Hi guys,

Hoping somebody can help me out.

I had a Magnex exhaust fitted to my 6, and I wanted a change to a standard system. I struck a deal with a guy on here, and swapped my Magnex and de-cat for a standard system and cat, and he offered to fit it for me.

On the journey home from having exhaust fitted, the car started making a rattling/vibrating noise at idle and at around 3000 revs, but was fine at the rest of the rev range.

I naturally thought this was the cat/centre box banging against chassis or heat shield as it only started doing it since exhaust has been changed back to standard.

It has been getting a bit worse, and today was the first opportunity to take it to a garage to have exhaust realigned.

Anyway, I went back to pick the car up, and I was told the noise was not exhaust related, but gearbox related. I wasn't convinced at first, as again, it has only started since exhaust was changed. So they put it back on the ramp and I had a listen, sure enough it is gearbox related.

I have no idea if its is clutch, release bearings, gearbox bearings or whatever, so I'll try explaining the symptoms and see if anyone can shed some light on it.

It makes quite a lot of mechanical/grinding noises when in neutral, but when the clutch is dipped, the noise goes completely. Soon as I let the clutch out again, it comes back.

You can hear it in 1st and 2nd gear when you're driving along, more noticeable in lower gears. I was coasting home on motorway and couldn't hear it in 6th gear, and less noticeable in any gear at lower revs.

Anybody any idea what this could be? I guess it has to be a massive coincidence that this has happened at same time as exhaust being changed? Was absolutely fine before.

On another subject, I was also going to ask the garage to check track rod ends as my car is pulling to the right quite a lot, even though a track rod arm and tracking was done about 2 weeks ago (but they didn't replace the track rod end, just the arm). There is also a massive vibration through the steering wheel at about 70/80, possibly driveshaft related? Or could also be track rod end so I've been told?

Would appreciate any help as to what gearbox noise could be please guys!

Ash

if the noise goes away when you dip clucth i would say box has had it. Very unusual for these boxes to go, maybe its run low on oil

Perhaps that is what mine does then I forget now Or maybe I had my symptoms correct and the box has gone instead which would be OK as it's getting changed soon.

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Senior Test Automation Engineer for the 306GTi6 Owners Club Forum

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No it isn't a whine. Makes the same sort of noise when driving along as it does when at stationary, but more so when stationary and at idle.

Pulls fine through the gears though.

Can a gearbox burn oil as such then?

Nah they dont burn oil, its just when the previous owner leaves the drain plug loose.

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it can leak from dirve shaft seals, the level will drop to just below the seals leaving some oil in the box but not enough realy especially on motorway stuff where box is up to higher temps