2022 Tacoma spark knock

Hi everyone - I’ve seen some posts on this, but I want to see if anyone has a solution to this. I have a new Tacoma with just over 7,000 miles now. When I am driving on a fully warmed up engine, I am getting that spark knock, tinkling sound, under moderate acceleration. It usually happens somewhere between 15 - 40 mph and it’s hard to pick up on video, but it is noticeable with the windows down.

I run 87 Shell in the truck. I’ve seen lots of people describing something very similar to this. Any ideas to make this go away? Frustrating to have this on a new truck.

 

Just for the hell if it next fill up put 91 in and see if it goes away

 

Funny you should say that…. That’s my plan when this tank runs dry. Thanks for responding.

 

You have a new truck with a warranty, use it. It was designed to run on 87, so if it does it regularly, then something is wrong and needs addressed. My guess is-it’s not actually preignition and it’s just the noisy v6 we’ve come to know and enjoy.

 

Just be glad you can hear your engine. All I hear is the buzzing from the TRD exhaust. Sounds like a 10cc chainsaw.

 

Money is on the direct injection cleaning cycle.

 

If it goes away with 91, I would disconnect the battery to reset the ECU and see if it comes back with 87. If it does, you need to take that to the dealer. Not good for the engine at all.

 

I am going to take it in on Thursday just to be sure. I know the cleaning cycle noise, and it is not that. It sounds like a tinkling, or metallic rattling. I've seen some YouTube posts that people have made, and they refer to it as spark knock. It only happens when the truck is in motion, and the RPM's are typically low when it occurs, and I am giving it moderate gas. Maybe it is a normal function of this 3.5 2GR engine, but I wondered if anyone else had experienced this, and actually solved it. When this tank is empty, I will run 91 octane in it, and see if it continues to do this.

I'm going to be the dealer can't replicate the sound, or they will tell me it's normal.

 

That noise is actually the clearances on the rod/crank slamming together. So, needs to be resolved quickly.

 

Your symptoms sound like classic pre-detonation "pinging" usually caused by low quality gas or timing that is too far advanced. It always sounded like bottle caps rattling around in the engine to me. Your plan to run a tank of high octane is a reasonable diagnostic step.

 

Perhaps, but in the unlikely event you do have an issue and a catastrophic failure, you’ll have some proof you tried to rectify the problem and the dealer is partially at fault for not properly diagnosing and fixing the issue.

 

I wonder what the newer 22' tacomas will sound like when they hit the 100k mile range. Probably the same honestly. My buddy has the 16' off road TRD auto trans and the groan of the engine is slightly different. Lower pitched with the new one.

 

Mine does this. The rattling sound is audible abut 60% of the time that I encounter a situation where I am slowly applying increased throttle but the transmission hasn't yet down shifted. Just before the transmission shifts into a lower gear, a very distinct rattle is heard.

The only place that I have been able to reliably recreate this sound is on a very steep boat ramp with light to moderate throttle applied.

 

my 2.7L knocked like hell when i first got it and with 87 and hot weather. goes away as the ecu adjusts, but you will also lose some power as it retards the timing.

 

That rattle sound is right on the money... I'll keep posting and let you know what the dealership states, and what a tank of 91 does with this sound.

 

Don't quote me on this, but, in warmer climates, its actually easier on your ignition system to ignite a higher octane gas. And vice versa. I would try the higher octane gas in a warmer climate like mentioned above. As the octane level goes up, the amount of energy taken to ignite the gas also increases. So you may be having pre-ignition from that or bad gas at the pump on hotter days. I wonder how the ECM adjusts when the running 87 octane and its really cold out (20-30 degrees F). Probably also takes some fuel away from the injection once the engine is warm.

With the price we are paying for gas today, we deserve the best performance. The ignition system (spark plugs, coil packs, alternator, battery) on your car will reach equilibrium around higher octane and the ECM will actually start to inject less gas into the combustion chamber for a shorter amount of time. To combust the same amount of gas with a higher than recommended octane (91 in this case), would be putting additional strain/work on your engine ignition and timing in a cold climate where 87 works best, due to its lower energy of combustion.

Higher octane: eating healthy carbs that get digested slowly throughout the day.

 

Most likely would be detonation and not pre-ignition.

 

So maybe try running 89 or 91 during the Summer and revert back to 87 during Fall & Winter?

 

It’s designed to run on 87, don’t waste your money running a higher octane half the year. Try to capture it on audio, there is a wide range of speculations given in this thread so far, but the reality is no one knows until an audio clip confirms the sound.

 

Better yet just pick up a data logger and log for knock.