High pitched whirring noise when accelerating?

Tiny
LBM5656
  • MEMBER
  • 2012 TOYOTA RAV4
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 93,000 MILES
I hear a high pitched, almost whispery whirring noice when I accelerate. It seems to happen intermittently, more often on wet roads but perhaps that’s just coincidental? It only happens when I accelerate and goes away when I coast/brake, and tends to happen more often at higher speeds. This started about a week ago. It doesn’t seem to change pitch or go away if I turn my wheels.

I can’t quite catch the noise on a video, but it almost exactly sounds like someone making a noise halfway between blowing out and whistling.

I do not know very much about cars at all, so any advice before I take it to a mechanic would be helpful! Happy to provide more info as well.
Thursday, January 7th, 2021 AT 9:17 AM

2 Replies

Tiny
LBM5656
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Update: this is my re-creation of the noise, but it is almost exactly the sound it makes. I just can’t get the actual sound as road noise overtakes it on video.
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Thursday, January 7th, 2021 AT 9:22 AM
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
More then likely this is a vacuum leak or air intake leak. It is going to be hard to figure out if it only makes the noise when accelerating. However, here is a guide that helps with this and hopefully we can turn something up with it:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-an-engine-vacuum-gauge

Also here is a guide that will help with this type of noise but I think you have shown that this is not a wheel bearing:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/whirring-sound

Does this sound like it is coming from the rear of the vehicle? If so, this could be a pinion bearing but that normally makes a howling noise.

Let's run through this and see what turns up. Thanks
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Friday, January 8th, 2021 AT 4:13 PM

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