...(snip)

>and.... you can drain the tranny oil without dropping the skid plate, might
>be worth it, won't change the noise, will get rid of the particles.
>
>and.... keep us posted!

Yesterday I stated:

"My mechanic said that my gearbox fluids were a bit low and topped them
off. After doing so, he said the tranny quieted down a bit (I just got off
the phone with him, so I haven't had a chance to listen myself)."

Having now heard the difference - after the lube top-off - I would say that
the bearing noise was reduced rather significantly. If I didn't know it was
there, I now probably wouldn't notice it above the engine noise.

Hmm...

I think I'm going to sit on this one a bit. I'm going to put about a
thousand miles on the bus next week, and I intend to keep a sharp ear out
for any change.

If the growl does not increase significantly, I'll probably keep going as
is for a while.

I would drain it after the trip and check for metal, but have been told
that it's a real pain to get new fluid back in the unit, that you have to
"pump it in".

Sound correct?

Paul
puusital@adobe.com