Recently I purchased a 1996 Toyota Corolla which produces a subtle high- pitched whine at 45-50 miles per hour. Twice I have taken it to the dealer -- only to be informed that this is a "normal" drive-train noise. One mechanic even suggested that the noise was there because the vehicle didn't have Overdrive, as some Toyotas do. I have a 1993 Corolla with Overdrive, and I have experimented with it by turning off the Overdrive, and no noise results! So what gives? Any suggestions on what the problem may be? My wife refuses to drive the new car because of the distracting whine. She says it sounds as if the car is trying to shift into another gear. -- Kenneth

Ray: Well, first of all, Kenneth, we have to castigate you for being such a cheapskate and not ordering Overdrive. That WILL make a car sound like it's trying to shift into another gear. If you had gotten the Overdrive and a really good stereo, your wife would probably be driving around happily and you wouldn't be in this mess now.

Tom: But, that aside, since you've compared it to a similar Corolla with the Overdrive off (your own '93), it sounds like you may also have a whine in the final drive (the differential portion of the transaxle). My guess is that it's due to some slight misalignment of the gears.

Ray: This is going to be an uphill battle, Kenneth, but here's what you do. Start with the dealership's service manager. Take him out in your car, and then ask him to go out with you in an identical '96 Corolla (without Overdrive). If yours makes the noise and the other one doesn't, then you can reasonably ask him to fix it, which will require rebuilding or replacing the final drive.

Tom: Notice that my brother says you can "reasonably ask him to fix it." That doesn't mean that he WILL fix it. While it's possible that this problem will get worse over time and make more noise, it may never actually cause a "drivability" problem. And because the car may go 150,000 miles or more without this problem getting worse, they'll probably be reluctant to fix it.

Ray: Since you're obviously a repeat Toyota buyer, they may decide (wisely, in my opinion) that your long-term patronage is worth much more to them than the few bucks Toyota will lose replacing your final drive under warranty. In which case, they may fix it to make you happy.

Tom: But more likely, they'll figure that since all you buy are cheap little Corollas without Overdrive, they're never going to make much money off of you, so they might as well take their chances and tell you to flake off.

Ray: But in my opinion, if the noise is significant, and if you can show them that this is not a "normal" drive-train noise (i.e., that yours makes this whine and another, identical '96 does not), then you have every right to ask them to fix it.

Tom: At the very least, you'll be on record as having complained about this problem from the very beginning, because there's a chance that it could get worse over time. That way, four years from now, if the final drive is howling like a wolf, you'll be able to demand that they fix it then under warranty.

Ray: At which point you can spring your wife from the loony bin and try to convince her that it's OK to start driving this car again -- "really it is, Hon!" Good luck, Kenneth.

In their pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" Tom and Ray break down the strategies for buying a car, so you can make the most of your money. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1997 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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