Noisy Engine....

[mattymariner]

Hi...I am new to this, just needed to get it off my chest, as Toyota are sick of my groans, I wanted to ask other owners.

I have a 2008 RAV4 2.2 4D4 XTR.

Even when warm, the engine seems really noisy and ratterly. When doing 30 around town, it sounds like an old transit van. Its not until the turbo kicks in that the noise reduces and it sounds like a new car.

My local dealer has said the noise is simply because it has alot of 'torque', but I do not accept this.

Unless you guys have the same thing??

Please help...Thanks

[St Thicket]

Welcome to the forum

Come on... you've got a diesel! It's supposed to be noisy. The engineers had an idea of what noise they wanted, and created the engine to sound that way.

I haven't compared the Rav4.3 and my Rav4.2, but my Rav sure makes noise. I've heard that the 4.3 is a bit quieter though...

You should go to a dealer and drive an identical car, and see if there is any difference. If it is, then you might want to complain.

[ash7jar]

Right the torque thing is a bit of a naughty answer to give you,

but I have to say yes I have 50 odd thousand miles on my T180 and yes it is a bit noisy. But it’s not as noisy as my last 4.2 ver.

Was your last car a petrol that might have something to do with it?

[moonstone mart]

The new RAV4 is quite noisy, this is usually the new 6 speed box though - not the engine.

Does the noise go when you press the clutch pedal?

Mart.

[mattymariner]

Hi....thanks for input.

To answer some of the questions...I have always had a diesel car, so I except some growling from the engine, but this is like an annoying tapping noise...I am no mechanic, but it does drive me crazy.

The car has done 12k miles, and overall I am happy with it...

Mart - the noise goes when you put your foot down and the car is doing over 40mph..its like the engine hates going at 30!!...does that sound crazy??

Thanks again everyone.

[john1944]

Hi....thanks for input.

To answer some of the questions...I have always had a diesel car, so I except some growling from the engine, but this is like an annoying tapping noise...I am no mechanic, but it does drive me crazy.

The car has done 12k miles, and overall I am happy with it...

Mart - the noise goes when you put your foot down and the car is doing over 40mph..its like the engine hates going at 30!!...does that sound crazy??

Thanks again everyone.

My XTR 2.2 diesel is quite noisy going through the gear box, particularly when cold. On the basis that it does not use any oil in between the 10k mile change, and that fuel consumption is a very healthy 50 m.p.g. or thereabouts; and that at high speeds it competes favourably with any petrol engine, I have never even thought about being alarmed by the noise !!!

Has anyone ever seen a Rav on the highway with its bonnet up ! I guess not !!

[anchorman]

I know exactly what you mean. It is a harsh rattle that you can provoke by changing your position on the throttle - just at a certain load it is there. It is surprisingly obstrusive for a modern day diesel and not really necessary. For example (and I am sticking my neck out here) my mate has just bought a new Honda CeRVix. It is MUCH quieter than mine and in many ways more refined. It has the things that ours should have like all illuminated switches, even in the back, decent boot lights, spare (spacesaver) wheel etc etc. It also has an equally modern 2.2 common rail diesel which is as sweet as a nut and a 6 speed box which is quiet and like a knife through butter.

Is it to do with torque? Well if it were then you should be able to hear a BMW 6 cylinder diesel coming from a mile away. It is a stupid off the cuff statement and typical of the nonsense that simply gives a dealer and a car a bad reputation.

As long as the RAV engine proves reliable for a decent mileage (at least 2000k with regular oil changes) I can live with the weaknesses in refinement. However, I completely agree that they have let themselves down by allowing this noise to enter the cabin in the levels that it does. I think if you get the chance to ride in another you will satisfy yourself that they are all the same.

[NMaria]

Long time no post - sorry.

How noisy is excessively noisy? It's very subjective and difficult to assess in isolation, but recently I did have an opportunity for direct comparison.

For some time I have been unhappy about the severe rattle in the engine of my 1997 D4D (26k miles). Hardly noticeable when it's cold, very alarming when it's hot and especially when it's working hard - sounds like a clapped-out tractor. Dealer says it's normal but I don't agree. My mother has an identical car - a few months newer but same model, similar mileage - which is beautifully quiet. I'm not happy. Have changed the oil and put in the best we could find; no difference so unlikely to be engine mechanical. Garage man has tested the injector values (all reported to be ok), says he can't touch the ECU software but to 'see how I get on'.

Took it to my mother's garage (in the Netherlands, where they seem to have a different approach) whose senior mechanic came for a drive with me, listened to my report of the symptoms, and said it was probably a rare but well-known fault with the Denso injectors. He said they could report correct values but still be knackered. He offered to investigate and repair under warranty but the lead time for the parts took us beyond our departure date and at any rate I wanted to try to keep up the relationship with our own garage so brought it back to the UK.

