Noise from Manual Transmission

Your car is getting up in age. If the transmission has not been serviced often or even normal wear and tear can cause transmissions this old to start showing signs of wear. Depending on if its an auto or manual transmission, a standard transmission whine in one gear is usually a sign of pending break down. Check fluid for burning and over heating. Change it, if it has not been changed in past 20-30K miles. Check the magnet on the drain bolt of transmission. This also can tell you the condition of things to come. Good Luck.

This sounds on the base of it to be pre ignition, if so the moment you take the foot off the gas it goes? The cure is to retard the ignition timing slightly, have you recently changed your octane of fuel? this will also cause this?
The noise is caused by the expansion of the compressed gases expanding before the piston reaches top dead centre causing the piston to \'rattle\' left unchecked will cause permanent damage and engine failure

Does that transmission have external shift linkage? Sounds like a linkage broke or the neutral gate is way off.

YEAH SOUNDS LIKE THE SYNCROS ARE WORN IN YOUR TRANSMISSION. AS FAR AS THE NOISE WHEN YOU TAKE YOU FOOT OFF THE GAR IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MAY BE AN EXHAUST LEAK AND YOU ARE NOT GETTING PROPER BACK PRESSURE.

Hi, It may be in LIMP mode.

What is "limp-home mode" ? This is a fault mode in which the transmission either loses electrical power or the PCM deactivates all of the electronics. The transmission will default to max line pressure. The driver will have Reverse and 3rd, with manual 2nd available by putting the gearshift in 2 or 1 (doesn't matter). 1st, 4th, and TCC lockup will not be available. It will not hurt the car to drive it like this for short periods, but use manual 2nd to get the car moving, and be aware that the trans will generate more heat than normal while operating in limp-home mode due to increased torque converter slippage during 2nd gear starts and no lockup in 3rd gear.

Common failures on 4L60E, symptom any possible repair:

Trans shifts into gear harshly, car feels sluggish off the line, No 1st, 4th or TCC lockup available, Manual 2nd, 3rd and Reverse are only available gears, CEL is on: Transmission is either in limp-home mode or has lost electrical power. If there are lots of error codes in the PCM, check the under-hood fuse that powers the transmission, and if it pops again, look for a short in that circuit like an O2 sensor harness touching exhaust. Otherwise, check PCM codes for a particular fault in the transmission causing the PCM to put it in limp-home mode.

No 1st or 4th available; trans shifts 2nd to 3rd by itself in D or OD and locks the converter :ShiftA solenoid failed. Easy fix in the pan. Or a wiring problem from PCM to trans.. or PCM.

Car goes into gear but feels very sluggish like the brakes are dragging, but it will roll easily (starts out in 4th gear), you manually shift to 2 to get it moving, once it's moving you put it back in OD and the car shifts 3rd to 4th on its own and locks the converter at the appropriate time: ShiftB solenoid failed: Easy fix in the pan. Or a wiring problem from PCM to trans.. or PCM.

Trans seems noisy when moving in 1st and Reverse, noise goes away instantly if you shift to N or the trans goes into 3rd gear: Reaction planetary is worn out due to high miles or insufficient lubrication. Not a critical failure, but not a good sign either. R&R sooner rather than later.

3rd gear starts, can manually shift through all gears. When car has been turned off for a bit, then back on it will run normally.: VSS dropoff w/ Hi-stall converter. The rpms are too high, but VSS is showing no movement. Happens after a tire burning take-off. Doesn't store a code, will not throw a CEL (I've heard that it will store a code if it happens 3 or more times). Cure: Reprogram PCM for VSS dropoff -- PCMforLess knows about it.

If you can get the Jimmy for no more then $500.00 and the engine sounds good and body is good, you may want to invest in the repair of the jimmy. Also note that to have a close look at the fuel line along the frame on the drivers side just by the back doors, the line is know to corroded there on all the SUV's

It is a 5 speed manual transmission? If it is noisey in all gears except for 4th, then the problem is countershaft bearings.

If the whine is there than the main bearing is already worn adding fluid will not save it, you will have to swap it or rebuild it. sorry i know you were hoping for something better.

Hi:

Your transmission has 3 shift rails...
1st - 2nd
3rd -4th
5th- Reverse

If your 3rd gear doesn't work , you have an internal transmission problem, such as a syncronizer, or similar fail... There is not much you can fix, without removeing the transmission.

Sounds like a bad countershaft bearing. The trans will need removed and disassembled to fix it.

i had a nissan pickup that would whine in all gears except 4th...it started out with 1st then reverse then went to the rest...solution was new transmission...or rebuild cause the syncronizers or the gears them selves are being chewed up...the new transmission was cheaper then a rebuild. or take it to somewhere that will do free diag on the transmission.