Tranny Whine

I have an '01 GP with the 3.1. Bought it used with 57k and change on the odometer. It now has a little over 59k. At highway speeds 50 and above after getting the tranny hot there seems to be a whinning noise coming from around the transaxle area. While traveling at speed I shifted into neutral and revved the engine and the whine increased and decreased with the rev's. Does this sound like the tranny is shot 'cause if it is I got a 90 day warranty from the dealer and I'll need to have him make good on a new one if that's the case. I know some of you guys out there rebuild these things so let me know if you know.

I have an '01 GP with the 3.1. Bought it used with 57k and change on the odometer. It now has a little over 59k. At highway speeds 50 and above after getting the tranny hot there seems to be a whinning noise coming from around the transaxle area. While traveling at speed I shifted into neutral and revved the engine and the whine increased and decreased with the rev's. Does this sound like the tranny is shot 'cause if it is I got a 90 day warranty from the dealer and I'll need to have him make good on a new one if that's the case. I know some of you guys out there rebuild these things so let me know if you know.

I guess no one out there knows anything about this, huh?

Well mine started whinning about a month ago after the dealer did a FLUSH! Whine when shifting from first to second and to third. Now it does it for a few seconds going from park to drive or reverse and all the time when driving. Getting worse and I'm taking it to the dealer next week. Still under warranty. It sounds to me like a bad bearing but I also see my MPG getting lower and lower so it may be slipping a bit. RPM's look a little high for corresponding speed.

what about when you are just sitting in neutral and rev? are you sure its not the belts?

what about when you are just sitting in neutral and rev? are you sure its not the belts?

Not really. It seems to be more prevalent when the tranny is hot and traveling at highway speed. That's when I dropped it in neutral and revved it and was able to cause the whine to fluctuate. The whine diminishes below 50 and can't really be recreated when sitting in park and revving or stationary in neutral and revving.

My advice is take advantage of the warranty, trannies arent cheap.

Well mine started whinning about a month ago after the dealer did a FLUSH! Whine when shifting from first to second and to third. Now it does it for a few seconds going from park to drive or reverse and all the time when driving. Getting worse and I'm taking it to the dealer next week. Still under warranty. It sounds to me like a bad bearing but I also see my MPG getting lower and lower so it may be slipping a bit. RPM's look a little high for corresponding speed.


Hi I HAVE 2000 Grand PRIX
Iam having the same problem accept when it shifts from gear
to gear, it shifts hard. I also have a whining noise, gets worse
when I rev the engine. The car has 61,000 on it.
Does your car shift hard, if so let me know!!!!
If you have fround a solution also let me know!!!
[email protected] thank you.

Actually, mine is shifting OK. It feels normal in Perf shift mode and non. And it does whine in neutral now. When the problem first started it didnt. When I start in the morning it whines for about 5 seconds in park then goes away. Then putting in rev there is a louder whine and it calms down so I can barely here it until I start moving. Same in Drive. I'm taking it in next Tuesday unless it gives up before then. I'll post back the results.

i think it has something to do with the car having traction control- - i usually dont us it cause traction control is hard on the trans an hurts your gas milage a bit....

Thats interesting. I always thought TC took control of the the ABS system.

I got your e-mail
TRAN WHINES/SHIFTS HARD
2000 GRAND PRIX SE

Im not sure what I should do!
I just bought the car 3 weeks ago,
used. I was informed at the time of
sale "that I had 90 day warranty"
on the drive train,so I guess its back
to the dealer.
I just wanted to see if anyone else
had a similar problem.
something to tell the dealer.
thank you J.T.

Picked up the SE from the dealer and was told that one of the techs there who is familiar with the Olds Alero said that this noise is normal. All I know is that it is now documented on my RO and if it gets worse it's going back. I think, though that if I can recreate the noise and I'm in the area I'll just stop by and have a tech take a ride. As you know it's sometimes hard to believe if they really put the proper time and effort into trying to recreate the exact symtoms.

ya i am sure the noise is normal but i am pretty sure that it comes from the trans - i tell my girl not to use the TC unless its really bad outside an she is scared..lol - but ya it does make the trans work harder than it has to especially if u are in stop an go or u excellerate hard-

My transmission started doing a whinning noise about 6 months ago. I was driving along and the car felt like it dropped down gear on its own and I started experiencing a whistling whining noise. I thought it was the catalyic converter, I had the it changed and the noise was still there. I took it to the dealer and they thought it might have been trash in the catalyic that needed to be blown out. WELL IT WASN'T THAT! The noise got worse and worse and transmission went as I driving along on the highway, which could have been dangerous. That was on Tuesday (12/21) and I got it back Thursday (12/23) for $2500.00 (Merrry Christmas to me!).

Get it checked out ASAP!!!

WOW! You got it back in 2 days! Who did the work. Mine has been at the dealer for nearly 2 weeks! The first week it sat there with nothing done except they tell me its broke. GM warranty rep. has to decide which is cheaper, rebuilding or replacing. As of today I still dont know what the hell is going on with it. I hate the whole thing.

Well I took my SE to the dealer Wed., 12/22 and after about 5-10 minutes of highway driving the service writer who was riding with me verified that there was indeed something "not right" with the way the car was shifting and sounding. It's going in next Wed. for their "tranny specialist" to look at it. We'll see.

WOW! You got it back in 2 days! Who did the work. Mine has been at the dealer for nearly 2 weeks! The first week it sat there with nothing done except they tell me its broke. GM warranty rep. has to decide which is cheaper, rebuilding or replacing. As of today I still dont know what the hell is going on with it. I hate the whole thing.



I had taken my car to a transmission specialist.
TAB Transmission in New Jersey, I doubt you will be willing to bring your car this far... :)

I had taken my car to a transmission specialist.
TAB Transmission in New Jersey, I doubt you will be willing to bring your car this far... :)

Your in New Jersey, so am I.

as am I .... northwest - up by Newton

as am I .... northwest - up by Newton

I'm down by Trenton

ahh - snowin like a bastard here today i'd say we got like 3 inches in 3 hours

Hey whasup! "3" of snow" thats not to
bad. I live just south of Chicago Ill, 3" is
just a dusting.
I might have figured out that intermittent Tranny Whine & Harsh up shifts!
Im at Work Its 7:10am are time, I will let you
know later to day!

Tranny Whine / replace Drive Spocket & Support Bearing!!

Harsh Upshifts & Slips intermittenly
replace (Pressure Control Solenoid & Valve Body )


"Have a good day" J.T.

ya i hear ya on 3" not bein alot but it is when your out away from home not expecting it an its accumulating a inch an hour lol - we only did end up gettin a foot here