Engine noise at idle

I like the 4Runner off road premium a lot Its every thing I was looking for looks great in barcelona red feels good on the road only had it 2 days so far, I just hope they can address the noise, The alinement dosen't worry me i can fix this at my job if Toyota can't but the idle noise worries me. I wanted to start doing up grades but now that is goin on the bottom of the list of things to do.

 

I would definitely take it to the dealer and compare it to another 4runner. These are noisy engines, but that doesn't mean there isn't something wrong. The sound does remind me of a diesel sometimes, though.

 

My 2021 Venture has 510 miles, and it sounds like it has a diesel engine on cold start up.
I followed another thread on the "toyota-4runner.org" site, that echoed all the same comments posted here.
The 1GR-FE dual VVT is a noisy engine.
I don't like it, but many 5th gen owners say their 4.0L engines make noises, but they run great, and last a long time.
To me, the noises sound like mild piston slap, and some generous rod bearing clearance.
If my copy runs reliably for 300,000 miles with good power at the expected MPG, I will forgive Toyota, and change my words from "bad noise" to "inherent feature".
BTW, I brought my vehicle back to my stealership this week, and they said all 4Runner engines sound the same... for what that's worth.

 

My 2021 with approx 4600 miles sounds great! Hot, cold, just starts and sounds normal. No complaints on the ‘21. The wife has a ‘20 with 6500 miles and same with it. No complaints, no noise, hot or cold.

I do run 0W-20 Shell Rotella Truck and SUV oil, with Archoil 9100 additive, the same formula I run in everything I own. I changed the oil at 1k on both of them and found a lot of chips in the filter, and glad I changed them early.

 

Are you using synthetic oil. Made my 2005 runner so noisy I switched back to conventional

I have 150,000 miles on my 2005 and never had a check engine lite in 15 years. I do my own oil changes in the driveway at 5000 miles.

take it to the dealer for tranny fluid every 70,000 to 100,000 miles.

did rear end with Valvoline myself - easy peasy!

so much over maintenance advice on these webs. I never off road.

 

There is no conventional 0W-20

 

did you do the oil lab test on this toyota engine ?
Toyota oil spec sheet ::
I looked up the Archoil 9100 additive and the company did not indicate what chemicals are in the spec sheet..
I did use TB ZINC plus on my 1978 merc boat engine .. used 4OZ with 15-40wt shell T4 .. engine has flat tappets and when I put it in the engine runs very quiet ..I have no engine problems owned it 30 yrs still working ..
the engine starts up faster easy to rotate zinc works good .. but if the cat converters get zinc in it the converters will get damaged and the new oil now has a reduced zinc PPM ... engines make more noise..
$45 Archoil 9100...

 

I found the oil spec on a used oil blackstone analysis with the acrh 9100 additive

 

Your noise is most likely normal. I have a "knock" in mine also, and don't worry about it one bit.

 

I just received the truck from toyota alinement was out toe to the right the mechanic was the one who delivered it i told him if it wasn't rite i would do the alinement at my shop and sent toyota the bill, as for the knock i checked a few 4 runners 2 2020 1 2021 at the service center when i dropped off the 4 runner all sound the same loud as hell on the first start, in drive not so bad when they warmed up not as loud but very noticeable, in gear hot it was faint had to really listen for it. I got the print out of the complaint on file at work just in case something goes wrong. I think for now i will just have to deal with the noise. I don't want to return it because i like it to much.

 

I got the archoil 9100 additive spec sheet with a blackstone lab oil test . had about 1100 PPM potassium...
the Toyota oil had less than 5 PPM potassium ..
blackstone put in the contaminates section of the archoil 9100 oil testing.

 

My engine is running perfect and quiet. I use basic Mobil 1 5-30 syn. Every 4500miles, was doing it every 3500 miles then I read the Toyota maintenance book and it says every 5k, so I over did it a little.
Here’s an example of newer oils...
I changed to some new Motul high tech oil in the Gixxer. Within a few miles I was having shifting problems and though WTF. I couldn’t stand it, so I switched back to standard Honda GN4 and I’m riding wheelies again shifts perfect. WTH?
My point is maybe try a different brand Syn oil in 0-20???

 

When my 2020 starts up it sounds like a big, loud, unsophisticated engine that doesn't care to be anything else. There's a roar at startup (warm or cold doesn't seem to matter) that has an agricultural quality to it. I don't hear a diesel kind of clatter, or anything that remotely sounds broken or in danger of breaking, but rather what you might expect if you imagined a gas powered 18 wheeler. A big engine that's designed to be reliable at its main function, without regard to the comfort or aural pleasure of the operator. In other words, an old school truck engine.

I'm not saying the OP or others haven't identified a real problem with their particular engines. Maybe they have, and if so Toyota needs to take it seriously. I just wonder sometimes where new 4Runner owners are coming from, what they are used to driving and what their expectations are. The 4Runner doesn't purr. Not remotely. It doesn't coddle. Not even close. It's barely civilized by 1990 standards, let alone 2020. It's a truck -- and not a truck that's designed to feel like a car. Some of us like that. I understand those who don't. But they should be buying something else.

