Rough Idle in P or N

[Whiplash Willy]

You are probably experiencing is the engine compensating for the A/C compressor cycling on and off. Even if your A/C button isn't on, the compressor will cycle when in a setting where the defrost is activated.

With engine running--Turn the HVAC off and see if it does it.

Then turn the A/C on. Pop the hood and look at the front of the engine. Dow low on the driver side is your compressor. Note the cycling? Note how the engine speeds up/ slows down to compensate?

You're probably beibg OCD about your new ride like I was. My T4R "this" vibe and my MIL's does it too. I'd bet every T4R out there does it.

It does do it without the HVAC/defrost or any other accessories on. I think you are right though and I am just being too OCD, and that this is probley normal. I think I will just let it go and only take action if things get worse.

I drove myself crazy worrying about all of the weird noises and behaviors my VW TDIs made, and it actually only turned out to be a problem about half the time!

 

[ZJumper]

You ha d a TDI too, huh?

I had a 06 Jetta TDI. Great engine and excellent fuel economy surrounded by POS German engineering that VW techs would fix and screw something else up in the process.

Example: XM radio module crapped out. Take it in to get it replaced, and after it was all said and done, the headliner, back C pillar covers, windshield all had to be replaced. Long story.

Short story is don't buy VW and have VW work on it.

 

[Whiplash Willy]

You ha d a TDI too, huh?

I had a 06 Jetta TDI. Great engine and excellent fuel economy surrounded by POS German engineering that VW techs would fix and screw something else up in the process.

Example: XM radio module crapped out. Take it in to get it replaced, and after it was all said and done, the headliner, back C pillar covers, windshield all had to be replaced. Long story.

Short story is don't buy VW and have VW work on it.

Yea, and I loved it, even though it was a PITA....Very true about having VW work on your car...If you are lucky they will fix the problem and screw something else up. Usually when you take it in, they won't fix the problem and screw something else up. In my 2.5 years of ownership, I had my car in 6 times for warranty work.

I do miss the torque, sound, and Mileage of my TDI though. It was a love/hate relationship. I am looking forward to my hopefully trouble free much less complex 4Runner.

 

[eddiebx]

I sat in my parked car for you on my way home today. So at precisely 726.04 RPM I guess I kind of feel a very slight vibration (no worse than what you would feel while the transmission is in drive and idling at ~560 RPM), it comes and goes and it seems to go away once it's idling at 735-740 RPM. Like you said, it only shudders for a couple of seconds and then it's smooth again. So it's official, I declare that this is normal. Can you sleep better tonight?

BTW, I read the RPM off my scan gauge, so I am not sure how accurate it is compared to tech stream or the needle so your mileage may vary.

 

[Whiplash Willy]

Thanks eddiebx for taking the time to reproduce this for me, I appreciate it. It does make me feel better that you experience the exact same thing.

 

[diverscale]

On my way home last night, I did some testing, and I can reproduce the rough idle now every time.

Basically what I am seeing is when my engine's RPMs are around 750 RPM (I will find the exact number later with techstream) I notice a moderately rough stumble/rugh idle that I can feel through the brake pedal, steering wheel, and seat.

When my car is up to temp, and I come to a stop, say at a stop light. my idle is approx 550RPM in D. At this RPM it is very smooth, and there is no issue. While stopped, if I shift into N or P, the RPMs jump up to about 800RPM. At 800RPM it is smooth as well. Then after a few sec, the idle will settle down to about 750RPM. It is at this RPM where I notice the rough idle. The weird thing is that the Idle will fluctuate about 100 rpm, between say 750 and 850. When ever it gets around 750 it will be rough, then it will start increasing, and be smooth again.

If I do anything to change the load on the engine, the idle will adjust and become smooth. If I crank the steering wheel, the idle will increase from 750, and it will be smooth, for a few sec, the settle back down to 750 and be rough. If I turn on the AC, the Idle will increase, and be out of the "Rough Range".

I am going to reproduce this with Tech Stream and get exact numbers. I feel that there is just some natural resonance with my engine at about 750rpms that causes this rough idle. Most of the time I will never experience this, because if I keep it in D, and idle, the 550rpm idle is smooth.

Does anyone else want to test this out and let me know if their idle is rough in N at about 750rpms? Or maybe this is just an imbalance in my engine. I am also surprised to see how much my RPM needle moves around, when stopped at idle. Is that normal for these engines? I haven't experienced this in any of my other vehicles.

My 2013 does the same since new. Very mild vibration in N or P when warm. In D it's a perfect idle.

 

[KKIB]

Started to use AC heavily these past day, also experiencing this "rough idle."
Activating AC will subside rough idle.

