Driveshaft on 2012

[emy]

Hey guys,

I have that cluck with my 2012, but is not all the time and not that loud.
I've just went to the dealership on Friday with a copy of TSB and they said, well...we'll have a technician ride with you to test the noise and didn't do it at all for 10 min when I had the technician with me. I've told the guy is not all the time and also mentioned that I have a 2014 also, and is no cluck with 2014. He told me the 2014 is a total different chassis and they don't want to change the driveshaft. What are my options here? I still have 6 mo/10k of warranty left.
Should I try a different dealership?

 

[philsey]

. He told me the 2014 is a total different chassis...

I've heard lots of dealer lies on here, and that's right up there among the biggest load of horsepuckey evah.

Should I try a different dealership?

Did you buy it there? If yes, go get your salesman, or his manager. Squeaky wheel etc etc.

Maybe clucks aren't warrantied?

 

[catrains]

do the drive shaft grease procedure. clunk is usually a binding drive shaft slip yoke

 

[emy]

Yes, I've boughted from that dealer, but I have another dealer close to my house. I don't think the sales guy works there anymore, I've looked for him when I've bought my other 2014 4Runner.

The problem is like TSB described it, it's more like a sensation you've been hit by somebody behind. They told me to go back if I can reproduced the sound, but they cannot change the driveshaft if is no noise. My problem is only when I brake and is not all the time, most of the time when is heavy traffic and stop-and-go type.

The technician was an old guy, they said is a 'master' technician, but almost fell of the chair when he told me, my other 2014 4Runner is a different car and is not even the same like this 2012.

 

[emy]

do the drive shaft grease procedure. clunk is usually a binding drive shaft slip yoke

Ok, but the TSB says is covered under warranty (5 years-60k).
They know about the problem and they don't want to replace it.

 

[jtc44]

Maybe clucks aren't warrantied?

Lol, clucks......

OP, I agree with Philsey that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Ask for a manager if you aren't being heard.

Also, my "clunk" was similar to yours in that it wasn't very frequent. I think this problem is exacerbated by fast starts and hard stops. When I went in to my dealer with TSB in hand, the tech couldn't reproduce the clunk because he wasn't driving aggressively enough. Before he had a chance to (potentially) recommend no replacement, I told him that I wanted to drive. I reproduced the clunk after a hard start/hard stop which he quickly replied with "yup, that's the driveshaft." After that, the dealer asked ZERO questions, ordered the new parts, gave me a loaner overnight and had it done before noon the next day.

That was my dealer experience regarding the driveshaft clunk TSB, but I've heard others haven't gotten time of day. You've only got 6 months/10k to get it sorted out, so if your dealer won't listen, find one that will.

 

[philsey]

Also, my "clunk" was similar to yours in that it wasn't very frequent. I think this problem is exacerbated by fast starts and hard stops. When I went in to my dealer with TSB in hand, the tech couldn't reproduce the clunk because he wasn't driving aggressively enough. Before he had a chance to (potentially) recommend no replacement, I told him that I wanted to drive. I reproduced the clunk after a hard start/hard stop which he quickly replied with "yup, that's the driveshaft." After that, the dealer asked ZERO questions, ordered the new parts, gave me a loaner overnight and had it done before noon the next day.

That was my dealer experience regarding the driveshaft clunk TSB, but I've heard others haven't gotten time of day. You've only got 6 months/10k to get it sorted out, so if your dealer won't listen, find one that will.

@OP Hard stops = Nailed it. You practice until you can reliably duplicate the problem. Then, you drive, tech rides.

 

[LandCruiser]

If it is what I think it is, accelerate hard and watch the revs climb to right before it shifts, then get off the gas immediately.

 

[Boyds4Runner]

[MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] [MENTION=96738]jtc44[/MENTION] and [MENTION=92049]LandCruiser[/MENTION] all explained the same way I could get mine to clunk in my 4th Gen SR5.

