I'm no mechanic but I'm guessing this whine is coming from the tranny. What do you think. It's a high pitched whine not a squeal like from a belt. It increases with rising RPM. IT goes away at a steady cruise. It only happens when tranny is engaged, never in park while revving the engine. This tranny is a replacement and was installed at the dealership 36.000 miles ago. Fluid level is good. By the way, I have a 2001 4cyl with 136,000 miles on it.

 

sounds more like front axle

 

Why would the front axle whine more and then less as the RPM's rise and fall? 2001 4cyl and 136,000 miles.

 

I just returned from my local Hyundai dealer and they drove the car and said the whine is being caused by a too tight timing belt. Does anybody have an opinion on that diagnosis? On the 2001 Sonata is there a separate timing belt or will I need to replace all the belts. Thanks.

 

The timing belt is different from the accessory belt(s). The timing belt is inside the engine and turns the cams.

 

Thank you. I spoke to three different people that think the whine is not likely coming from a too tight timing belt. I will have it checked out by another independent mechanic next week. Do you think the the whine I described is likely coming from the timing belt? If I do replace the timing belt should I replace anything else at the same time? Thanks again.

 

I realize I am replying to an old post but I have just found it.


My EF Sonata (2001) had a transmission like whine just as described and the dealer, and after a lot of discussion, decided it was a defect, so 3 months from new pulled the transmission and stripped it to find the fault.


Nothing was found and it was reassembled, and continued to whine.


Three months passed and I was interstate when I had the need to call into the local Hyundai dealer for a different matter and found out from him that the "whine" was an issue known to Hyundai and a fix had been distributed as an Engineering Bulletin.


The fix was simply a "mass damper" about the size of a match box placed on the cable that connects the auto shift lever to the transmission to stop a resonance or vibration at particular speeds.


One was fitted and the whine is now so low as to be almost inaudible.


The local dealer was slightly embarrassed to say the least as the service guys had obviously not kept abreast of the service bulletins.