My Innova has a steadily intrusive noise from the back end I suspect is a worn pinion bearing. At first my wife insisted her sister's repair man would be the place, they are honest, but now "it's too far, and unless you got the money not go" when what I want, as I've repeatedly told her, is for the engineer to listen to it, possible stick it up on the ramp and wiggle the prop-shaft end, and diagnose the possible fault and tell me how much it is likely to cost. My thinking is most garages might not be able to rebuild a differential, so a price for them to strip it out,/replace it, and then add a rebuild specialist's likely price added so I have some idea of the ball-park total.

 

Her idea is "have you got money? If not - not go". She refuses to listen to what I am tryingt to say, her sister's ideas are better and she actually put her hands over her ears before going up stairs and slamming the bedroom door a few times. I strongly refused to simply leave the car in Bangkok somewhere for someone to repair and give me an open-ended bill. I had that with Toyota, took the car in, they said the front suspension was knackered, changed both bottom wishbones and a steering track-rod and gave me a massive bill. What was actually wrong? The rubber gaiter had split on the bottom swivels. Now you are supposed to replace those by pressing them out NOT replace all the lower suspension parts but Toyota's argument was "we don't have a press".

 

So please, does anyone know of a axle repair place that does diffs? We live near Minburi.

Doesn't ANYONE have any ideas on cost even?

Where in BKK - no clue. But any shop can remove and replace it. Drive shaft off, pinion nut removed, slide hammer - out. New bearing in, crush sleeve (if used), new seal, pinion nut torqued, driveshaft installed. Should be no more than 2 hours.

Are you sure it is not a wheel bearing ?

Sounds like a wheel bearing, but who knows..Get someone to sit in the back (or you) with the rear windows open, drive the car until the noise is loudest (not you if your in the back), get your ear near the open window, move to the other side and do the same, then sit in the middle and listen, your ol' gray cells should tell you where a prominent noise is coming from..

Try this for starters..

As mentioned, it could be the wheel bearing...it makes a droning sound. I have some replaced on my honda (and my old mini in Australia). It seems like a common problem in older cars. 

Guys, I was convinced it was the diff - discounted the (much cheaper) wheel bearing option. Many thanks because I thought that, like the UK, re-building a diff was a "Service Exchange" or specialist job.

 

It is a "droning sound" too.