2004 4runner V8 4WD grinding noise

[Johnnytoyota]

Hello to all,
Have not written much since our 4Runner has been treating us well. We love the SUV and would not trade it for anything, but the little problems are starting to add up and really beginning to twick me off. I recently had the 4Runner in for a noise in the 4WD system when putting it into 4L. It only happened when cold and if you drove it for 10-15 minutes it became very faint. Took it to dealer and they had vehicle for 2 days. Of course they gave me the old CND (could not duplicate)/ NPF (NO problem found) excuse. I had to go to dealer @ 7:30am so I could duplicate noise for them. Took it for ride and technician said it was a syncro assembly in the front axle, but he would let the original technician look at it to be sure. After having vehicle another 2 days (now 4 total) they order a solenoid assembly that bolts to the transfer case. THe part has come in but I am sceptical about whether it will fix the problem or not, since the noise is definitely coming from the front axle. Guess I have to keep my fingers crossed.
Question for all: WHY DOES IT SEEM YOU HAVE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR TOYOTA YOURSELF AND TELL THE TECHNICIAN(S) WHAT YOU WANT FIXED??? Otherwise their normal response ir CND/NPF. Just like the Technicians I work with at a Chrysler dealer- they know it all and never look at the service manuals to determine the cause of the problem!! MAybe it's time they started reading!!
If anyone else has had this problem, give me a shout. Talk to you all soon. :bash:

 

[jharris2]

Question for all: WHY DOES IT SEEM YOU HAVE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR TOYOTA YOURSELF AND TELL THE TECHNICIAN(S) WHAT YOU WANT FIXED???

I try to be as specific as possible, and will demo the problem just like you did. Otherwise, you risk losing too much information when you tell the service writer, they take abbreviated notes, type into the computer, and the tech sees it hours later. In some cases, I've done the writeup myself and carried it in with me. Give them a copy, keep one for yourself.

 

[TechWrench]

Re: Re: 2004 4runner V8 4WD grinding noise

I try to be as specific as possible, and will demo the problem just like you did. Otherwise, you risk losing too much information when you tell the service writer, they take abbreviated notes, type into the computer, and the tech sees it hours later. In some cases, I've done the writeup myself and carried it in with me. Give them a copy, keep one for yourself.

Amen to that. When I first had the serpentine belt squeak problem with my V6, they twice said they couldn't isolate the noise, and said it was 'normal'. The third time, I had to draw a diagram of the belt and pulley routing and circle the tensioner to show them where the noise was coming from. I also had to give them a copy of the TSB for the belt problem before they were able to finally 'locate' the noise. Even then, I had to bring it back twice more to do the job again. And, now less than a year later, the noise is back again.