hello,

i have a 98 tacoma 4 cyl. with 150k and it runs like a champ. last saturday, i turned the key and it made a terrible grinding noise. i instantly stopped and then waited a min. after turning the key again, it started up fine and ran all day around town and on the freeway with multiple startups. the next morning, it made a terrible sound that did not go away. it sounds like a loose belt squeal/rub or a broken bearing. sort of a swirling grinding squeal. definitely something spinning and rubbing. the noise sounds like it is at the bottom and perhaps the rear of the engine, but is tough to pinpoint.

i disconnected the belts and it makes the same noise when it starts up, but idles perfectly. when i put it into reverse in my driveway, the noise instantly went away. it has not come back after several startups, but i am too afraid to put it on the road before i find out what is wrong.

any ideas would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

 

Could it be the starter dragging?

 

that was my thought after the sound did not go away after the belts were disconnected. i was going to pull the starter and check for funny wear tonight.

the fact that it went away as soon as it was put into reverse made me think that it was something between the engine and tranny.

do stuck starters sometimes stop whining when the gears are changed?

 

I would say not just due to the fact the starter engages the flywheel or torque converter. Reason it could possibly disengage when shifting gears is due to the motor revving down making you think it is due to shifting. Maybe it is hanging up when revving up and then when it revs down it lets the pressure off of the starter gear that it frees itself up and can retract the gear.

 

i just pulled the starter. it pops out when i touch it to a battery and stays out. when i take the power away, it pops back in. everything seems to look fine on the gear teeth. it is the original toyota starter. not sure if i should just replace it while it is out.

 

Is it greasy, the engine dirty, any oil leaks. that could cause the starter to stick. Or it could be electrical, cleaning the connections may help.