06 sprinter whine while accel and growl when decelarating

fredbrud

New member
I have a 06 sprinter and am getting a rear end whine when accelarating. It is much more prononced around 60mph. When I take my foot off the gas pedal and coast, it turns into a growling. If I shift to nutreal, it goes away. I'm thinking either a wheel bearing or the pinion gear in the rear differential. There is no change of pitch when turning. I did a search and cant pin point what the problem is. Thanks for any help provided. By the way , the drive shaft was changed to a after market one about 5 months ago. I had also changed the rear end differential fluid at that time. When I checked it , it is still clean with no metal at all. Thanks Fred.
 

moto_955

New member
Fred, I have the same problem with my 06 sprinter. I posted the same question a few months back and it turns out this is an issue which has been discussed before.
The symptons you are suggesting are what they call RSN. If you do a search on it you should find several threads on it.
From an email from Dr. A: "RSN is caused by torque converter clutch operation."
He sells a kit to remedy the problem...
"The DARF kit allows you to modify the TCC operating pressure as well as damping the duty cycling control of the TCC. It requires dropping the transmission sump or at least tilting one side of it downward, to gain access to one of the valve body's side plates. Removal of the valve body is NOT done. Draining of sump's ATF and refilling, is the most time consuming part of the operation. It takes me about 1/2 hour to accomplish the DARF from start to finish"
I actually emailed him earlier this morning about ordering a DARF kit. Good luck!
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
I believe the RSN (Rumble Strip Noise) is primarily a *low* speed phenomenon.
Such as decelerating or coasting from 20 mph

Fred should have someone else drive the Sprinter while he sits in the back to try and locate the sound.
If it's between the rear wheels, it's definintely not RSN, since RSN is a internal-to-the-transmission issue.

Other issues, such as carrier bearings for the drive shaft, can also sound like RSN or produce sounds like Fred's.

good luck hunting
--dick
 

printersprinter

New member
Did you ever resolve the whine/growl issue with your Sprinter? I am experiencing the very same sounds and symptoms and am having a devil of a time trying to pinpoint it! And I agree, it is NOT the infamous RSN which is very common but different altogether.
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Sounds differential to me--check the pinion bearings for lift, you might want to remove the back cover see how much metal is in the case. Then with a pry bar try doing a diff /ring gear end float test.
Dennis
 
I have a winnebago view on a 05 chassis doing the exact same thing . I had the torque converter changed and it is still doing it. I'm going to have my drive shaft replaced I'll keep you posted. Please reply if anyone figures this out.
 

fredbrud

New member
Sorry for the late reply, but I've been out of town for a while. I did have the issue of noise resolved. I had the rear differential totally rebuild with a new pinion gear and bearings, by an independant shop. $2300.00 later, no more noise. I do have a new problem after picking up and it started right when I left the shop. It must be coincidence, though. When stopping, At about 5 MPH the front right wheel will lock up. I will post another thread about it today and look for some answers. Thanks ,Fred.
 
Interesting comments - my T1N is still under warranty at 32k miles. I took it to the Dodge dealership with a sprinter tech and asked them to look into it. The answer I got back was the sound was normal and I was just excessively sensitive because the cargo partition was no longer in the van and I could hear everything better because it was not sound insulated. Noteworthy is that the entire van had been sound insulated with dynamat and acustic foam, then sprayed with urethane foam insulation! I still have the whine at 60mph!
 

stp57

Member
Almost a year & a half & no more posts on this problem? That's a shame because I am experiencing the same problem with my 2006 w/166K miles. My service disk says that it is the pinion bearings causing this noise. I just had the rear end flushed & filled & it made no difference in the sound. My dad has used additives in American cars for years to alleviate this problem, but I am nervous about adding anything to my differential. Any suggestions?
Steve
 
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Nigel

New member
I had the exact same issue with a 2006 Iveco that I bought new, I didn't take any any notice of it at first but it got progressively worse. I took it back to the Iveco dealer, the guy took it 100 yards up the road and said "new axle". 6 hours later I drove away the vehicle with a new axle (under warranty). I've never heard of this issue with a Sprinter but it sounds from what you say the axle is knackered, this is a well known problem with Iveco (so dont buy an Iveco!).

It Vibrates Everything Comes Off.
 

stp57

Member
I know this sounds silly, but does anyone here think that a rubber boot around the body of the differential would absorb much of the whine? I am taking my work van on vacation in a couple of weeks & I am desperate to minimize the noise?
Steve
 

Boater

New member
I know this sounds silly, but does anyone here think that a rubber boot around the body of the differential would absorb much of the whine?
Possibly but it may be a bit like using decapitation to cure a headache, the symptoms will go away but you are no better off than before.

The whine is probably to do with a poor mesh of the diff gears, or problems in the diff bearings or similar. Muffling the sound will not slow down the gradual destruction of components and prevent them stopping you in a drastic way at some point in the future and causing a hefty repair bill.....

:2cents:

Jim
 

stp57

Member
True, Jim, but at 167K miles & no other symptoms of rear end wear, I am hesitant to invest that kind of money on pinion bearings & gears. There are quite a few people on the net that have had these repairs made & the noise is still there. There is supposed to be a place here in Texas that sells rebuilt rear ends. That is most likely the route I will take when the time comes. For now, I want to buffer the sound the best I can.
Steve


Possibly but it may be a bit like using decapitation to cure a headache, the symptoms will go away but you are no better off than before.

The whine is probably to do with a poor mesh of the diff gears, or problems in the diff bearings or similar. Muffling the sound will not slow down the gradual destruction of components and prevent them stopping you in a drastic way at some point in the future and causing a hefty repair bill.....

:2cents:

Jim
 

stp57

Member
Sound is getting unbearable. Sprinter Specialist found alot of metal in the fluid today. I am waiting on his estimate to install a rebuilt rear end. I am sure that I will choke on the figure, but it will be alot better than the dealerships price.
Steve
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Sound is getting unbearable. Sprinter Specialist found alot of metal in the fluid today. I am waiting on his estimate to install a rebuilt rear end. I am sure that I will choke on the figure, but it will be alot better than the dealerships price.
Steve
As I have posted on this forum before, I see quite a few with pitted and spalled pinion bearings.
These all appear to be Koyo Hi Torque brand line. Seems to be a factory production preference.

I have yet to see one totally collapsed but the junk ("swarf" lovely UK English word) gets thrown about in the oil and ends up ingested through the diff side bearings, teeth etc if left for a long period. When of course the owner/operator hopes the noise will go away by itself.:hmmm:

I used Timken made in USA for the re-work and tend to err on the tight side on all pre-loads and back lash spec's if the main components are serviceable. Big thing though, is to thoroughly clean the main axle case. I use solvent, soap water and air to dislodge the "swarf"!

Well I don't personally I have a helper who doesn't mind getting wet & dirty!:thumbup:
Dennis
PS: - I saw this little poster in the doctors office the other day it read

Five Often Fatal Words
"Maybe It Will Go Away"
 

David R.

New member
Does anyone know of anyone that can perfrom the adjustments made to get rid of RSN ? As discribed in this thread.
 

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