Just went out to run some early morning errands in -25C weather and have a whining noise that sounds like it is coming from somewhere below the shifter. I think my clutch is going but this sound increases with car speed and does not seem to be changed by RPM. Makes noise while accelerating, decelerating, with the clutch in or with the clutch out, not really noticable until 40kph but quite loud at 80kph. Not too familiar with standard transmissions and don't really know where to start. Does this sound like a clutch, tranny or driveshaft problem?

Will
www.veggiefuelsystems.ca
79 240D 320,000km Custom Veggie Fuel System
97 VW Golf GL 177,000km Awaiting WVO System

You should make sure that you have the proper lubricant in your gear box. But that sounds like it's too damned cold.

Seriously, it gets nowhere near that cold here but when the temp drops into the 30s (F), My cars make all kinds of new sounds. They go away when the temps come back up.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

I have synthetic manual trans fluid, I think amsoil GL-4 fluid. I can,t remember the weight but it was within the specs. R Leo, what are you running? It's been colder and hasn't made noise before.

Interesting. Coupled to road speed like it is, the noise sounds like it might be a final drive/output shaft bearing in the tranny. I suppose it could be a support bearing on the drivshaft too...generally, they make a whirring sound but who knows in those temps. The clutch seems unlikely since you have the sound both engaged and disengaged.

I'm in central Texas. Cold here is 25°F so you're in a totally different realm than I.

My 4-speed (a 115 240D) has Redline MTL installed. My 5-speed has an unknown lubricant (I just installed the tranny two weeks ago and the lube oil looked OK a the time), I'll probably replace it with MTL at the first service. The fiver is slow to shift when you first move the car when cold but, loosens up quickly.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

You should also check and see if there is any debris touching the driveshaft.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

I'd drive it carefully and see if the noise disappears once it warms up! it's supposed to be milder this weekend....

What oil do you have in the differential - did you drive far enough to get everything warmed up? Any possibility you have ice crystals in the lube from water contamination?

If you can get the car into an underground or apt bldg parking lot for a few hours, it's an easy way to warm it up and prove if this is a temperature issue or something more serious.