"Cards In Spokes" clicking noise Driver's Side Front

My 2013 Tacoma often makes a sporadic clicking noise that sound like it is coming from somewhere near the front driver's side axle area or perhaps under the hood somewhere in front of the driver's seat. It has happened sporadically since I bought the truck. It most often happens after cold starts and driving away for the first time. It sound a little like the sound cards would make if attached near a bicycle spoke. It usually goes away when warmed up but not always. If it is making the sound and I back off on the accelerator it quiets and then resumes again when I accelerate. I have also heard it when simply idling. I have heard it in both warm and cold times of the year. I have had the dealer look into it twice and of course they could not re-create or diagnose the problem. This is driving me crazy that I can't figure out what is causing this noise! I have seen other posts with a similar sounding problem and none of these have any resolution. Help!

 

gotta be something with ur driver side cv axle. they tent to click click click when there going bad.. also have u checked your belt? hmm...'

 

he said he can hear the noise at times even at idle....we need more information, i understand the type of sound, but under what temp and what load. When was the last service? Has OP actually opened the hood and looked into the engine bay?

OP...what do you think the noise may be? just give your best guess.....

lets' narrow a few things down...

 

yeahhhh.. i just reread it again, hmm maybe the famous 4.0l engine tick noise...

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with the cv joints. It only has 12,000 relatively easy going miles and was serviced last week. The dealer said bring it back and leave it overnight so they can try it when it is cold.

 

I have heard it at all times of the year, warm and cold. Most often occurs when cold.
I have heard it just starting to move and at 50 plus MPH. I have looked under the hood for clues and can't see or hear anything that seems like the cause. It does not happen often when idling so I have yet do do this while the problem was occurring. My son thought that possibly engine vibration was somehow causing the e brake cable to rattle against the frame. The sound seems to be coming from this general area. I have not yes looked at the cable. The problem is so sporadic and inconsistent that it hard to figure out.

 

Does anyone have any idea's on what this might be?

I took it back to the dealer last night. They said they drove it twice and heard nothing unusual. They also said they checked the axles and examined the undercarriage and don't see anything. They are going to try again tomorrow.

I found a similar thread on toyotanation.com, but this was from 2007 and despite several people claiming they have this problem no one has figured it out.
At least 2 people with a similar problem discovered that their noise was being caused by a split mudflap that would cause a chafing against the body. I checked this and mine seem to be fine although I do have a steep driveway I back out of and my mudflaps most often scrape the ground a bit when I crest over the top in reverse.