2000 GMC Savana G1500

[2000Savana]

I have a situation for an expert.

I purchased a 2000 GMC Savana conversion van from a dealer last March. It has a 5.7 liter engine and a 4L60-E transmission. The short warranty it had expired.

On August 12th, 190 miles from home, the rear axel got hot, was smoking and loosing oil. We where pulling our small travel trailer which is well under the towing limit for this van.

 

We pulled into a GM dealership at Jackson, Minnesota.

 

The service manager told me that the axel at some time was filled with the wrong oil and the parts where very scored. The axel was a G80 Locking, Rear Axel.

 

The service manager said they found a rebuilt axel 30 miles away to put in the van. They did not say the axel was different. The invoice says limited slip axel with “Axel” as the part number. I was told and the invoice says that the rebuilt axel has a 12 month warranty.

 

Now to the problem. After we picked up the van late Saturday morning (August 13) and hooked up the camper, we noticed a whine noise that started at 45 MPH and disappeared at 55 MPH with it being loudest at 50 MPH. The van never made this noise before.

I knew the service department closed at noon and it was too late to go back. So I decided I would drive at 60 MPH.

 

At the next stop I crawled under the van and could not touch the axle it was that hot.

We continued our vacation and did not drive the van much, while at the campground.

I called the service manager when we got home and told him about the whine noise and also I told him that I looked up the oil part numbers that the axel was filled with and the oil was Dodge oil (They are also a dodge dealership) and they put in 1 quart of limiting friction oil, which my manual says not to add in a locking axel. That is why I think the axel is different.

 

The service manager said he would talk to the tech. and to call back later. I called back later and the service manager said the tech was not worried about the whine, and the oil they added was okay. He said to drive it awhile and let him know if the whine noise gets better of worse.

 

I also had my wife drive the van and I tried to locate the noise and it sounds like the transmission. Also when it does make the noise, it immediately goes away when you take your foot of the gas pedal and comes back just a quick when you push the pedal.

I crawled under the van and noticed that the rear end of the transmission is leaking a little. I pushed on the rubber boot a little with my finger and the dirty part of the drive axel that goes into the transmission is about ¼ inch inside the boot. You can see where the drive shaft used to be.

 

I think the axel they put in changed the length difference between the axel and the transmission and the drive shaft is pushing further into the transmission and possible damaging a bearing and/or seal.

 

Does this make sense?

Thank you very much for your time.

[GM-Tech]

Improperly set ring and pinions in rear axles make a whining noise, typically loudest around 45-50 mph. Usually, they will whine on accel or decel or what we call float (neither accelerating or decelerating), but not all of those, only one.

 

The whine you're describing sounds exactly like a ring and pinion that's not properly set up. It doesn't take much to make this kind of noise and if it's just a setting issue, it is possible you could drive thousands and thousands of miles and it'll never fail or get worse. I can guarantee you it won't get better, though you may get used to it.