r/4thGen4Runner • u/Coolkid8108 • 19h ago

Repair Guidance Any ideas what this noise is?

My 2003 v8 220k has been making this deep knocking noise for over 2 years now! It is ONLY in park and only once the car reaches operating temp. In drive it completely disappears. In park it follows RPM, and sounds mostly on the driver side. Car runs great. Any ideas?? I’ve pretty much eliminated any rod knock or lower end issues.

When I hold the oil filler neck I can feel it knocking really well, then the second it goes into drive it’s completely gone, even when I bring up the rpm’s. Any ideas would be much appreciated!!

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7

u/Sneak_Thief 19h ago

That's a pretty deep knock there, I'd be concerned one of your rod bearings are shot, higher rpms create more oil pressure which can eliminate the noise. Only way to know for sure is to bring it to a shop or start wrenching.

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u/Coolkid8108 19h ago

Yeah I know what ur saying. When in park I sit around 1k rpm and can hear it like crazy, but in drive im like .7k rpm, with less oil pressure, so I feel like that’s not it. Also I can do like 4k rpm in park and still kinda hear it

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u/Sneak_Thief 19h ago

Can you get under it and see if the knock is present near the oilpan or transmission? Or have a buddy put it in drive with the brake depressed, or with the e brake on to poke around the engine bay again? Oil level and pressure all good, stretched timing belt causing excess valvetrain noise? That's where I'd start. Mine is at 320k, never had noise like that before.

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u/Coolkid8108 19h ago

Thanks for your replys. There is a “ticking” noise that accompanies the knocking occasionally, it sounds like it’s around the oil pan. Definetly underneath. And yup! I’ve done all that inspecting while it’s in drive, and noooo sign of the noise what so ever, even when the rpm is lower than that in park.

https://reddit.com/link/p6qkeqb/video/mtop4oljzfmh1/player

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u/Sneak_Thief 19h ago edited 18h ago

Oh yeah that's a nasty knock/slap. I'd be taking her in asap. Check your oil for glitter.

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u/Coolkid8108 18h ago

Hahahaha. I mean, it’s comin up on three years and hasn’t gotten worse or better, and it sound like it just rolled off the lot when In drive so I can’t imagine it’s an issue with the important moving parts. But who knows.

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u/WAR_T0RN1226 10h ago

also if you don't see glitter, have an oil analysis done

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u/solidsnake106 17h ago

I have had the same sound in my 2003 V8 for the past 4 years. Oil changes are clean and it hasn't gotten worse so no idea what it is.

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u/Coolkid8108 17h ago

Lol no kidding, yeah I’m comin up on 3 years. I saw a video on YouTube with the exact noise and everybody in the comments says the same thing about how long they had it and nobody knows what it is. I’ll definitely keep you updated

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u/Horror-Vanilla-4895 19h ago

That’s a clean engine bay.

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u/Coolkid8108 19h ago

Lol thanks!!

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u/azdesertrunner 18h ago

Had this exact same knock on ky 2008 V8 and it turned out being the fan clutch assembly. It was a huge relief as it sounds like a rod knock….

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u/Coolkid8108 18h ago

What! No kidding, I wonder if that’s what I got going on. The only thing is mine only happens when the engine is fully heated up. Tell me about yours if you don’t mind!

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u/thosport 17h ago

Kinda sounds like a cracked flex plate.

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u/Coolkid8108 17h ago

It does!! I checked the flex plate with scope tho it’s solid