clicking sound started last night (with video) Please help

t4r92

t4r92

Member
Hey all,

I've had my 4runner for about three months now and I'm loving it. But last night I backed up on a downgrade hill (most likely unrelated) and put it back in drive and at the next stop sign and I started hearing a knocking noise like cards in a bicycle wheel.

I took the upper timing cover off today to inspect the timing belt to see what the timing belt looked like and it looked good and normal, but I'm not sure if it could be something else in there like one of the idler pulleys perhaps.

I took a video after putting the cover back on. The noise does in fact increase as revs build.

Hopefully you guys can identify the problem (based on experience or out of the box thinking). I'm about to start on another car project don't want to have to replace my timing belt and all right now, but will do what I have to.

Here is the video:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j1EAKFKQd5Q?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j1EAKFKQd5Q?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Thanks for looking and for the help.
 
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The vehicle is still making this noise. I checked oil level cause I was afraid of it being top end noise.

The more and more I listen to it, it sounds like it may be either an injector or a lifter (obviously one of those is less desirable than the other).

Does anyone have any advice, or has anyone experienced the same in their 3rd gen? This is my daily driver and I need to get it back on the road safely.
 
Does not sound like an injector to me. More mechanical like a collapsed lifter or bad rod bearing. Take a piece of tubing and put your ear to one end and the other to areas around the engine to localize the sound. If it in a head then think lifter. If it's more toward the block then think rod.
 
Since I'm not really getting any cooperation on this so far (maybe you have to have contributed to the forum before first receiving any assistance), I've decided I'll just document the whole process for everyone on the forums benefit nonetheless.

Got worse this morning, was going to drive to a shop and have it looked over.

But it started getting worse so I took another video. Tow guy is here right now so I'll post the details later this afternoon when I return.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XLwJycIquAs?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XLwJycIquAs?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
 
Having some trouble figuring this out. Overhead cam shafts don't tend to make noises like that, and it doesn't sound like an injector either.

Sounds like a diesel. If its running badly you have most likely have timing belt issues.

Does it still drive fine? If its not throwing any codes I would say its probably not an engine issue, rather something going on that is connected to the belts.
 
First video sounded like valve train noise, second video not so sure, never heard valve noise like that. Does seem to be internal. Will be interesting to learn what the verdict is.
 
FLHRCI said:
First video sounded like valve train noise, second video not so sure, never heard valve noise like that. Does seem to be internal. Will be interesting to learn what the verdict is.
Click to expand...

I agree. In the second video the noise sounded intermittent. A lifter does not do that. Who knows? Will have to wait and see.
 
The intermittent sound in the second video makes me think that it might be the timing belt coming apart, and that part of it is periodically slapping against the insides of the t-belt covers. When you had the cover off, did you look at the entire belt? If not, I'd take the top t-belt cover off again, and inspect the entire length of the belt.

It's tough to diagnose noises without actually being there to hear exactly where the noise is emanating from, but that's my guess at this point.
 
02SE said:
The intermittent sound in the second video makes me think that it might be the timing belt coming apart, and that part of it is periodically slapping against the insides of the t-belt covers. When you had the cover off, did you look at the entire belt? If not, I'd take the top t-belt cover off again, and inspect the entire length of the belt.

It's tough to diagnose noises without actually being there to hear exactly where the noise is emanating from, but that's my guess at this point.
Click to expand...

02SE, that's what I initially thought when I started hearing it too. But I took that cover off and checked it all out and it doesn't seem to be the situation. I'm going to crank the engine over manually tomorrow and look at it better, although that second video seems to make me thing that's for sure internal.

Thanks for the responses so far guys, I know it's hard to make a judgement call without being there in person to see it making the noise, but I figured the video would at least get me halfway there.

I have roadside assistance on the 4runner so I had it towed to a reputable shop that's not a "stealership" (as i've heard them referred to), and they put a stethoscope on it and said that it sounds like either something is inside the head getting shifted around and that I needed to take things apart and remove it, or worse case scenario it's a cracked piston (he wasn't trying to get my business, but just wasn't trying to sugarcoat things).

Nonetheless, I had it towed home today (off work this week thank God), and started dismantling things. Took off the three piece intake manifold and the valve cover that I think the noise is emanating from and I haven't seen anything yet. I need to take a vacuum cleaner down in there and clean off all the dirt, grass, and whatnot that kind of sits under the manifold.

