Thread: whirring sounds in 4th

hey all

Just wondered if anyone has an idea of what this could be. When im on the highway in 4th gear, i get a very soft and subtle whirring sound. like a very soft high pitched wine. you can barely hear it but im obsessed with my car and noises are never good. if i shift down into third or second it goes away. is this something I need to be worried about??

does it only do it in 4th, or does it do it in other gears if it is in the same RPM range as when it does it in 4th?

it only does it in 4th gear when im going 75 or faster. its not loud, but i can definitely hear it. If i manually shift down to third, the noise stops. i'm pretty sure i have a bad ball joint or a cv joint, but i don't think its related because of how the noise stops when not in 4th.

does it seem to shake at all or any other abnormal actions- tire balancing? IDK....that is strange.

OK guys now i need some ideas. It's getting louder. It ONLY makes the sound in 4th gear. It's very faint but obvious enough to notice and bother you. It's not extremely high pitched... I just describe it as a whirring noise. If I let off the gas the noise stops. If I shift into third the noise stops. It is loudest between 76 and 82 MPH. All I can think of right now is the differential or transmission. Leaning towards tranny but really hoping it isn't. Anyone have any clue? Ask questions if you have them, and I'll answer.