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Whining whirring noise, and hard accelerate slows down.

3K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  nattboy 
#1 ·
I have a 2003 Element, and at the end of Sept I took it in to the dealership for battery issues. I wasn't having any other issues, but they found multiple other issues, which I had them fix.
Since I got the car back (it's been 23 days) my husband and I have been hearing a low whining/whirring noise, and on hard acceleration it slows down a lot or barely responds. At a medium speed it feels like the timing is off -- it slips a little between gears, more noticeable in the morning when it's cool.
Is it possible something they "fixed" could be causing these problems?

Here's what they did:
  • Replaced battery (under warranty)
  • Fixed top transmission mount
  • Resealed timing chain cover (Oil seal, O-Ring, Chain Case O-Ring)
  • Resealed oil pan
  • Replaced Power Steering pressure & return hoses (added Steering fluid)
  • Replace Vtec spool valve solenoid (Valve assy, spool, filter assy)

The whining and acceleration problems weren't happening until I got it back from the dealership.
 
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#5 ·
It’s possible they botched the spool valve which would rob power.

When do you hear the whining sound? They had to take a lot of parts off to reseal the timing cover so they perhaps damaged a bearing in the process.
Thank you. I'll see if I can get the dealership to look into spool valve. They claim they can't duplicate the problem. I got the car back last night, and where it was hesitating before, it is now shuttering (running smooth, a slight shutter, then running smooth again).
They're saying the whining is a counter shaft barring in the transmission. However, that sound wasn't there prior to taking the car in for repair.
 
#10 ·
Just a conclusion to whining and hard acceleration. Turns out it definitely is the transmission. While getting the E diagnosed, everyone was in agreement the the whining was coming from the trans, completely unrelated to the service I just received. The shutter continued to get worse, and trans was neutralizing (not going into gear) when I stepped on the gas, and as I put it in reverse to park, and get out of traffic, I heard a thunk! Unfortunately, after doing the last set of expensive repairs my 192k transmission decided to call it quits.
As it turns out there are quite a few options for trans repair: Remanufactured Trans; Used Reconditioned Trans (from another car); and Rebuild/Recondition trans (from my car). Since it seems like my trans is rebuildable, I've decided with this option. It's affordable, and I think I've found an independent mechanic I like.
 
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