new humming sound

[craigsm78]

Hey,

I have a 2000 LS V8 that has recently developed a humming sound over the past week.

The sound is coming from either rear-center or rear-right, and it only happens while accelerating. If I take my foot off the gas, it stops. The faster I go, the higher the pitch gets, but it's speed related. When the transmission shifts and the RPMs drop, the pitch of the hum does not drop down, but continues to get higher.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Craig

[shorod]

From your description it sounds like it could be a rear wheel bearing or pinion bearing. Failing bearings usually have a pretty distinct sound. You may want to find someone familiar with the sound of a failing bearing and have them go for a ride with you and give their opinion.

-Rod

[craigsm78]

Cool.

How can I tell? Are they expensive to replace? Is it something I can replace?

Thanks,
Craig

[shorod]

You're probably stuck relying on someone's experience based on the sound. Since we can't hear the sound and have to rely on a verbal description, your best bet would be to have a professional give you their opinion.

To distinguish between the bearings in the rear, you may need to properly secure the vehicle with the wheels off the ground and use a mechanic's stethoscope or Chassis Ear to zero in on the source of the noise. As usual, you'd need to be very aware and very cautious of the moving parts.

-Rod