Back40Rebel

Well here is my bad news of the year...

My 2003 Tacoma with 81000 has a clicking/ticking noise.

I have it @ a Toyota dealer now & they had both the timing & valve covers off & the noise isn't in those areas.

So I'm not sure what to do, the service guy said I'm looking @ an engine overhaul where they'd have to look at everything while they take it apart.

He said to think about trading it in...

Any thoughts or Ideas?

Joe

callmej75

Ticking and clicking doesn't sound llike bottom end noise to me....I'd get a 2nd opinion.

Back40Rebel

I had a local shop look @ it, they couldn't find it either....

Tanto

Self-diagnosis. Seriously.

Where IS the noise coming from?

callmej75

I always used the old method of determining noise....stick a screwdriver up to my ear and place it on the valve covers and move up and down the valve cover. Us rednecks can't afford a stethescope

04 Rocko Taco

I'm with J. Doesn't sound like bottom end to me, I think it has to be up in the valves somewhere...
take a listen see if you can narrow it down at all. touch your engine, if it makes a click or shink noise you can feel the vibration of that too. Narrow it down...

blakjak

LOL........watch it be an exhaust leak/cracked manifold.

It's probably simple valvetrain. Don't let them take you to the cleaners.

Back40Rebel

I'll narrow it down a little tonight when I get home.. I really think passenger side front. I'll get under it this weekend & look for the exhaust leak too.
Thnx.
J

19RUNNER86

ticking won't be in the bottom end. check the valves... triple diag.

marko3xl3

It might be the fuel injectors as well. If so, that's normal, sadly.

Back40Rebel

Opened the hood this afternoon, Noise sounds like it is actually "in front" of the engine. It sounds like it is actually in the fan.

Along with this... while on the road today, I got a blinking CEL again, I had this when I was home for xmas. I since taken it to a shop, they replaced the spark plugs & the coil for the 2 & 5 plugs. They didn't know why I had platinum plugs. I thought they came in the truck like that, but I guess I was wrong.

I had the code read again & it was the same plugs. I went & bought replacement wires & installed them. Disconnected the battery & waited so the codes would clear. Reconnected battery & went on ride...

Started out ok, had power... then after a while the CEL started to blink again. Pulled over & it went away again.

Should I pull a plug to see what they put in?
Should I swap the fuel filter?

Any thoughts or ideas?

Thanks!

jjrgr21

my 98' ticked for 200,000 miles and ran fine, 20mpg, never burnt oil.

Back40Rebel

Yeah, I guess I could be hearing the injectors, it seems that the ticking noise is a known feature.

I'm going to pull a plug in the morning to see what they put in & check to make sure they didn't crack the insulation...(from another post).

Tanto

Does your truck have a bodylift?

TACOKRAWL

My truck did the EXACT same thing.

mt_goat

This redneck found one at Napa for $12

Back40Rebel

Nope, No body lift. Gonna take it back to the place that cleared the light & ask them to take another look.

JB

Back40Rebel

Drove the truck yesterday keeping it @ abou 2100 RPM's & it was ok. Dropped it of today & the mechanic couldn't find anything. he is going to try in when it is cold. argh, I think I need a new mechanic...

Back40Rebel

**UPDATE**
I have had a few symptoms with my truck that I have been working seperatly, but may have been related.

Issue # 1 was a ticking/clicking noise that has appeared. I took it to a local mechanic, they looked into it & couldn't find the issue.

I then took the truck to a dealer for diagnosis... That proved to be painfull as they said they couldn't find it & that I should consider a rebuild or a replacement engine. With neither of those sounding like fun I decided to keep driving it, tick & all.

Issue #2 appeared while traveling for xmas, while on my trip (about 300 Miles) my check engine light started to blink. I pulled over waited a bit & it went away. I had to do this about 3-4 times & the 4th time the check engine light stayed on.

With a few searches & posts here, I had to codes pulled, & found out what was going on. Now @ this point, the truck was driving great, lots of power no hesitation @ all.

So I took it back to the local mechanic that had it the week before for the tick & they replaced the spark plugs & a coil. Upon driving the truck for the next few days, I felt a lack of power & some hesitation @ times. Thinking this was me losing it I kept tried to pinpoint what the issue was. On another trip, (same 300 miles) there no doubt that I had an issue. I brought the truck back to the same local dealer & let them do that thing they do.

From what they told me they had 2 tech's & the owner on this, they had two different scan tools, they replaced MAF, Fuel Filter. They did a compression test and a propane test. From what he mentioned, it looks like there is a gear on the crank that was off by 15 degress so looking @ the timing marks that were right on, wasn't enough & he had to dig deeper.

It looks like when I had my timing belt changed, as I was told I needed it @ 70K not 90K, the shop didn't tighten something correctly. Sooo, I'm hopefull that this solves Both issues...& I can get out a rental.. a car even. I have asked that the parts be saved for me so I can talk to the timing belt installer about this...I'll have to cool down alot if this turns out to be culprit. Thanks for the help so far, will post after I get the truck back, cross your fingers for me!!

Back40Rebel

Truck is back & it is fixed. Both issues are fixed. Runs like a new truck!