I currently have 2 Lupos at my house - my daughter's 1.4 and my 1.0 (now being used to cut down on the mileage piling on my Golf); I had never heard this sound on the 1.0 before.
However, after my initial reply, I took both of them for a frosty 7 mile run - and both made the howling/wailing/moaning sound within the first mile then stopped. On Friday I used the 1.0 for my 70 mile each way motorway commute - it wailed once, again within the first mile on the outward journey.
It is difficult to say where the noise is coming from - sounds like the offside to me and more of a wind noise. I did wonder if it was the cold weather had that affected them both (doorseal or bit of plastic underneath?), but on reflection I had noticed the noise on my daughter's car in the summer. As it happens (at the moment, touch wood) infrequently on my cars, it will be hard to track down...
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Funny you should say that; while my noise is inconsistent, if it is cold I usually have a visitation after about a mile the first time I reach approx 40 mph. I was wondering about it being wind-assisted but decided it was a mechanical noise because the pitch is so constant (though not absolutely).
Sitting in the driving seat, the noise could be coming from the direction of either nearside wheel, but this week I've been letting the sprog have some driving practice and from the passenger seat, with my head between my knees, it seems to be on the extreme nearside, ie in the wheel hub. That should be bang-to-rights wheel bearing but garage not convinced. Since they want 140 greens (please don't all shout), I'm inclined to follow their advice and let nature take its course. But I don't like having to touch wood myself while I'm driving.
Cheers.
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"Are your Wolves troubled by the phase of the moon? :-}"
Lol - I didn't know that Lupo was Italian for wolf. Full moon is 11th Jan...
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Sorry, JohnM, I jumped your last comment. Am shiny new at this lark.
How does your 1.0 compare to the 1.4?
Edited by Jon P on 04/01/2009 at 14:44
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I've just taken my son out for the first time in the 1.0 - not a peep!
The 1.0l feels a quality puddle-jumper - it is a 99 E with full 'Gym' option (no power steering, windup windows, etc) so it teaches you to park neatly first time. It was my daughter's first car and she was very happy with it. It's very low geared with a boom between 68-72 mph, but especially since I fitted under-bonnet soundproofing, I happily use it sometimes for my commute up the M4 - does 45-50mpg, depending on speed.
The 01 1.4 S, on the other hand, feels like a 'proper' car - pas, more sound-proofing, wider tyres, electric windows, performance in hand at 70mph, etc, though it uses more fuel (and cost me a fortune 2 years ago, when it needed a new head - but that's a story related in another thread...)
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Quick question, JohnM.
I understand that my gearbox shares its lubricating oil with the engine. Would that be the same for the differential? Is the diff just part of the gearbox?
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According to the Castrol website, for both the 1.0 and the 1.4, the diff shares its oil with the gearbox, but the gearbox does not share its oil with the engine.
My independant VW specialist has not had, or heard of, a wailing Lupo before... I'll see if he spots anything when it's MOT and serviced in a fortnight's time.
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Just gone through my handbook that came with the car. I can find no reference to gearbox maintenance, oil or otherwise - neither in Technical Data nor Tips and Maintenance.
Also, to my (almost) certain knowledge, in the 13 times my car has had its prescribed service, VW has never mentioned any issue regarding gearbox oil - this being the main reason for my assumption that all oil was shared.
Best Regards
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JohnM, I have just come across the Opie Oils sales site in Club Lupo.
Sure enough, they are selling oil for Lupo gearboxes. Don't get this.
Check out my posting for yesterday - sorry, this may have been displaced by this contact - wasn't sure how to "reply" to my own message. Thanks.
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Jon - I believe most gearboxes now are regarded as filled for life. The 1.0l is unusual in having a gearbox oil change specified in the service book - but both my VW dealer and my VW specialist have checked and said that this is no longer required for that engine. (The 1.4 recently had some fresh oil after a gearbox seal was replaced; my daughter hadn't noticed it was dropping oil - I noticed it on my driveway immediately!)
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Just to add, if you want to check the oil level yourself, there are several old postings here warning of undoing what one thinks to be the level plug but what turns out to be a bolt securing an internal shaft. Don't know if that applies to your 'box...
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Re. my gearbox being sealed for life, I was coming to that conclusion myself. Thanks.
About 3 years ago, I too noticed oil seeping from my gearbox and had to have some sort of seal replaced. On collecting the car, I was assured that the correct level would have been restored as part of the job - something which, clearly, would be difficult for me to check. I stopped worrying about this when I was later informed, by a VW franchise employee that the gearbox shared its oil with the engine and so assumed that checking my dipstick was looking after both.
Here's hoping I haven't been left a time bomb - how likely would it be that oil would have been added to my gearbox without the garage invoicing me for it? Ho hum .........
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>>I stopped worrying about this when I was later informed, by a VW franchise employee
>>that the gearbox shared its oil with the engine and so assumed that checking my dipstickwas looking after both.
I'm no expert in things VW, but I'll be absolutely amazed if your gearbox oil is shared with the engine oil.
That sort of nonsense stopped when the Issigonis designed mini/1100/1300 was laid to rest, didn't it?
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"how likely would it be that oil would have been added to my gearbox without the garage invoicing me for it?"
- on the other hand, one could ask how likely is it that they missed the chance to charge you for oil that they didn't put in? :-)
If it had been overfilled at the factory and you had noticed the oil leak quickly, it may not have needed to have been topped up.
If you are worried, for peace of mind, ask for the gearbox oil level to be checked at the next service.
JohnM
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