More fun with the 4Runner

Jason924R

New Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2005
Location
Boone, NC
My motor has been making a strange noise recently. I've had my check engine light come on a couple of times, but then it would be off within 2 or 3 starts. I'm thinking the noise could be my valves malfunctioning somehow...maybe a missfire could be causing the light to come on? Could it be related to my oil or its levels somehow? Listen for the fast clicking sound you can hear throughout the video.

http://jason.herrjohannes.com/Movie.wmv

My camera batteries ran out on me so I didn't have a chance to rev it to see if anything changes. If so, could that be a lean towards a rod knocking? I will have a video of it later on today once I get a jump start.

With the jump start comment being said....

Here are some electrical issue thoughts:

Basically I was told my Optima yellow top was not holding its charge. The battery and terminal have been replaced since. I have 4 auxilary lights and two aplifiers and a subwoofer box for my sound sytem. Could one or all of these things somehow be sucking my battery dry while the car is off? I dont understand because now all of a sudden the runner wont start. It makes a fast clicking sound but wont turn. I can turn to accessory and listen to the radio....etc. If I jump it, it works. Also last year....maybe the year before my alternator was replaced with one from Napa Auto Parts. I have a winch also, but it hasnt been used recently.

Help? :confused:

1992 4Runner. 3.0V6 190,000 Miles.
 
Just because the check engine light isn't on does not mean there is no code. it is there. check it

http://www.off-road.com/toyota/tech/codes/

as for the ticking sound, i was not able to open the file so all I have is a guess.
If you have miles on the engine (unspecified) there is a good chance you need a valve adjustment. If this has never been done, you can do it yourself IF you are careful.

the 3.0 uses "shim over bucket" adjustment, as such, you can pull a valve cover and at each cyl, measure with a feeler gauge, the clearance between the cam lobe and the shim on each valve, if clearance is greater than spec, compress the spring, pick the shim out with a magnet and turn it over, reinsert into bucket, recheck the clearance. If the clearance is still too great, then you need a different shim and then the fun begins.

the ticking noise could also be a plug wire shorting, and this can cause a check engine light (the tick is the arcing of voltage to ground) when is the last time it had a GOOD tuneup? Spend the extra for Toyota parts, aftermarket box store wires are JUNK !!

Knowing that the 3.0 is pretty labor intensive to do a tune up on (parts need to be removed to one side of the engine) so odds are the plugs on one side have never been changed as well as the wires.

CHeck your ground at the battery, make sure it is clean and tight. odds are you have enough contact to run the vehicle, but not good enough to start ( starting draws 5 times the amps that run does) Check all ground wires at frame and engine as well.

THe battery drain, first place to look, ALL ADDED ON COMPONENTS, as in if it ain't factory, disc onnect it. leave them disconnected and see if you still have the issue, then add one at a time. OR use a volt meter to do an amp draw test.

almost every time I have had a battery drain complaint, it was a result of aftermarket equipment, and I had to PROVE it to the owner, who would then just be astonded that they now had a repair bill, because their problem was self inflicted.
Stereo components are NOTORIOUS for power drain issues, impoper hook up/wiring, malfunctioning internals, sometimes just junk by design.
 
I can't open your audio file, but sometimes a ticking noise can be a leaking/cracked exhaust manifold/header. It may be unnoticeable at idle, but gets louder while on the gas, but I guess the valves would get louder too.

Just throwing one in there.
 
i heard it..........
it is a rod if when you hit the gas it gets louder and faster you know for sure.

By the sound of it the crankshaft needs to be pulled and ground and oversize bearings used to save that thing
 
For the video, try right clicking then save target as. That usually will work for anyone. I use firefox and when I just click on it it will open as a page, not a video.....strange.

Thanks for the information guys. I'm about to eat dinner then get it jump started. I can record it as in audio, not video file if I need to. Thanks for replying.
I will get back to you guys.
 
I have no idea what is making the sound, but get a broom stick and put your ear on one end then hold the other end to the motor. stick it all over the place and when the sound is the loudest you will at least have an idea where its comming from.

Report back with your findings.
 