Now another problem has popped up: it has started hiccuping, as if it's suffering tiny misfires. Only very gently, but definitely there and always when cruising gently. Sometimes it doesn't do it for a while, then it will happen every minute or so for some time. It was much more noticeable on the contintental roads, which are usually very smooth, than on the jiggly roads here in Scotland. Reported this to our own garage too and they reckon it's the fuel pump. I wonder if the two problems could be related? Anyway, the car is booked in for investigation and repair on the 27th (!) and I'll report the outcome.

[john1944]

Long time no post - sorry.

How noisy is excessively noisy? It's very subjective and difficult to assess in isolation, but recently I did have an opportunity for direct comparison.

For some time I have been unhappy about the severe rattle in the engine of my 1997 D4D (26k miles). Hardly noticeable when it's cold, very alarming when it's hot and especially when it's working hard - sounds like a clapped-out tractor. Dealer says it's normal but I don't agree. My mother has an identical car - a few months newer but same model, similar mileage - which is beautifully quiet. I'm not happy. Have changed the oil and put in the best we could find; no difference so unlikely to be engine mechanical. Garage man has tested the injector values (all reported to be ok), says he can't touch the ECU software but to 'see how I get on'.

Took it to my mother's garage (in the Netherlands, where they seem to have a different approach) whose senior mechanic came for a drive with me, listened to my report of the symptoms, and said it was probably a rare but well-known fault with the Denso injectors. He said they could report correct values but still be knackered. He offered to investigate and repair under warranty but the lead time for the parts took us beyond our departure date and at any rate I wanted to try to keep up the relationship with our own garage so brought it back to the UK.

Now another problem has popped up: it has started hiccuping, as if it's suffering tiny misfires. Only very gently, but definitely there and always when cruising gently. Sometimes it doesn't do it for a while, then it will happen every minute or so for some time. It was much more noticeable on the contintental roads, which are usually very smooth, than on the jiggly roads here in Scotland. Reported this to our own garage too and they reckon it's the fuel pump. I wonder if the two problems could be related? Anyway, the car is booked in for investigation and repair on the 27th (!) and I'll report the outcome.

Don't you think cars are like humans. No two of them are alike. What may be normal in one car, is not necessarily so in another. A car is for getting you from A to B; as long as it performs that duty everything is o.k.

[anchorman]

Long time no post - sorry.

How noisy is excessively noisy? It's very subjective and difficult to assess in isolation, but recently I did have an opportunity for direct comparison.

For some time I have been unhappy about the severe rattle in the engine of my 1997 D4D (26k miles). Hardly noticeable when it's cold, very alarming when it's hot and especially when it's working hard - sounds like a clapped-out tractor. Dealer says it's normal but I don't agree. My mother has an identical car - a few months newer but same model, similar mileage - which is beautifully quiet. I'm not happy. Have changed the oil and put in the best we could find; no difference so unlikely to be engine mechanical. Garage man has tested the injector values (all reported to be ok), says he can't touch the ECU software but to 'see how I get on'.

Took it to my mother's garage (in the Netherlands, where they seem to have a different approach) whose senior mechanic came for a drive with me, listened to my report of the symptoms, and said it was probably a rare but well-known fault with the Denso injectors. He said they could report correct values but still be knackered. He offered to investigate and repair under warranty but the lead time for the parts took us beyond our departure date and at any rate I wanted to try to keep up the relationship with our own garage so brought it back to the UK.

Now another problem has popped up: it has started hiccuping, as if it's suffering tiny misfires. Only very gently, but definitely there and always when cruising gently. Sometimes it doesn't do it for a while, then it will happen every minute or so for some time. It was much more noticeable on the contintental roads, which are usually very smooth, than on the jiggly roads here in Scotland. Reported this to our own garage too and they reckon it's the fuel pump. I wonder if the two problems could be related? Anyway, the car is booked in for investigation and repair on the 27th (!) and I'll report the outcome.

Hello stranger.

I trust you are well?

Which vehicle are we on about (1997 D4D)? Is this a RAV or something else?

[NMaria]

Hello anchorman and Happy New Year to you and your family. Thank you for kind enquiry - we are well but have had a Tricky Year, hence long silence. Nice to be in touch again.

Yes, it is a RAV4 I have, and my mother has the exact same thing, except that in hers the steering wheel is on the wrong side! Helps her in driving on the wrong side of the road, though. In anything but cold weather, mine produces a loud clattering noise which gets worse with heat and engine load but on a hot day it is jolly noisy even at tick-over. Mother's specimen purrs along like the proverbial sewing machine. Very strange! Either mine has a fault or Toyota changed something during the months between the manufacture of our respective cars (mine is a little older, having been registered in 2007 but manufactured in 2006). I wish I could get to the bottom of it and set my mind at rest. I find it difficult not be alarmed despite the reassurances by the garage man that it is just a bit of diesel knock.

[anchorman]

Maria

Sometimes the spec of the conti' models varies quite significantly. It could be your mum has a D-CAT engine which for various reasons sounds more muffled than a "regular" model.

