So lately when my truck is cold and I take off, I can hear what sounds like water spraying/bubbling behind the dash, almost on the verge of a crackling sound. It sounds like it's coming from the center, behind the temp controls. It happens here and there, not every time and the noise stops after a few seconds.

It never does it once the truck is warmed up - only when it's cold and under load. Even if I start it up cold and let it run for a minute or 2 before putting it in drive, it will still randomly do it (but never after the temp needle has started to rise).

No signs of leaks inside or outside or by the firewall and no wet carpet. I've felt behind the dash as far as I could reach and nothing is wet. I was thinking heater core, or maybe even a vacuum leak?? Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Heater pumps out as hot as ever too.

 

Both our 96 Runner and 97 Taco make this noise too. I always just figured it was just antifreeze trickling through the heater core. Never had a leak and the heat works just fine...

 

Yeah its just your water moving into the heater core, most likely.

Is your coolant full in the radiator?

 

I had a similar sound in my dash. I pulled the dash apart a half dozen times looking for the noise. No luck.

I just went to Moab and did some hard wheeling. No more noise!

 

Some previous gen trucks and 2nd gen 4Runners also had the gurgling noise and there was a TSB that involved retrofitting a redesigned part. I'd check with a dealer to see if there is also a TSB for the Tacoma & 4Runner.

 

Thanks guys, I'm glad it doesn't sound like anything major. The coolant is full in in the radiator and between L & F in the reservoir.

 

I thought my noise was the speedometer cable.

 

So I was reading another thread on here in which someone suggested disconnecting the inlet and outlet hoses from the firewall and sticking a garden hose on them to flush the heater core out - rather than tear the whole dash apart which absolutely sucks. I can't find the thread now but THANK YOU to whoever suggested this because it works!!! My heater core hasn't made any noise since I did it last night. Lately it's been noisy as hell and doing it any time the rpms get above 3000 regardless of how warm the truck was, but now.. I hear nothing but engine revs. I saved at least a few hundred dollars if not more and it took all of 10 minutes!

 

i just bought the cleanest 93 pickup ive ever seen. test drive was good and im familiar with the 3vze engine since i already own a 91 3vze pickup. when accelerating on flat terrain, the truck runs flawlessly until the rpms rise to ~3000 and above. i then hear what is similar to the trickling waterfall behind the dash. While driving the truck home, I noticed that on a large section of fairly steep uphill highway roughly 20 miles long, the truck started to overheat while also making the same trickling/gurgling noise. I turned the heater on full blast to try and bleed some heat out of the engine bay but it only made the problem worse. this puzzled me until i read this thread. Does this sound like my heater core needs to be flushed or replaced? i'm going to try it regardless but would like anyone's input. thank you yotatechies. i truly love this website haha.

 

so I just picked up this 4Runner from an older lady. It has 130,000 on it and she did all the regularly scheduled maintenance on it. Thing it's when I turn the truck off it makes that same weird gurgling sound. Could my radiator just need to be burped also?

 

Im new to this but i would really like someone to reach out to me to look at a video i recorded of a noise coming from my engine bay on my 99 tacoma 3.4. The guy i bought it from said it was the fan pulley. I took it to Toyota for a oil change and they said I should replace the timing belt, not sure if they're saying that based off the mileage on the truck. By the looks of the belt it looks rather new (maybe last owner DIY?) any ways if anyone would be so kind as to message me on facebook (Justin Hamlett) or email me: jhamlett1@gmail.com that would be great and I thank you in advance.