I'll have pictures and hopefully a verdict tomorrow. I REALLY don't want to have to rip the heads off this thing tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be something simple (not expecting it though).
 
t4r92 said:
02SE, that's what I initially thought when I started hearing it too. But I took that cover off and checked it all out and it doesn't seem to be the situation. I'm going to crank the engine over manually tomorrow and look at it better, although that second video seems to make me thing that's for sure internal.

Thanks for the responses so far guys, I know it's hard to make a judgement call without being there in person to see it making the noise, but I figured the video would at least get me halfway there.

I have roadside assistance on the 4runner so I had it towed to a reputable shop that's not a "stealership" (as i've heard them referred to), and they put a stethoscope on it and said that it sounds like either something is inside the head getting shifted around and that I needed to take things apart and remove it, or worse case scenario it's a cracked piston (he wasn't trying to get my business, but just wasn't trying to sugarcoat things).

Nonetheless, I had it towed home today (off work this week thank God), and started dismantling things. Took off the three piece intake manifold and the valve cover that I think the noise is emanating from and I haven't seen anything yet. I need to take a vacuum cleaner down in there and clean off all the dirt, grass, and whatnot that kind of sits under the manifold.

I'll have pictures and hopefully a verdict tomorrow. I REALLY don't want to have to rip the heads off this thing tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be something simple (not expecting it though).
Click to expand...
cool man looking forward to the update
 
Update: Hopefully there won't have to be too many more of these.

Yesterday I tore down the ol'whitey in the rain. Thankfully today it's 50 degrees and overcast. Much better conditions for work like this since I don't have the luxury of a garage.

Positive note amidst all the depression about the 4runner being messed up is it doesn't look like I have the pink milkshake yet:

IMG_6046.jpg~original


The spark plugs on the left side of the motor look like so:
IMG_6056.jpg~original


Either way, this morning I removed the spark plugs from the passenger side of the motor, along with the valve cover.

Much to my dismay, the middle cylinder on the passenger side's spark plug had the end broken off of it, as in the picture I've supplied below:
IMG_6057.jpg~original



Would this cause that much knocking in the engine? I don't think so, but I imagine it couldn't be helping....it does seem to have made it misfire a few times, but to be honest, I never noticed the truck doing it if it was. Given, I've only had it for three months and it may have been doing it way back when the last owner had it but it has but a lot of gunk on the middle coil pack:

IMG_6053.jpg~original



Everything else under the valve cover looked good to me. I took the liberty of running a magnet down into the spark plug holes to see if there was anything metallic sitting on top of the cylinders in each bank and found nothing (hope there's nothing aluminum that magnet won't pick up.

IMG_6055.jpg~original


I am going to pick up six OEM spark plugs (I've heard that going with what advanced has to offer isn't the same kind as the toyota specific plugs), and having another mechanic friend of mine look at this thread and see what he thinks.
 
Ahhaa! I was right! I was just about to suggest that yesterday when my internet crashed at work. Yes , that is most definitely the noise. You may be able to pull it out wit a magnet. If the little telescoping one wont work try a larger round one, drill hole through the center, tie a string to it and go fishing. We just had this happen to my buddies Cobra. Got the piece out and its running fine with 24psi boost.

Do this ASAP before you possibly damage the piston or valve. Good luck
 
Jon said:
Ahhaa! I was right! I was just about to suggest that yesterday when my internet crashed at work. Yes , that is most definitely the noise. You may be able to pull it out wit a magnet. If the little telescoping one wont work try a larger round one, drill hole through the center, tie a string to it and go fishing. We just had this happen to my buddies Cobra. Got the piece out and its running fine with 24psi boost.

Do this ASAP before you possibly damage the piston or valve. Good luck
Click to expand...

Got this same message from you as a PM Jon.

I replied to it in length, but to everyone else I'll be looking for the end of that spark plug tip before I do anything else.

Thanks.
 
Add this to the list of reasons Not to buy Bosch plugs.

BTW, shouldn't you have a misfire code set for that cylinder?
 
I've been wondering the same thing. Oddly enough no check engine light has been on in my dash. However, being that it's a used runner, I can't be positive that that light isn't burned out. I suppose I could take a sensor off while it's running that I know will set it off, but yeah, kinda weird.

Anywhere that I should look for this spark plug tip in particular? if it's not sitting on top of the cylinder that it was supplying spark too, where else could it be exactly?

If it's causing it to make noise while it's running it would have to be in one of the heads or in one of the combustion chambers correct? I'm just kinda thinking while I type here.
 
The way to check that is to plug a code reader into the diagnostic port and read the codes. It may be that a misfire does not set the check engine light.
 
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