Weird noise only in the morning???

My truck has about 1100 miles. 3 days in the past week on start up it seems to be rough and loud. In reverse it seems to really vibrate. Once in drive it makes a clicking noise in the front end almost like a spinning carnival wheel snapping over the metal tabs. Within a quarter mile it all goes away and smooths out and never does it again the rest of the day even with sitting for 9 straight hours outdoors.

Seems really weird and irritating. I would go to the dealer but they will not be able to replicate it unless they keep it over night and then maybe not either since it seems intermittent. Not the way I want to start off with this! At least it is a lease.

Any one have any ideas or heard of this? It does not sound good for sure.

It gets more frequent with speed also=clicking rate is speed dependent.

 

Check the torque on your exhaust manifolds 1st. Then tap your cats with a rubber mallet to see if you hear something rattling around in there. Loose manifolds will cause a tick until they heat up and expand.

 

Yeah, I know the tick of exhaust, this is a mechanical clicking. Like a baseball card in the spoke of your bike spoke. Thinking it may be in the front differential. Maybe it is bad?

 

Do these trucks have power steering pumps or are they now electric?

 

Guess I am up chits creek on this one. Knew I should have stayed away from Toyota after the way the treated us on the TUNDRA frame recall. My mistake....shame on me.

 

1100 miles.. make toyota fix it under warranty .

 

Read post #1......not repeatable. Intermittent problem. I take it in and they won't have it happen. SPORADIC issue.

 

If it is the same noise, mine only makes it on cold morning and the truck has been left outside. I would be curious if it is the same noise and what the noise is? Does it only happen when it is cold outside?

 

Sounds like the Hydraulic fan clutch. If so it is normal.

 

1st gen. (going by your sig pic) truck with 1,100 miles?... wow.
Is there anything interfering with the fanblades?

 

YES! Very cold.......25 degrees or so. Yesterday it was 35 and no noise.

 

Yeah, got rid of the 1st Gen. Now have 2013 DCSB. No mods yet so no pics.

 

Why only when its cold though?

 

grab a good camera and record it.

 

I have a 2nd gen I had similar noise problem like popcorn popping at highway speed. It turned out to be an exhaust heat shield that had torn through one of the bolt holes. Put a SS washer on it and it went away.

 

Now see that you have 2nd gen also. Heat Shield under cat on passenger side of truck. See if that's it. It was louder then you could imagine

 

Read This; The bolded part is why it makes more noise when cold.

Automatic fan clutches ( aka thermal fan clutches )are hydraulic devices used to vary the speed in relation to the engine temperature. Automatic fan clutches are used with many engines, especially those equipped with factory installed air conditioning units. Automatic fan clutches permit the use of a high delivery fan to insure adequate cooling at reduced engine speeds while eliminating over cooling, excessive noise, and power loss at high speeds.

The automatic fan clutch has two modes of operation, the engaged mode and the disengaged mode. The disengaged mode ( engine cold or high speed driving conditions ) occurs when the silicone fluid is contained in the reservoir area of the fan clutch. As the temperature of the engine rises so does the temperature of the bimetallic coil. This bimetallic coil is connected to the arm shaft in such a way that as the temperature rises the shaft moves the arm exposing an opening in the pump plate. This opening allows the silicone fluid to flow from the reservoir into the working chamber of the automatic fan clutch.

The silicone fluid is kept circulating through the fan clutch by wipers located on the pump plate. A hole is located in front of each wiper, the speed differential between the clutch plate and the pump plate develops high pressure areas in front of the wipers, thus the fluid is forced back into the reservoir. But as the temperature rises the arm uncovers more of the large opening and allows more silicone fluid to re-enter the working chamber.

The automatic fan clutch becomes fully engaged when the silicone fluid, circulating between the working chamber and the reservoir, reaches a sufficient level in the working chamber to completely fill the grooves in the clutch body and the clutch plate. The resistance of the silicone fluid to the shearing action caused by the speed differential between the grooves transmits torque to the clutch body. The reverse situation occurs when the temperature drops. The arm slowly closes off the return hole thus blocking the fluid flow from the reservoir into the working chamber.

The continuous action of the wipers removes the silicone fluid from the grooves in the working chamber and reduces the shearing action. Less torque is transmitted to the clutch body and the speed of the fan decreases. The temperature at which the automatic fan clutch engages and disengages is controlled by the setting of the bimetallic coil. This setting is tailored to satisfy the cooling requirements of each make and model.

- How do I know if my fan clutch is working properly?
There are three ways to diagnose a bad fan clutch:
1- NOISE: Fan noise is sometimes evident under the following normal conditions: a- when clutch is engaged for maximum cooling, and b- during the first few minutes after start-up until the clutch can re-distribute the silicone fluid back to its normal disengaged operating condition after overnight settling; however, fan noise or an excessive roar will generally occur continuously under all high engine speed conditions ( 2500 rpm and up ) if the fan clutch assembly is locked up due to an internal failure. If the fan cannot be rotated by hand or there is a rough grating feel as the fan is turned, the clutch should be replaced.

2- LOOSENESS: Under various temperature conditions, there is a visible lateral movement that can be observed at the tip of the fan blade. This is a normal condition due to the type of bearing used. Approximately 1/4" maximum lateral movement measured at the fan tip is allowable depending on make and model. If the lateral movement exceeds the manufacturer's specifications, the fan clutch needs to be replaced.

3- SILICONE FLUID LEAK: The operation of the unit is generally not affected by small fluid leaks which may occur in the area around the bearing assembly. However, if the degree of leakage appears excessive, the fan clutch needs to be replaced.

 

Same problem here, I took me some time to realize it was when it was freezing outside, thought I was the only one with this issue.

 

Since it is warmer I have not had the issue. Thanks for the fan clutch info. That could surely be it. Cold fluid could make it not engage and cause the clicking.

 

You are welcome. I am fairly certain that is what you hear when it is cold.