1st gear whine from rear of car

This is very common on the autos, happens to mine too; it's the differential. It was the same on XJSs, which used the same one; it's not something to worry about.

Thanks for the response and info

The oil in the diff should be replaced every 30,000 miles. It is also advised to use an additive to prolong its life.

Also advised not to use first in the auto as well.That is
why the warning on the dash when it is off.YOU DO NOT
NEED IT.Put in Sport instead.

DRIVEIT77 said:

Also advised not to use first in the auto as well.That is
why the warning on the dash when it is off.YOU DO NOT
NEED IT.Put in Sport instead.

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So you're saying not to use first gear inhibit?

What l am saying is,what l was told when l first
got an Aston.Leave the yellow light on unless in Sport.
Although the car can take it,you will get that whine as it
puts a strain on the diff that it does not need. Try it in Sport
in 2nd and see if you think you need it.I want to keep mine with
out coursing unwanted wear.Why do you need 1st please.?

I can only select either Sport or 1st gear inhibit, but not both. The other option is normal mode, which allows 1st gear to operate normally, with no sport shifting. This allows better acceleration when merging into traffic from a full stop.

I understand what you are saying,you cannot select both anyway,
but find if l use kick-down from standstill it is fast enough.But it is your
car so your choice,although she is 17 years coming up 18.Would it be best
to make sure oil in diff changed at some time not long ago.All joints in prop
and half shafts o.k and had fresh grease in.Generally go over the car to make
sure it will not let you down at a time like that. Those Artics are heavy.

Vulcan said:

The oil in the diff should be replaced every 30,000 miles. It is also advised to use an additive to prolong its life.

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+1, start here first and see how she goes as it could still be on its original drive train oil for all you know.

if your bale to get underneath take a look at the input/output seal to see if its leaking or not as you could have low oil level in the diff which wont do it any good over a long period of time.

Regards,

New oil may quieten it a little, how ever the crown wheel and pinion are probably getting worn.

Sometimes they are set up on the loose side at GKN Salisbury, so just a slight amount of wear is enough to make them "sing or howl".

I wouldn't worry about it too much, they can make noise and still last a hell of a long time.

WayneB said:

New oil may quieten it a little, how ever the crown wheel and pinion are probably getting worn.

Sometimes they are set up on the loose side at GKN Salisbury, so just a slight amount of wear is enough to make them "sing or howl".

I wouldn't worry about it too much, they can make noise and still last a hell of a long time.

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Wayne is correct, I used to have an old Granada that howled like a wolf and she never blew on me and I drove her to UK & Germany all the time over a 3 year period with no problems ( just the howl ) I changed the diff oil each year too and had NO leaks either from the seal.

I just turned the music up to drown it out.

Regards,

I drove a 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass in high school and the diff whine sounded exactly like my DB7's. It's probably just a GM design issue. Now if it was a rear end roaring sound at highway speeds, or constant whine at all times, that would be more concerning.

Whine noise from a supercharger = Fantastic

Whine noise from a differential = Terrible

Go figure :lol: