2016 TEP with hummingbird noise

Thanks, so as I read this thread no one with a '16 has had a TSB repair made, unless I missed it.



I Just got got my 16 back from the dealer/SET just before the holidays. Turns out I had to have a completely new carrier/front diff and driver side cv. Apparently they couldn't apply the TSB because the needle bearing was so far jammed/scored into the the housing that the tech was unable to use the banana pliers to pull it out. My dealer confirmed I am the first 16 with SET for use of the TSB/Brand new diff, Which apparently is why it took so long to diagnose between my dealer and SET.

I have only taken my 4runner offroading once(liberally on a forestry service road..) 7k miles ago and the noise didn't even start till 1k ago, as well as maybe have only logged 20 miles in 4wd: 5 being the on the service road and the other 15 adhering to the manual every couple of weeks. Only have 14k on the truck.

So far, my truck is back to driving like it was when I first bought it and cant be happier.
 
Thanks for the good advice, I do have an update. I dropped off the truck at the dealership this morning, about 6 hours later, I received a phone call from the dealer confirming that the technician hears the same noise, when test driving my vehicle. He said the front diff fluid is black and told me that I need a new differential, but no one has one in stock in the Midwest, so he ordered one from CA. I was told it should arrive before the end of this week and it will be fixed under warranty. He did not make any comments about my lift kit. I got my truck back until the part comes.

They got you a new diff?? What dealer is this?
 
I Just got got my 16 back from the dealer/SET just before the holidays. Turns out I had to have a completely new carrier/front diff and driver side cv. Apparently they couldn't apply the TSB because the needle bearing was so far jammed/scored into the the housing that the tech was unable to use the banana pliers to pull it out. My dealer confirmed I am the first 16 with SET for use of the TSB/Brand new diff, Which apparently is why it took so long to diagnose between my dealer and SET.

I have only taken my 4runner offroading once(liberally on a forestry service road..) 7k miles ago and the noise didn't even start till 1k ago, as well as maybe have only logged 20 miles in 4wd: 5 being the on the service road and the other 15 adhering to the manual every couple of weeks. Only have 14k on the truck.

So far, my truck is back to driving like it was when I first bought it and cant be happier.

Scares me a bit as my '16 SR5 has been off road quite a bit, albeit just in deep soft sand in 4HI, with 4LO exercised every 3-4 weeks, and I'm about to hit 13K miles.

Plus begs the question of whether your fix will only last about 13K miles.

But it's not clear off road has anything to do with it. Seems more like a QA and/or design flaw and luck of the draw on what you get since the prob seems to go back a ways.
 
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Operating in 4WD causes the sound for me, it eventually goes away after i have driven enough in 2WD

Mine has been making noise/feeling since before my 5k mile service
 
They got you a new diff?? What dealer is this?

The dealer told me that the front diff needs to be replaced and it was ordered on Monday last week. I checked today and it has not arrived yet, but I was told I will receive a phone call, when it arrives. It is Elmhurst Toyota dealership in Elmhurst IL.
 
Scares me a bit as my '16 SR5 has been off road quite a bit, albeit just in deep soft sand in 4HI, with 4LO exercised every 3-4 weeks, and I'm about to hit 13K miles.

Plus begs the question of whether your fix will only last about 13K miles.

But it's not clear off road has anything to do with it. Seems more like a QA and/or design flaw and luck of the draw on what you get since the prob seems to go back a ways.


After doing alot of research between this board, the Tacoma board, and FJ, i really think at the end of the day it really is just the luck of the draw with the casting of the differential itself.

Sounds like its a design flaw, however, because these differentials are produced at such a high volume for multiple models, the quality control of the part is probably often overlooked.. Which in it of itself is surprising as our 4runners are built in the Tahara plant in Japan which one knows the quality control is absurd there.

Unfortunately, the problem will never be rectified until someone gets that really special diff and it does something awkward which can be grounds for a safety issue.
 
Operating in 4WD causes the sound for me, it eventually goes away after i have driven enough in 2WD



Mine has been making noise/feeling since before my 5k mile service



Same here. My "issue" started after I took it off road and tried all the TEP bells and whistles for about 15 minutes.