I noticed it more frequently after coming to a hard stop like when making a late decision to not run the yellow light etc. The stop would result in a sensation that the car behind me bumped me and then when hitting the gas on the green light the clunk would happen again.

I never brought mine in to the dealer though. I read the same thing [MENTION=138935]catrains[/MENTION] mentioned with greasing the shaft and the clunk went away. When I did it myself I pumped what seemed like a ton of pumps into the slip-yoke zerk. Greasing it would solve the problem for a long, long time.

Good luck getting the TSB serviced. If you go that route DO NOT grease the slip-yoke if you want the clunk to appear for the service technician!

 

[renau001]

Is it possible that fear of overgreasing the slip yoke during regular maintenance is what leads to this problem?

 

[rainmn]

I've had this issue on two different GX470s and my current 4Runner, and all three were fixed under warranty.

I see a lot of people mention a noise, but none of my three trucks ever made any noise...just a feeling. I could also reproduce it every single time on each truck. All I had to do was brake hard and hold the brake to a complete stop. As soon as I'd release the brake to start moving again, I'd feel the "clunk." (Exactly like Boyds4Runner described above.)

 

[Victor_inox]

dealer was unable to reproduce that on my 2012. he drove it himself and refused to ride as passenger. After I greased zerks none of that happened for 20K miles.So I decided not to persue this issue further. It`s not worth to me to spend my time/energy on a problem that is not really a problem.

 

[philsey]

After I greased zerks none of that happened for 20K miles.So I decided not to persue this issue further. It`s not worth to me to spend my time/energy on a problem that is not really a problem.

True. Technically, there is nothing "wrong" or "broken", and it's a very common Toyota attribute ... it's just annoying, like a rattle.

I make very sure that the propshaft is greased with the OCs.

 

[Victor_inox]

True. Technically, there is nothing "wrong" or "broken", and it's a very common Toyota attribute ... it's just annoying, like a rattle.

I make very sure that the propshaft is greased with the OCs.

Exactly my point. Once I spent my time arguing with dealer I will never get it back- even more annoying.

 

[emy]

So, if I grease it myself the 'cluck' will go away, or since I've got it will never go away?

My big problem is with the lies and bull shit the dealer gave me.
It will no problem for me to grease it, I can buy a grease gun and do it myself.

Thanks guy for the ideeas.

 

[Victor_inox]

So, if I grease it myself the 'cluck' will go away, or since I've got it will never go away?

My big problem is with the lies and bull shit the dealer gave me.
It will no problem for me to grease it, I can buy a grease gun and do it myself.

Thanks guy for the ideeas.

you suppose to grease it every 5k miles, once you do it will not "cluck" for a while, practically never if you keep up with maintenance. Mine was not making that noise for 20K miles as I didn`t have time for it. once I did it went away again.

 

[emy]

you suppose to grease it every 5k miles, once you do it will not "cluck" for a while, practically never if you keep up with maintenance. Mine was not making that noise for 20K miles as I didn`t have time for it. once I did it went away again.

I've told the dealership everytime when I went for an oil change 'please grease the driveshaft', for sure they never did it.
Right now I have 50k and the 'cluck' appeared around 40k.

 

[Victor_inox]

I've told the dealership everytime when I went for an oil change 'please grease the driveshaft', for sure they never did it.
Right now I have 50k and the 'cluck' appeared around 40k.

maybe they did for a while, you`d never know. do it yourself and you`ll be sure.

 

[catrains]

So, if I grease it myself the 'cluck' will go away, or since I've got it will never go away?

My big problem is with the lies and bull shit the dealer gave me.
It will no problem for me to grease it, I can buy a grease gun and do it myself.

Thanks guy for the ideeas.

use the moly lithium based grease a black color. you only need a couple of half pumps with the grease gun . pump slowly until you feel resistance on the handle that should do it. before greasing using a good light see if there is any grease around the slip yoke of the drive shaft . if its dry looking then that is the problem .. more is not better on the greasing. .