[AJF]

I've noticed today that I'm getting a very faint whine from my gear box in 6th gear between 1000 and 2000 rpm, it's most noticeable when the car is running down when pulling up to a junction. Could this be the start of the dreaded gearbox issues. The car has just turned on to 80k miles so I would have thought it had plenty of life left.

It's in for a service on Monday and I was wondering if changing the gearbox oil could be worthwhile? If so which oil should I use?

 

[JON156VELOCE]

Hopefully just an oil change will help it. Redline mt90 comes highly recomended and use more than the standard 2.3 liters, the redline comes in US quarts 948ml so using all of the 3 bottles gives you 2.8 liters which is fine, Ive had 3 liters in mine for 20k with no issues.

It would be good to look at the old gearbox oil, if its full of glitter then you could have the start of the gearbox bearing issues, when was the oil last changed.?

 

[AJF]

I've had the car for the last 18 months and have covered just over 40k miles. To my knowledge the gearbox oil hasn't ever been changed with its regular service.

 

[lussoman]

The car has just turned on to 80k miles so I would have thought it had plenty of life left.

I've read of the M32 'box failing at only 20k miles. I'm not joking.

 

[JON156VELOCE]

And possibly going 80k on the original oil wont help.

 

[AJF]

Why would the whining only be in 6th gear? It would seem from other threads most people have noise whatever gear they are in but the lower gears being worse.

 

[JON156VELOCE]

It can vary whichever of the 3 bearings in the end casing starts to break up first but I believe that the bearing at the top and so the first to suffer from poor lubrication has the 6th gear hub on it.


This will explain it better http://autolusso.co.uk/gearbox-m32.html

 

[JON156VELOCE]

Its not all doom and gloom though, if it is your box starting to fail there is a guy in Halifax A & S Clutch Technology that is very well rated in the Vauxhall world that does a complete gear shaft bearing change for about £350 with the box in place.

 

[AJF]

Thanks for that, Halifax is a bit of a way for me as I'm in Cambridgeshire. I have had a look about at some transmission specialists and I've found one in my town who advertises on their website that they can fix all Vauxhall M32 failures right through to a full rebuild. If I still have a noise after the oil is replaced on Monday I think I'll give them a call for a quote.

If it's too much I think I may just trade her in, at the moment the noise is so minor you would only notice it if your sat in the car most of the day every day.