japan. Internal parts likely the same.

Wreckers I need to still call around but... since we've had this one now 5-6? Years I've only seen 2 others on the road here so... still going to be a very thin and tall task to find a gear box.

 

[Matheos]

I am interested to see what it is !! I have a Peugeot Ion and it is starting to make the same sound ( Not so loud) at load! It sounds like a bad bearing in the motor or at the gearbox !!

 

[Gary12345]

As in the boxes from different years are interchangeable? What do you mean I can swap them over? This probably makes more sense once I pull apart but right now I'm not picking up what you're laying down.

I did have a chat with a dealership parts guy... for a new one - he wasn't seeing anything in Canada or USA on his system so it would be 3 weeks from Japan. Internal parts likely the same.

Wreckers I need to still call around but... since we've had this one now 5-6? Years I've only seen 2 others on the road here so... still going to be a very thin and tall task to find a gear box.

You can change your gearbox with a used one from another car. You may have to move the sensors over from your old box if they are different.

 

[Matheos]

It is the gearbox! Recently I changed the oil and put motokote in. The noise disappears at a level of 70%

 

[Bang and Crash]

I am nearly 100% certain the issue was a bearing inside the gear box. My wife however decided to trade the vehicle in for an e-golf as she didnt want me to replace gearbox and then learn it was a stator bearing. I drained the fluid - it was shiny and glittery and the gears didnt "feel" right. My experience as a red seal pointed me to full gearbox removal and tear apart but.. wife over ruled me lol!

 

[jray3]

Sorry to come late to the thread @Bang and Crash. I have sEVeral good drivetrains and go to Vancouver regularly.

 

[Bang and Crash]

Sorry to come late to the thread @Bang and Crash. I have sEVeral good drivetrains and go to Vancouver regularly.

Good to know. I'll touch base with the dealer that took the car off my wife and if he intends to go that route - i'll pm you for more details. Car went to Vancouver Volkswagen with the air raid like transmission as is. That was right before long weekend so guessing they likely haven't decided on its future yet either.