sea5like

Hi everyone,
I brought my stock 99 conv. 6 sp. to the dealership for a whine at the back end of the drivetrain. I believed it to be at the diff. and I'll tell you why. The whine (as far as my ears could tell) started faintly in 3rd gear and got progressively louder through 6th gear. The whines pitch got higher as you went up the gears instead of starting the same pitch over and over. The whine was only heard under a load, foot off the acc. and it went away.

Well, the service mgr. decided it was 5th and 6th gear. 6 weeks later after replacing the gears and synchros I got my friend back with the same whine. Of course I had to tell him so (no reply). So I asked him for plan "B". He took it to a local transmission shop for another opinion. The outcome of that was "I could rehab that a half dozen times and get the same whine back". I think, the dealership mis-diagnosed and put $3k into the repair and chooses to not attempt again.

Would appreciate any tech response as well as opinions on the matter. Thanks, Jim

4DRUSH

You should call real Corvette drivetrain experts, I recommend this one

http://www.rpmtransmissions.com/

c4_4ya

First, I would get it properly diagnosed (as 4DRUSH recommended). I would take the diagnosis and repair quote back to that dealership and tell the service manager you demand a refund since they misdiagnosed, charged you for unneeded repairs, and ultimately did not fix the problem. If you get nowhere with that guy, I would run it up the chain of command and blast your experience with them on every social media outlet you can until you get satisfaction. If, and when, you get resolution tell them you will update your media to reflect them in a good light.

Good luck!

4XLR8N

For $3k, I'd be threatening to hire a lawyer if they don't want to step up to their misdiagnosis.

FWIW - by your description, it does sound like a ring & pinion issue, but no way to know for sure without hearing it firsthand.

Good luck!

sea5like

I tend to agree with 4XLR8N about the ring and pinion. The only other component that would keep that whine on an upward pitch would be the output shaft of the transmission, if I'm correct. The noise seems to coincide with the speed of the tires. BTW, I failed to mention that the car is under bumper to bumper warranty from a carrier called Portfolio. The policy was sold to me by the dealership I bought the car from and from what I'm hearing it is a very good policy used by a number of dealerships throughout the country. A policy which the dealership owns 50% of the claims and profits.

BigGun

Did you pay the 3k or did the warranty cover it? What happens if you take it to another repair shop?

sea5like

Yes, I paid the $3k at time of sale for three years of mirror coverage of new car protection. My biggest problem is selling at a future time or upgrading to a newer c5. Corvette owners are a little too skittish to get involved with a possible problem. My wife asks me if it will get any worse and I told her without two or more objects rubbing together there wouldn't be a noise! It will only get worse. If I don't get satisfaction I'll bring it to a reputable trnsmission guy and get my own diagnosis in writing.

4DRUSH

So you paid 3k for an entended warranty by the dealer when you bought the car.

The dealer misdiagnosed the problem & repaired the wrong part.

Than they asked for a 2nd opinion from a transmission shop & he didn't know.

I suggest you have the dealer call a Corvette drivetrain specialist for a 3rd opinion (see post 2)

sea5like

Yes, I'm going to get a third opinion from another transmission specialty shop. What a mess, but I will get to the bottom of this!

Thanks, Jim

4DRUSH

Corvette drivetrain specialty shop

martysauto

If you paid 3k for the warranty and nothing to the dealer for the wrong repair work, then the dealer got paid by the warranty company. Do you know for sure your trans was actually removed and tore down. Maybe the dealer blew smoke up your a**.
I would contact the warranty company and tell them your story ASAP! Tell them you need the car fixed correctly. They will not pay for the same problem twice. Let them fight with the dealer. Tell the warranty company your not taking it back to that dealer.
Was it a chevy dealer or an independent used car dealer?

BigGun

Most "transmission specialty shops" will not be familiar with the C5 drivetrain.

sea5like

You have to understand the relationship the warranty co. (Portfolio)has with any dealership. The dealership owns half of the policy. My neighbor is in management at another dealership and explained the relationship. According to him they are each half liable for the claim and at the end of the year they divide the profits. The dealership must contact the carrier for assessment and permission to proceed or deny the claim. But he agrees it is a good policy. And the dealer I bought it from is a new car shop. And yes, I saw the car on the lift and torn down. It is a very reputable dealership. I think the problem is they don't want to pay for another adventure into drivetrain hell. Later today I'm getting a second opinion. No matter where the whine is coming from it will be dealt with!

Thanks, Jim

donnie brooks

It's your differential..your 99 vert sounds exactly like mine did before I put the original 3:42 differential back in..yes make sure you get a corvette dude to do your work!!!

sea5like

My car is going into my local Chevrolet store today to check the lash on the r/p. I talked to the guy who's going to do it and he sounds more than qualified to do it. He's in his fifties and been the drivetrain guy for a long time. Yes, a lot of Corvette work.

I'll be in touch about the prognosis. Jim

BigGun

So was the problem identified and fixed?