Still, it is impossible to be sure without listening so maybe you should go for a second opinion. I would go to a main dealer and ask them to listen but also ask for a run in a non D-CAT (not SR/T180) RAV and see how that compares. Just as a matter of interest, has it had a repair? Does it still have the plastic cover on the top of the engine and the sound insulator under the inside of the bonnet? These both play a major part in sound insulation.

Cheers

[Fujisan]

Hello anchorman and Happy New Year to you and your family. Thank you for kind enquiry - we are well but have had a Tricky Year, hence long silence. Nice to be in touch again.

Yes, it is a RAV4 I have, and my mother has the exact same thing, except that in hers the steering wheel is on the wrong side! Helps her in driving on the wrong side of the road, though. In anything but cold weather, mine produces a loud clattering noise which gets worse with heat and engine load but on a hot day it is jolly noisy even at tick-over. Mother's specimen purrs along like the proverbial sewing machine. Very strange! Either mine has a fault or Toyota changed something during the months between the manufacture of our respective cars (mine is a little older, having been registered in 2007 but manufactured in 2006). I wish I could get to the bottom of it and set my mind at rest. I find it difficult not be alarmed despite the reassurances by the garage man that it is just a bit of diesel knock.

Maria,

A shot in the dark here but I wonder if it is the fuel you are using. Maybe your Mother is using Branded fuel (Shell, Bee-Pee, etc) and you are using Supermarket fuel (or weasel pee as Anchorman call's it ), I don't know.

What I do know is my car runs quieter and smoother on Shell (for example) then on Supermarket fuel. And when I can afford it (like now :D ) it runs even quieter and smoother again when I use Shell V-Power Diesel.

Just a thought.

[NMaria]

Thank you both for such prompt and helpful responses. Yes, perhaps mother has a contintental spec - that is a good point. I shall find out! I've had the car from new and all the sound insulation stuff is intact. Main dealer agrees that it is unusually noisy but doesn't think there is a major problem. The next time I go to see him I will ask for a run in another RAV4. In fact, if I see someone in the supermarket car park with a similar RAV4 I'll go and talk to them!

As for fuel, I have tried various brands (but never ever supermarket diesel!) but I find little or no difference in performance or smoothness. Unfortunately Shell V-Power is not available in our part of the world, but I have tried BP Ultimate with no noticeable improvement.

It is reassuring, however, to learn that other people too think that these engines tend to be clattery and noisy, so thank you all for that information.

As for the hiccuping, I'll let you know the diagnosis once my poor little RAV has had its hospital treatment.

[Fujisan]

As for fuel, I have tried various brands (but never ever supermarket diesel!) but I find little or no difference in performance or smoothness. Unfortunately Shell V-Power is not available in our part of the world, but I have tried BP Ultimate with no noticeable improvement.

It was a long shot......but worth mentioning just in case. :D

[NMaria]

My lightly hiccuping, clattery RAV4 (see earlier posts in this topic) went to the Toyota Hospital (Alexander Wallace main dealer) in Elgin in accordance with the appointment made a few weeks ago. The service manager, a very helpful chap, telephoned this morning to say that the injector readings were within limits when the engine was hot but just on or outside the limits when cold. He had contacted Toyota's Technical Dept who told him to replace the injectors. That sounds good to me; it's what the friendly mechanic in the Netherland also suggested would be required. Fingers crossed it cures the problem!

While we were at the garage yesterday, we also learnt that there have been two recent TSBs: one to alter the ECU settings for opening and closure of the EGR to stop it from sooting up, and a subsequent one which relates to the injectors but I'm afraid I don't as yet know what the detail was. I wonder if it is also to do with reducing muck in the EGR. No doubt the nice service manager will explain when I go to pick the car up next week.

I'll put on a further post when I have the car back, so I can tell you whether the problems have been resolved, and any other information that may be of interest.

[stuck in dubs]

My lightly hiccuping, clattery RAV4 (see earlier posts in this topic) went to the Toyota Hospital (Alexander Wallace main dealer) in Elgin in accordance with the appointment made a few weeks ago. The service manager, a very helpful chap, telephoned this morning to say that the injector readings were within limits when the engine was hot but just on or outside the limits when cold. He had contacted Toyota's Technical Dept who told him to replace the injectors. That sounds good to me; it's what the friendly mechanic in the Netherland also suggested would be required. Fingers crossed it cures the problem!

While we were at the garage yesterday, we also learnt that there have been two recent TSBs: one to alter the ECU settings for opening and closure of the EGR to stop it from sooting up, and a subsequent one which relates to the injectors but I'm afraid I don't as yet know what the detail was. I wonder if it is also to do with reducing muck in the EGR. No doubt the nice service manager will explain when I go to pick the car up next week.

I'll put on a further post when I have the car back, so I can tell you whether the problems have been resolved, and any other information that may be of interest.

interesting to read your post above, it seems both our cars were in the same garage today with similar problems. My T180 has go back in to have the EGR valve replaced, I've just posted the details on the D4D topic. like everyone else has mentioned the D4D engine is not the quietest. hope Bill gets to the bottom of the problem with your RAV!!