QuestionWe are on a trip with our 2000 Toyota Sienna a couple of hundred miles away from anything that would resemble a Toyota dealership.
The van is a V6, automatic, front wheel drive with 102,000 miles. We have done most of the manufacturer's preventative maintenance including a timing belt, etc 10,000 miles ago and it isn't due up for oil change, etc for several hundred more miles.
On our initial trip here we noticed only a slight constant hum when at highway speeds. Now it seems louder and more noticable. It almost sounds like them engine is revving to shift to a higher gear but rpms don't seem elevated and it seem to shift properly even with cruise set on hills. No steering or handling problems. Fluids, etc., fine.
What do I look for to make sure I don't tear something up before getting back to civilization? Front end? Transmission? Odometer (an old Corolla we had made a louder but similar sound when the odometer went out but it was the needle was vibrating all over the place when that happened)?
AnswerBy your description, sounds like a wheel bearing.
In a safe location swerve from left to right and see if the noise cahnges. If its a wheel bearing it will get louder when the weight is taken off that whell and quieter when you load it up.
If no change at all in sound , it may be the differential or something else.
Keep in mind, I cant hear the noise.
Mike