 

I just took my 2015 4Runner to an Auto repair shop this week. They are good mechanics I’ve used in the past and I wanted another assessment of the noise besides the dealers. I agree with some of the other posts that it sounds like a Diesel engine at idle. They said I shouldn’t be concerned with the engine noise as it is normal for these engines. Noisiest engine I’ve ever owned so hopefully it makes it over 200k without any major issues like my tundra did.

 

I noticed that roar at start up on my test drive. I drove on freeway and down some bumpy roads. Parked it in a shopping lot and got out and looked at cargo area, folded seats down etc to really check it out. When I started it up again (engine was warm) she roared again upon starting up for maybe 20-30 seconds and idle kicked down. If she is reliable as everyone says I can live with that, I am used to old school SUV anyway coming out of old Explorer

 

Yup, it's a lot louder than my Model 3 on startup. And when idling. And driving. Pretty much always.

It shakes too. Model 3 doesn't do that.

Weird.

 

The noisy engine is pretty we documented. You're either stuck with it or you can trade it for something more civilized.

In '96 they used a timing belt and less complicated valvetrain. A brand new 4runner will sound like a jalopy compared to any well maintained 3rd gen at idle.

Great post!

 

I tried synthetic oil in my 2005 4runner (150,000 miles) which I purchased from a dealer new and the noise from the engine increased and I got leaks (drips) in my 2 car garage (Nassau, Bahamas), so I switched back to conventional and the drips slowed to 1 a week and the noise was much less.

Change it every 5000miles and conventional is better than synthetic. I thought the synthetic was doing engine damage.

The drips with the synthetic were 10 times as on conventional.

When synthetic oil leads to serious engine issues, than the naysayers will be looking stupid. I expect Toyota recall someday over this cheap thin synthetic oil.

 

Pretty sure that the roar is the thermo clutch fan. Normal

 

And one time at band camp i.......

 

We can't run conventional because there is no conventional 0W-20.

Synthetic oil will not damage the engine. I ran Mobil 1 in my '03 and at over 250K miles it was still nearly silent at idle. These engines are noisy. It's not because if the oil.

 

$21 Castrol GTX 10W-30 Conventional Motor Oil, 5 Quarts

Amazon.com: Castrol 03093 GTX 10W-30 Conventional Motor Oil - 5 Quart: Automotive

▷ Best Engine Oil For Toyota 4runner (March 2021 Review & Buying Guide) | CarnesMechanical

I use NAPA Premium Performance 10W-30 (5 quart jug) and change at 4000 to 5000 miles. NAPA Motor Oil 10W30 Conventional 1 qt (US) NOL 75130 | Buy Online - NAPA Auto Parts (napaonline.com)

I'll never put synthetic in my 2005 4runner again. The increase in lifter and engine noise was immediate. The sudden dripping oil was "crazy".

 

Again, this is really irrelevant because the later 4runners recommend 0w-20, which is only available in synthetic.

And, most folks will agree that synthetic is as good or better than conventional in most vehicles. There are plenty of high mileage vehicles on the road that are running synthetic oil.

 

in the end of 2016 Toyota changed the engine oil to synthetic 0-20wt... oil change is in the 2016 manual 5,000 miles .. now TOYOTA when using synthetic oil change is 10K miles..

I want to put on here the power steering fluid is an error in the manual .. DEXRON III ..
well I looked it up called a few dealerships prestone asian power steering fluid synthetic as269.
GM dexron III dumped this in 2006 creates acid .. damages transmissions.
the PS fluid in the power steering is a light brown color and the as269 lasts for 100K miles.


"""
Stopped whining in Toyota Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2017

$10 Prestone AS269 Power Steering Fluid for Asian Vehicles - 12 oz.

Verified Purchase
Worked great on Toyota 4 runner. Stopped pump whining that occurred using Trans. Fluid that manufacturer recommends. Toyota should stop recommending Trans. Fluid."""

 

This diesel sound people are referring to... is it injector noise, clackety detonation sounds, or the fan?

I have to say my 21 is as quiet as i would expect it, barring the cooling fan for the first 15 sec. The first time i heard a runner of this gen, I thought...wow it sounds like my dad’s 1988 chevy conversion van (with a 350). I thought it was kind of neat a “new” car is still using belt driven cooling fans with clutch.

Once the fan clutches in and stops, I find this engine to be as quiet as any other V6. No loud clicky injector noises like the new direct injection engines have, or clacky deisel detonation sounds. Just the nice gentle idling sounds any V6 would make. Also I like the little longitudinal engine twist on startup, first time Ive owned a vehicle with the engine the right way in.

Whatever sound comes out of that emissions air pump when you shut it off is pretty stupid sounding though lol.

 

It's a combination of things. The chain, solid lifters, and some other fancy stuff. It's just a lot of clicking and clacking. It's loud AF compared to my '03 (V8, timing belt).

 

I have run Archoil 9100 first in my 7.3 power stroke, made a huge difference. I did 90k on a 2016 Nissan Maxima with early oil analysis, all using Archoil 9100. I have had fantastic results from running 9100, I’m going to try and sample my oil change on the ‘21 very soon.

 

I am having 5w-30 put in tomorrow, I’ll see if that quiets it down a hair. I have been using the same the same brand oil since new, only in 0w-20. I do not think i need 0w 20.

 

It won't. The Tacoma got 5W-30 and was just as noisy.

But, they can run 5W-30 in Puerto Rico, so I don't think it will hurt anything.

 

Did you use Schaeffers ?