Volvo Repair: Volvo S40 1997 1.8l manual shift 110k miles - Whine & gear stick, wheel bearings, wheel bearing

Question
Hi there. There is very quiet but prominent whine which appears to be coming from the rear of the car. It varies in pitch depending what speed I am travelling e.g. low / hardly audible when slow, gradually going up in pitch with increased speed. Any suggestions as to what this might be? Wheel bearings maybe?

Also, when in gear my gearstick can still travel from left to right almost as much as when it is in neutral. It is sometimes causing difficulty finding 5th gear also. Why is this? Thanks for you help!

Tam  

Answer
 Tam, check the shifter bushings for play. The whine is one of two things. Wheel bearings. You can tell by swerving side to side at highway speeds.(Carefull of traffic) and see if the noise increases or decreases depending which way you are swerving. If it gets louder swerving left, it is the RR wheel bearing. And conversely.
   Otherwise, you are looking at the carrier bearings. (Rear differential) Check the fluid level first. NOT a user friendly repair. Seek expert help if this is the case.

Mark