Hi, I have a TSX '05 with 47K on it. I bought this car a month ago. Today while reversing the car on an uphill, I noticed a whining noise much louder than usual. Now the whining noise happens every time I reverse. I know MTs make a whine when reversing but this is very loud. Any ideas? I have an appointment with the dealer next week but I don't want to get raped there. Does anyone have similar issues? Thanks in advance.

 

It's hard to say what the problem might be or even if there is one from just your description. Get a video or something and we could give you better feedback.

 

took two video clips. Basically the same content in both. I put the car in reverse and let go off the clutch while giving gas. Car starts reversing and then I push the clutch all the way in. You can still hear the whining. I swear this sound wasn't there before.

 

mine has always had the same sound, ive noticed it on alot of hondas

 

I still can't hear anything unusual from either clips. The reverse gears are not the same as the forward gears. Cars will whine like that when going in reverse. You say you push the clutch in, but you don't say anything about putting the car in neutral. If you're leaving the stick in reverse, then the reverse gear is still connected to the wheels (but not the engine, of course).

Also, I don't know if it's a good idea to go in reverse that fast.

 

I'm sure thats normal. My mom has an 05 Acura EL 5spd. manual (basically a nicer Civic) and it sounds like a sewing machine in reverse lol. Honda's just seem to be louder than other models.

 

Reverse gears on Hondas are straight cut gears. All the forward gears are helical cut so that's why they're silent.

The gearbox on this M3 GTR race car is all straight cut, you can hear the whining when the driver accelerates. In the second video, it sounds like a supercharger:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFB5HIMkN-E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgy9vc4rf90

 

That sound is totally normal. Like people above had said, as long the shifter is in reverse and the car is moving, the reverse gear is moving. Pretty much every car has straight cut reverse gear because it has to slide into and out of engagement unlike the forward gears which are always engaged and meshing (one side of the gearset for each gear spins free on either the driver or counter shaft until that gear is engaged, locking it to the shaft). The counter shaft cannot be spinning in two directions at once so for any forward gear, the reverse gear must be completely disengaged.

Straight cut gears can transfer more torque because they have more tooth to tooth contact area at any given moment. This is why race car transmissions are often fitted with straight gears. The helical cut gears make less noise because the teeth slide into engagement with each other rather than slapping into each other full face. The whining noise you hear is actually the straight cut teeth smacking into each other very quickly. There's nothing to be worried about here.