Yo,
How many miles on that 3VZ? They typically start their death march around 150K. Head gasket kills most. Antifreeze gets in oil, dilutes the oil and then bottom end destroys itself. Run it long enough and it will also destroy cylinder walls. Your noise sounds like a bottom end problem. Likely a loose rod bearing. Fix it now and its a cheap overhaul. Wait and you may as well start looking for a replacement block.

My $0.02 :beer:
 
I'm pretty sure a valve is what is causing the ticking noise.

A lifetime warranty came with this work. I see the word valve 2 times. Does the description listed match or relate to a valve issue? Do you think I'm covered?

paper1.JPG




paper2.JPG



Work was finished 1/11/04.

I repeat. LIFETIME WARRANTY.
 
lifetime warranty on egnine those guys are crazy, one of the valves is PCV valve i think. it looks like the block was rebuilt and the heads were maybe not done. in the second video it did not sound as bad as the first. maybe is a valve. I bet that was an expensive bill.
 
The pics were changed from before, total bill was in the 7K range, lotta $$$
looked like $3k+ just in labor
 
next time you need a motor come see me for $7,000 I'll put what ever ya want in there, where did you take this thing the stealership

You Could have gotten a long block 3VZ from LCEngineering for $3,200.00 that will beat anything anyone else could build for a stocker some one stuck it to you good sorry to say.

if you got a life time warrenty with that I WOULD USE IT FOR EVERY THING IT WAS WORTH YOU PAYED FOR IT.
 
-Validate your tapping noise with an independent shop. Get their analysis in writing and signed by ASE mechanic.
-Take runner to place that gave you the warranty. Present the analysis and tell them to fix it. Get in writing estimated time and ANY cost they want to stick you with before signing on the dotted line.
-You can always take them to small claims court with your independent analysis if necessary.
Utilize the warranty you paid for be ready to prove that vehicle has been cared for since the work i.e. oil changes.
-May be a worn cam lobe. If shop did not lube it well and break in the cam properly, its possible for a lobe to fail. Looks like they sold you two new cams and failed to properly break them in at start up.

:beer:
 
I finally heard it, definetly not the exhaust.....

If you don't mind me askin, what in the hell caused an engine rebuild to be in the 7k range????? Last I remember it was somewhere in the 3k range for a typical rebuild. I figured you could get a crate motor for less than that.
 
the motor had siezed up. thats why it was rebuilt.

i had no control over cost...anything....it was taken to the dealership and told to fix it....what we got back was what you see.
 
Yo,

Sounds like a flat cam lobe! Dealer fruitcake mokanic likely did not lube the new cams properly no did he/she break in cams properly.
Could also be prematurely worn rod bearing and piston is hitting the head! Just tore one of those down with that problem. 3VZ has very close piston to head clearance and once rod bearing deteroriates, piston slams the head. So, is noise same as crank speed or half that. I can not tell in audio file. Maybe someone else can determine. Anyway, take the motor back to rip-off dealer and tell them to fix it. When fixed, get list of parts replaced. That will tell the story.

My $0.02 :beer: :popcorn:
 
Finally got it in the shop. Starting with the electrical problem, I think its safe to assume the problem was the aftermarket sound system draining the battery at night. Battery is dead.
Toyota suggests that when a battery is dead, and is jump started the minimal charge is being sent through the electrical system. Supposedly relating to this noise, but they have not heard the noise.
The guy I talk to up there is trying to weasel out of looking internally at the motor. Here is my list of reciepts from Toyota....
$21.36 2/6/02
$85.33 8/22/02
$21.14 10/5/02
$1537.54 4/11/03
$73.55 4/18/03
$263.82 6/25/03
$33.70 8/1803
$15.25 8/30/03
$24.78 8/30/03
$195.49 9/6/03
$0.00 1/29/04
$7862.32 1/31/04
$611.04 2/06/04
$492.83 3/11/04
$1212.67 8/10/04
$16.72 9/24/04
$183.69 9/24/04
$0.00 10/30/04
$49.62 11/02/04
$137.15 11/19/04
$0.00 12/07/04
$22.76 1/25/05
$25.92 9/1/05

I think you can see why I highlighted 2004.
 
I would have never spent that kind of money on a rebuild, and I'm sorry this has happened to you, maybe it's time to start getting ugly..... With that kind of $ spent, they should bend over backwards to fix it.
 
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