Acceleration whine

It's the electric motor; they do that. Have you ever ridden on a subway: "HHmmMMMM... wwwwwvvvvvv... hmmmmmMMMM... wwwwwvvv" Subways use traction motors too.

If it's a really high pitched whine, then it's the inverter, which drives the electric motor. Either way it is from electrical propulsion.

Tom

 

is it a whine, or a growl? Do you notice it ONLY when accelerating? or do you hear the noise when coasting at high speed? Does the sound seem to come from one side of the car? My first thought is a hub or both front hubs, with 112k miles, I would check the hubs. Jack up the front end of the car, get the wheel about an inch off the ground. grab the wheel whith both hands and shake it. Do you feel any movement? Here is a youtube video of what I'm talking about.

Good luck!

 

mine is silent. i must be lucky. or deaf.

 

That's electrical motor noise. If it was a wheel bearing, you'd hear more of a roar or rumble, especially when turning the wheel slightly at speed....it would increase as you turned, quiet down some as you straightened the wheel back out and it would not change tone no matter what kind of road you were on (concrete or asphalt).

 

My 07 does not make any whine when accelerating. And yours didn't either till you hit 100K which means somethings going on with the engine or trans. Tell us how the motor & trans has been serviced. Engine coolant change? Inverter coolant change? How many oil changes and what kind of oil. Trans fluid replaced? Inverter coolant pump replaced under TSB warranty?
Get a flashlight and look at the front of the motor by the fan belt. Look for spots of green coolant which indicates a worn water pump seal and or bearing. Check engine coolant level. You could have a bearing going bad in the engine coolant water pump and its weeping coolant. Or the fan idler bearing could be shot. Thats common on all cars. That could make whine. I cannot remember how to put the car in test mode so you can rev it up like a normal car while your listening to engine under hood and someone else is reving it up. I'm not at home right now I have that saved. I'll post it later or someone else may. Good Luck.

 

Hi northcoaster,
I'm having a similar issue to what you describe with my 2008 prius, 5ok mi. Did you ever figure out what it was?
Thanks, Joseph

 

I think I experience the same thing. Is it like when you lightly step on the accelerator pedal and there's woowoowoo noise in all electric mode and the noise is gone immediately once I release the accelerator pedal.


iPod touch ?

 

My 2006 Prius also has this whine at 212K, I have owned it 2 weeks now. It only whines at hard acceleration and hard engine breaking. Does not match ground speed or turning/straight, and the CV boots look intact. I hope that it is NOT the transmission about to fail.
I am going to change most of the fluids this weekend (including trans) and a couple of pumps (inverter and my noisy coolant transfer), and hope for the best. I am doing this myself and I appreciate the store of community knowledge here. If the acceleration whine gets better or worse I will append it here.