 

[OR4runner]

I have had my 2013 for a few months now with the same issue. 500rpm very smooth 750 has a slight resonance to it. Not like the engine is missing just a vibration that you can feel and hear. I have talked to the dealer and they claim "AC pump blah blah." It definitely is more common when the rig is cold. The fact that the RPMs vary so widely at idle is what i am not used to. I do not feel it is anything serious but it is definitely mildly annoying. If you find any other better explanation be sure to let us know.

 

[Bigwilleus]

I have 12 limited with 12k and it has always had a rough idle when stopped. Haven't dialed in on the rpm range yet, but I will pay attention to it next time I'm sitting still.

 

[Jayhawk5G]

My 2013 does the same since new. Very mild vibration in N or P when warm. In D it's a perfect idle.

Same but nothing I've ever worried about... it's very slight.

 

[Cytronus]

Hey guys, I just bought a brand new 2016 4Runner Trail Premium yesterday I'm noticing the same idle vibration that cycles every few seconds. I rented an SR5 for a week about a month ago and it didn't have this problem.

Also another issue - a definite engine or transmission vibration and power struggle occurs in 3rd, 4th and 5th gear at about 1.2 to 1.5 thousand RPM. 1st and 2nd gear seem unaffected. The vibration can be felt most through the gas pedal and mildly through the steering wheel and seat. Speed is irrelevant as it happens at any speed.

I drove it again today and it's definitely still there. Warm or cold, the vibration is the same. It's hard to tell if it's engine or tranny but the sensation I feel is that perhaps the crankshaft is out of balance, engine or transmission mounts are loose or cylinders are misfiring.

This occurs when the A/C is off, fan is off, 4 Wheel Drive gear shift is on H2 (no 4WD engaged) and all traction control/crawl control/multi-terrain select/rear diff lock are off.

Taking in to dealer tomorrow.

Would appreciate any new feedback from anyone that may have solved the mystery.

These are the things I've gathered might be potential culprits from the web and this forum:
• Check all the engine mounts and transmission mounts
• Check the voltage in each one of the six(6) coil packs. If one has vacillating voltage it will manifest as a "vibration" in the motor.
• Check to see if there are any loose vacuum hoses
• Check Emissions equipment, if EGR valve is open

 

[05Rrunner]

Hey guys, I just bought a brand new 2016 4Runner Trail Premium yesterday I'm noticing the same idle vibration that cycles every few seconds. I rented an SR5 for a week about a month ago and it didn't have this problem.

Also another issue - a definite engine or transmission vibration and power struggle occurs in 3rd, 4th and 5th gear at about 1.2 to 1.5 thousand RPM. 1st and 2nd gear seem unaffected. The vibration can be felt most through the gas pedal and mildly through the steering wheel and seat. Speed is irrelevant as it happens at any speed.

I drove it again today and it's definitely still there. Warm or cold, the vibration is the same. It's hard to tell if it's engine or tranny but the sensation I feel is that perhaps the crankshaft is out of balance, engine or transmission mounts are loose or cylinders are misfiring.

This occurs when the A/C is off, fan is off, 4 Wheel Drive gear shift is on H2 (no 4WD engaged) and all traction control/crawl control/multi-terrain select/rear diff lock are off.

Taking in to dealer tomorrow.

Would appreciate any new feedback from anyone that may have solved the mystery.

These are the things I've gathered might be potential culprits from the web and this forum:
• Check all the engine mounts and transmission mounts
• Check the voltage in each one of the six(6) coil packs. If one has vacillating voltage it will manifest as a "vibration" in the motor.
• Check to see if there are any loose vacuum hoses
• Check Emissions equipment, if EGR valve is open

Mine definitely has the same vibration as yours at Idle , please keep us posted.

 

[SilverTEP]

I wanted to add to this thread as I was experiencing the same problem. At full stop, my RPMs would fluctuate from 500 to 800 quite often. That was w/o AC, in D, N, and in P. My 2016 Trail has 43k miles on it.

Since I did a lot of off roading and my car was covered in dust, from top to bottom multiple times. I've changed my air filter 4 times this year, but I've decided to take off my air intake and clean up the MAF sensor and throttle body with the right sprays. The throttle body was very clean, no carbon build up, so I wasn't sure if it worked.

But after doing 5 trips since the cleanup, I've not experienced any rough idle and my cold start up got a lot gentler. My RPM at full stop justs stays at 500.

 

[BXTR4]

Hi I found your post because the same thing happens with mine and I searched to see if anyone else experienced the same thing. I have a 2024 SR5 with 1100 miles and it does the exact same thing. So I think this is normal a for this engine. Does it still do it?