Weird noise after start-up

I've been having this problem for a few weeks now and it is starting to bother me because it seems to be getting worse. Every so often when I start my Highlander it makes a ginding noise. I don't think it's the engine because there is no light on and the engine sounds normal. If you've ever tried to start a vehicle when it was already running you know the noise it makes, well that's what it sounds like.. Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Is this normal?

Reply 1 : Weird noise after start-up

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Originally Posted by AXMACD I've been having this problem for a few weeks now and it is starting to bother me because it seems to be getting worse. Every so often when I start my Highlander it makes a ginding noise. I don't think it's the engine because there is no light on and the engine sounds normal. If you've ever tried to start a vehicle when it was already running you know the noise it makes, well that's what it sounds like.. Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Is this normal?

mine did this at start up after the engine has fully cooled, every now and then. When i first got the car (at 45k miles) it did it very frequently. A local toyota/lexus mechanic i know said the Lexus version of the 2gr-fe (the 2gr-fse) had this problem. That it was the oil not getting to the top of the engine when it first starts quickly enough, and that metal noise is the grinding sound of metal on metal. He did continue to say that he had not seen it on the 2gr-fe and there wasn't a TSB for it. I looked into my vehicle's history and found the previous owner rarely got the oil changed (previous change was over 10k miles before i got it), I have since changed the oil twice and the sound is all gone. I think what caused the sound in mine was bad oil that needed changing. No CEL light ever came on and the engine ran fine after it started, so it didn't give any warnings besides that sound.

hope this helps.

Patrick

Reply 2 : Weird noise after start-up

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Originally Posted by sweeneyp mine did this at start up after the engine has fully cooled, every now and then. When i first got the car (at 45k miles) it did it very frequently. A local toyota/lexus mechanic i know said the Lexus version of the 2gr-fe (the 2gr-fse) had this problem. That it was the oil not getting to the top of the engine when it first starts quickly enough, and that metal noise is the grinding sound of metal on metal. He did continue to say that he had not seen it on the 2gr-fe and there wasn't a TSB for it. I looked into my vehicle's history and found the previous owner rarely got the oil changed (previous change was over 10k miles before i got it), I have since changed the oil twice and the sound is all but gone. I think what caused the sound in mine was bad oil that needed changing. No CEL light ever came on and the engine ran fine after it started, so it didn't give any warnings besides that sound. hope this helps. Patrick

Makes sense, mine was due and I let it go a little bit over.. I can't remember now if it did it after the oil change or not.. hmm

Reply 3 : Weird noise after start-up

Coincidentally, I have the SAME EXACT grinding noise on startup on my 08 highlander LTD with the 3.5 2gr-fe that lasts for about 1 second and happens intermittently when cold and also when the car has been driven and then left for a couple hours. I have owned the car from new and currently have 49K miles. I have changed the oil every 5K with mobil 1 since new. I do not have any dash lights or codes in the computer either. This crap is starting to piss me off. I have an extended warranty that runs until 75K and just hope that this will be addressed with toyota before then...and that is a BIG HOPE. I brought it to my shitty dealer and they conveniently had never heard of it before and when they actually happen to hear it coincidentally, the moron said it was "a normal characteristic" of the engine. BS!! Seriously? How can the guy stand there and tell me that? It is metal on metal grinding. I just hope that mobil 1 has helped. This will be the first and last toyota I ever own if this isn't fixed soon

Reply 4 : Weird noise after start-up

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Originally Posted by thegman230 Coincidentally, I have the SAME EXACT grinding noise on startup on my 08 highlander LTD with the 3.5 2gr-fe that lasts for about 1 second and happens intermittently when cold and also when the car has been driven and then left for a couple hours. I have owned the car from new and currently have 49K miles. I have changed the oil every 5K with mobil 1 since new. I do not have any dash lights or codes in the computer either. This crap is starting to piss me off. I have an extended warranty that runs until 75K and just hope that this will be addressed with toyota before then...and that is a BIG HOPE. I brought it to my shitty dealer and they conveniently had never heard of it before and when they actually happen to hear it coincidentally, the moron said it was "a normal characteristic" of the engine. BS!! Seriously? How can the guy stand there and tell me that? It is metal on metal grinding. I just hope that mobil 1 has helped. This will be the first and last toyota I ever own if this isn't fixed soon

yea it drove me crazy when it was first happening. I had a video camera recording start ups for a while to try and get it on tape. And of course it never happened when i had the camera out, but only when I didn't. Thats definitely disappointing to hear that it happens even with regular oil changes. You would think that if we are having this problems other would, since the 2gr-fe is used in so many different vehicles for toyota.

Reply 5 : Weird noise after start-up

Before I traded my 2008 Highlander last year if had started to make a clanging noise at cold start-up. It only happen every once in awhile. I had seen a TSB for the problem noting that it could be the valvetrain. I also had look at the repair procedure on TIS and it involved taking apart the top part of the engine to fix. I believe the TSB is T-SB-0094-09. Here is the link to the TSB: http://www.toyotapart.com/2GR-FE_ENG...SB-0094-09.pdf

Reply 6 : Weird noise after start-up

HOLD UP, I had my Highlander in a few weeks ago for an oil change (which they didn't do) and after I made the appointment the check engine light came on and the car began to sputter, so it went to the dealer for a few days. I'm almost positive the code was P0014 and when I asked them what it meant the service advisor couldn't explain it and the work order had some "brake switch" as the fix for it. The car is STILL making the noise, not as bad as it was before but it is still making it.. glad to know it's covered by the powertrain warranty!

Reply 7 : Weird noise after start-up

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Originally Posted by mrjohnnyv Before I traded my 2008 Highlander last year if had started to make a clanging noise at cold start-up. It only happen every once in awhile. I had seen a TSB for the problem noting that it could be the valvetrain. I also had look at the repair procedure on TIS and it involved taking apart the top part of the engine to fix. I believe the TSB is T-SB-0094-09. Here is the link to the TSB: http://www.toyotapart.com/2GR-FE_ENG...SB-0094-09.pdf

oh boy so there is a TSB out for it... I hope that mine causing the sound has gone away for good. If not I hope it starts again within the next 5k miles, because my power train warranty is nearly up

Reply 8 : Weird noise after start-up

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Originally Posted by mrjohnnyv Before I traded my 2008 Highlander last year if had started to make a clanging noise at cold start-up. It only happen every once in awhile. I had seen a TSB for the problem noting that it could be the valvetrain. I also had look at the repair procedure on TIS and it involved taking apart the top part of the engine to fix. I believe the TSB is T-SB-0094-09. Here is the link to the TSB: http://www.toyotapart.com/2GR-FE_ENG...SB-0094-09.pdf

Just wanted to say that this is not the sound we are all talking about and this TSB is for something else. Thanks for posting this but this TSB is for the engine making a lifter clacking noise that sounds like a deisel engine when ice cold and goies away after the car is driven and is warmed up.



The noise that the we are talking about here is a quick 1 second startup grind noise that happens intermitintly and sounds like metal grinding against metal wall due to no oil.

Reply 9 : Weird noise after start-up

yep, mine has done the same thing ever since I've owned it (2 1/2 yrs.). It's about a one second metallic sound that should not happen. I thought that it may have been a starter that hung in there too long after the engine fired. I too, will not buy another Highlander. Too many little things starting with the paper speakers with the dime size magnet.

But that's another story!