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Would the needle bearing assembly be part of the carrier assembly. Only asking because the dealership has ordered a new one, currently back ordered to solve the problem. 2016 4Runner TE.
 
Update: Today, the front diff was replaced under warranty, it took them about 6 hours. They did not replace the CV axle assembly, I guess it was not damaged by the bad needle barring. The technician told me that the oil was black and there was a lot of metal shaving inside. Currently, the front diff is whisper quiet, we will see what happens in the next 12,000 miles or so.
 
Would the needle bearing assembly be part of the carrier assembly. Only asking because the dealership has ordered a new one, currently back ordered to solve the problem. 2016 4Runner TE.
The front diff carrier assembly was also ordered for mine. After the repair, when I took a look under my truck, I see a brand new diff.
 
Just dropped mine of at dealership today.

The noise on mine only comes when I put it into 4wd though, and only when coasting at 80-90 km/h (50-55mph) then accelerating or decelerating. There's a small sweet spot where the noise only comes at, and roughly at 1500rpm. The noise sounds similar to what a tire rubbing against a mud flap would make. Noise stops when in 2wd.

I thought it sounded like it was coming from the back but tech said he hears it in the front. He said it sounds like needle bearing but he'll have to check them. He was rather quick to its because of my 3" lift and the increased angles. He said I should have longer axles with a lift (:shrug:??).

Does it sound like mine could be the same TSB issue, or not the same since mine only comes in 4wd?

I like having lift, but less if/when it starts causing other problems. I thought 3" would keep it under the threshold of problematic angles...
 
The 3" thing isn't a definite rule though, just a general guideline and its not even that when it comes to what Toyota will warranty
 
I could be wrong but as explained to me from the tech, the noise/grind comes from the needle bearing when pressure is Not applied (aka 2wd) and slops around the housing (insert the previous post of the tacomaworld guys dissection of the housing). Yours maybe different than deerhunters and my issue.

Just dropped mine of at dealership today.

The noise on mine only comes when I put it into 4wd though, and only when coasting at 80-90 km/h (50-55mph) then accelerating or decelerating. There's a small sweet spot where the noise only comes at, and roughly at 1500rpm. The noise sounds similar to what a tire rubbing against a mud flap would make. Noise stops when in 2wd.

I thought it sounded like it was coming from the back but tech said he hears it in the front. He said it sounds like needle bearing but he'll have to check them. He was rather quick to its because of my 3" lift and the increased angles. He said I should have longer axles with a lift (:shrug:??).

Does it sound like mine could be the same TSB issue, or not the same since mine only comes in 4wd?

I like having lift, but less if/when it starts causing other problems. I thought 3" would keep it under the threshold of problematic angles...
 
Just want to let everyone know that i have put about 500 miles on my new diff and have had no problems so far. Living in North Georgia, got our first snow storm today and was able to put at least 10 miles in 4wd on it with zero complications. Here is to hoping i got lifelong differential.
 
I could be wrong but as explained to me from the tech, the noise/grind comes from the needle bearing when pressure is Not applied (aka 2wd) and slops around the housing (insert the previous post of the tacomaworld guys dissection of the housing). Yours maybe different than deerhunters and my issue.

Yeah. They told me for that reason the TSB wouldn't apply to me. They couldn't tell me what the source of the noise is. When it was driven while on the hoist, there was no noise for them to locate. Tech said the noise is likely the needle bearing and probably due to the angles from the lift. I'll drive it for now and see what happens with it. The noise just started last month. I'm at 57k kms.
 
Would the needle bearing assembly be part of the carrier assembly. Only asking because the dealership has ordered a new one, currently back ordered to solve the problem. 2016 4Runner TE.

No. they just pull the old needle bearing a drop a new one in.

It's most likely not the permanent fix as the root of the problem tends to be a casting issue with the carrier.. (ongoing issue for many years)

Carrier assembly most likely = entire diff in Toyota dealer/tech parlance. I really doubt that they would want techs busting open the clam shell and dealing with backlash pre load and all that jazz. Too much precision required for a dealer tech... they only do that at the factory....
 

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