• 1gearbox
• 2gears
• 3clutch
• 4CV joint with boot
• 5wheel

Gearbox, clutch and driveshaft noises

24 guides in this section

A transmission makes noise differently from an engine: its sounds follow the gear, the speed and the clutch pedal rather than engine revs. That is why simple tests — press the clutch, coast in neutral, change gear — often point to the source better than listening alone.

The section covers both manuals and automatics: shaft bearing whine, crunching synchros, the signs of a dying clutch and release bearing, jolts in an automatic, clicking CV joints, propshaft universal joints and differential whine.

It is worth remembering the price of delay here: a worn CV joint or release bearing is not expensive on its own, but when either lets go it takes neighbouring parts with it and ends on a tow truck.

Where the noise comes from

transmission, under the floor

Narrow the sound down by questions

An interactive diagnosis tree: a few questions and the list of causes gets much shorter.

• Knocking when accelerating
• Clicking when steering

All articles in this section

• A click when you start reversing One dry click as you pull away in reverse is almost always play being taken up. Where it accumulates: pads, joints, universal joint, engine mounts.
• A knock when changing gear A knock at the moment of a gear change comes from linkage play, worn engine mounts and driveshaft joints. How to separate the causes.
• A noisy release bearing: can you drive? Release bearing noise when the clutch pedal is pressed: how to tell it from other sounds, how long you can drive and what decides the repair.
• A torn CV boot: how far can you drive A torn CV boot does not destroy the joint at once, but it starts a countdown. How many kilometres are really left, what it depends on and what is cheaper.
• Automatic gearbox jolts and clunks when shifting Jolts and a dull clunk as an automatic changes gear can be harmless or the first signal of an expensive repair. How to tell them apart and what to check.
• Can you drive with a clicking CV joint CV joint clicking in turns is not an instant breakdown, but not something to live with for years. How much time you have and when you must not drive.
• Can you drive with a whining gearbox A whining gearbox rarely stops the car at once, but the margin depends on the character of the sound. What whines, which signs are urgent and what to do.
• Checking a CV joint by driving circles in a car park A step-by-step outer CV joint test on an empty car park: how to drive the circles, what should click, and why the test sometimes shows nothing.
• Cold automatic gearbox noises in winter In winter a cold automatic hums, jolts and clicks, then quietens after ten minutes. Where normal ends and which sounds remain after warm-up.
• Crunching when selecting a gear Crunching as a gear engages usually comes from synchros or a clutch that does not fully disengage. How to tell them apart by how the lever behaves.
• Gearbox whine at a particular speed A whine that appears in a narrow band of speeds and changes with the throttle usually comes from the gearbox or the final drive. How to tell it apart.
• How long a CV joint lasts after the clicking starts Honest guidance on CV joint life after the first clicks: what the margin depends on, what accelerates the failure and when it must be replaced.
• Rear differential whine at speed A whine from the rear that changes on power and on the overrun is the classic handwriting of the rear differential. How to tell it from bearings.
• Signs of a failing automatic transmission An automatic rarely fails overnight: slipping, whining and delays come first. The early signs of wear and what to do at each stage.
• Signs of a failing dual-mass flywheel Rattling at idle, noise with the clutch pressed, a thump when switching off — how to read the symptoms of a tired dual-mass flywheel.
• Signs of a worn clutch release bearing How a worn release bearing sounds, how to check it with the clutch pedal in a minute, what the rustle gets confused with and how the repair is decided.
• Signs of a worn inner CV joint An inner CV joint does not click in turns — it knocks under acceleration and vibrates. Its symptoms, how it differs from the outer joint and the repair.
• Signs of a worn outer CV joint How a worn outer CV joint clicks, how it differs from the inner one, simple checks without a lift and what decides between a boot and a new joint.
• Signs of a worn propshaft centre bearing A hum from under the centre of the floor, vibration from a certain speed, a jolt when pulling away — how to recognise a worn propshaft centre bearing.
• Signs of a worn propshaft universal joint A clunk when pulling away, vibration at speed, metallic ringing under the floor — how to read universal joint wear by stage and when to replace it.
• Signs of worn driveshaft splines A click as you swap throttle and brake, a knock when pulling away and axle play: how to recognise worn driveshaft splines and tell them from a CV joint.
• The neutral throttle test: what it shows What raising the revs in neutral tells you: how to separate engine noise from wheel and transmission noise, and how to run the test properly.
• The sound changes when you select neutral You selected neutral on the move and the sound changed. What that tells you about the source, how to run the test properly and what it rules out.
• What a worn dual-mass flywheel sounds like Clatter at startup and shutdown, rattling at idle, vibration when pulling away — how a worn dual-mass flywheel sounds and what it gets confused with.

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