Driveline whine or howl from 35 to 75 mph.
My '14 Maxima has developed that low volume, but noticeable, noise lately.
It is most noticeable at 40-65mph. It is purel speed dependent. It doesn't matter if you're going steady, accelerating or decelerating, other than to level of noise is speed dependent.
I'm hoping it's not transmission related, & am hopeful that it's not. I've put the trans in neutral, momentarily, at speed & the noise does not change.
Has anyone else had a similar noise &, if so, what was the remedy?

 

Drop the transmission pan (about 14 bolts) and replace the filter.

if unable to replace the filter, spray down w brake clearer.

mine had same whinny noise…. Filter was clogged.


Good luck and keep us posted

 

I am not confident that it is transmission related. It is completely dependent on vehicle speed, not engine speed or gear selection.
So far, I am inclined to suspect the front wheel bearing(s), but we'll see, as things progress..
Thank you for your reply though! Worth the thought!

 

Does the whine happens in park/at a stop?

 

no. It starts to be noticeable at about 35mph & can be heard up to about 70mph. It's loudest in the 45-65mph range.

 

So, if you put it in manual mode and gear down coming to a stop and the whine sound does not increase, or there is no noise, then, like you said, it is probably a wheel bearing issue.

However, if you can hear a "metal" whining sound when gearing down in manual below 35mph, or revving the engine above 4000 rpm in 1st/2nd/3rd in manual mode, then I would say either (1) timing chain issue or (2) the CVT is being starved for lubrication. I had both of these issue with my 2007.

 

Both of the rear bearings on my 2014 went bad at about 30 K miles. It was somewhat obvious that the noise was coming from the rear wheels. Symptoms were similar to yours as you had to get the car up to 35-40mph to hear the noise.

Removing the hub assembly can be a challenge, other than that the job is almost as easy as changing out a spare tire.