Squealing Sound

[Amal Divakaran]

Hello everyone,

My Nikon 600mmAF S FL lens is having some squealing sound for some time around 30-40 seconds when used after some non usage of two weeks. But after that short time everything is fine I don't hear any sound.
Same situation with 16-35 f4 VR lens also.

Is this common for all Silent Wave motors??

Anyone else is facing this kind of situation.

Regards,

Amal Divakaran

[pluton]

As you probably already know, many users report the squealing sound with Nikon AF lenses.  I have a small 300/4 AF-S that behaves as you describe.
Whether the noise is a harbinger of certain motor-death is up for debate...many users report the squealing goes on for years and years before failure.
A bigger concern for me is whether or not motor failure wipes out manual focus;  apparently, some lens models cease to be able to be manually focused when the AF motor dies. 

[Stephan]

It's called the "sound of death" of the AF-S.

I bought a 17-35/2.8 new in August 2002. It had this sound from day 1! It works flawless since then....>15 years (Lived in Nigeria at the time....no Nikon facility to complain)
I bought a 200/2.0 VR new in October 2005. It has this sound since 5 years! It works flawless.....

I don't care...if it breaks it breaks.....

Just my 2 cents

[Jakov Minić]

My 17-35/2.8 AF-S had the same sound and died.
I replaced the AF motor in 2013 and have no issues. It looks like the new motors aren't troubled...

[pluton]

My 17-35/2.8 AF-S had the same sound and died.
I replaced the AF motor in 2013 and have no issues. It looks like the new motors aren't troubled...

Same here with my 17-35/2.8.  2006 to 2013.  Manual focus died along with the motor.

[Roland Vink]

I replaced the AF motor in 2013 and have no issues. It looks like the new motors aren't troubled...

The AFS 600 FL is a recent lens. The 16-35 isn't that old either...

If the squeal is a concern, best to get the lens checked by Nikon, especially for a top lens like the 600 FL.

[David H. Hartman]

Amal,

Are you sure you are not stepping on a mouse? I'd get these lenses check out by Nikon.

Dave

[jpgrahn]

As you probably already know, many users report the squealing sound with Nikon AF lenses.  I have a small 300/4 AF-S that behaves as you describe.
Whether the noise is a harbinger of certain motor-death is up for debate...many users report the squealing goes on for years and years before failure.
A bigger concern for me is whether or not motor failure wipes out manual focus;  apparently, some lens models cease to be able to be manually focused when the AF motor dies.

Hello Pluton,
I just got a new (well used of course) AF-S 4/300. The very first focus makes a small noice but it soon goes quiet during focus. How long have you had the noice? And any idea about possible cost for replacing a faulty AF-S motor?

[jpgrahn]

I managed to make a recording with my phone.
Apparently it is not possible to attache a short video but I am happy to share a link to dropbox if you would like to hear.
If anybody has any experience getting a AF-S motor replaced and the associated cost I would be very happy you can share this.
Thanks!

[pluton]

Johan, I have not had my 300/4 AF-S repaired.  If the AF motor fails, I'll probably continue to use the lens without AF.
When my AF-S 17-35/2.8D was repaired, the repair included motor replacement but listed, in Nikon USA's typically cryptic style, other parts replaced and adjusted also.  That repair was between $400 to $500 USD in 2013 or 2014.
Here is a link to a thread in another forum in which the poster describes removing, cleaning, and replacing an AF-S motor from the 17-35/2.8 zoom.  He and another poster on that thread claim that cleaning the surfaces of the motor remedies the squeak.  https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4254070

[samrat54]

I bought a 28-70/2.8 a few years ago that squeaked. I was concerned that the motor would go at some point while I was using it on something important, so I sent it to APS in Morton Grove, IL, who I have used for repair for many years. I first called and talked with a tech at APS. He told me that the part that needed to be repaired was not really the motor, but something around the motor. In order to replace the part(s), the motor had to be pulled, and ultimately replaced. I'm sorry that I don't remember the name of the offending part(s). After having the $500+ repair, the 28-70/2.8 has been fine (and quiet) ever since. I recently had a similar rebuild done by APS on a 17-35/2.8. The price was ~$550, but I felt it was worth it. The lens now works as new.