Auto transmission rattle when in Drive / Stopped

Hi all,

Anyone seen a automatic transmission make a rattling noise when in Drive, and
stopped at a stoplight?

My '97 started doing this a few months ago. The rattling goes away as soon as I let off the brake and start moving, or shift into park or neutral. Any ideas?

And yes the fluid level is fine. =)

 

What happens when you are in reverse and stopped with the engine running ? do you get the same rattle you hear when you are in drive or is there no ratlle at all ?
Are we working with a 4x4 or 2 wheel drive ? what size motor ? Got a lift kit ?

 

In reverse the noise goes away as well when running and stopped with brakes on.

4wd 2.7 L no lift kit

 

mine is doing this at the moment. but mine is from the motor mounts not being bolted up.

a while back they did the same thing but the ears on the perches broke off so it was free and vibrating

 

Judging by your explanation , I would be looking at the transmission mount and motor mounts. Go under the truck with a pry bar and pry away . Something is loose or worn out

 

Thanks for the tip, I will check this out.

 

Here is what a bad motor mount looks like.

Also the ears may have broken off so it will look like it's not seated properly

 

if you look under the tranny support there is a little doo-hicky (technical term) that looks like a leg under a refrigerator and its there to prevent the bracket from falling off the tranny or something (cant remember what the Toyota guy told me it was for) but on mine it was loose and rattling so I went under there and put a zip tie on it and boom no more rattle and quiet as a mouse.

you will see what im talking about when you get under there.

I almost cut it off but someone told me its there for a reason so I left it.

 

Here are the shots, doesn't look like the mounts are bad.

Hard to get under there to see what is rattling, by the time I get back to my garage it stops. Doesn't do it every time.

Plus i have to get my wife to hold the brake in drive while I am underneath.....

 

I had the same symptoms when I bought my truck. I ended up having to have the transmission rebuilt for over $2k. I hope your problem isn't this severe.

 

Mounts look OK visually but you have to pry at them to tell if they are starting to fail . Maybe take it to a shop where they can put it up on a hoist and look, this way you can have someone sitting in the truck moving the transmission through the gears as you try and reproduce the rattle

 

Well I finally found out where the rattle was coming from. Started rattling as I was pulling out of my garage so I had time to look for it with some help.

It looks like a bracket holding up the back of my cat converter, vibrating against the exhaust pipe.

Luckily it is not my tranny!

Thanks for the help all.

 

Yup , That will do it

 

wow, what a stupid design that is

glad mine isn't anything like that, must be a 4wd or prerunner thing

 

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. I don't know why it just started rattling either. Doesn't look like anywhere to tighten it, it is held on by two rubber pieces unless they are starting to wear out and causing more play.