3rd Gen Poll: Rear End Noise howling when feathering throttle

You can take it anywhere but Toyota corporate is getting into a habit of locking up any repair work done anywhere. Then again you are still getting reports of people still getting help. My vehicle is screwed at a corporate level for whatever reason YMMV.

 

Tacoma drivers

What am I missing.

A rear differential howl is reported here on TW to manifest itself after the first 600-1000 miles.
No one who has only test drive a new Tacoma has reported hearing a rear differential howl.
No one who has purchased a new Tacoma has reported a rear differential howl on the initial drive home.
Since reading these TW threads I have test driven three new Tacoma's at speed and no rear differential howl was experienced.

Yet when a Tacoma owner takes their over 600 miles Tacoma into the dealer for a howling rear differential, the dealer compares the howling differential Tacoma to other new Tacomas on the lot and says the howling differential is normal because all the new Tacomas do it. TW members experiences seem to conflict with the dealer.

How does that pass the logic test?

Again, what am I missing?

 

I first noticed the howl at about mile 20. Mile 20 was about a mile after I had left the dealer haha There are a few of us on here who had the howl from pretty much the get go. I bet I had the howl from mile 1, but with 3 people in the rig talking I never noticed. I was also very excited that I found the taco I wanted!

 

I had an extended test drive of 3 days in an Automatic OR and it started Howling when 53 miles were on the odometer, the truck I bought did not start howling until right around 300 miles, I knew what to listen for from the other one howling.

 

Yeah mine started at about 2k.

But I’m going in for my 20k service and I plan on test driving an 18 just to see.

 

Thanks guys, I stand corrected the howling starts between 20-1000 miles. I guess that gives the dealerships some credibility in this matter.
I did some added research and it appears the TRD Off Road and TRD Pro models have a larger size read differential than all the other models, but from what I can conclude it may not make a difference. I did ask the TRD Pro owners if any of them had howling, but got no response.

Based on logic, and past and current Tacoma ownership, I still can't by into it's "normal".

Again, thanks

 

Totally agree that this isn’t normal.

I got the regional Toyota rep to agree to that.

It’s a “characteristic” of the Tacoma is the BS I got.

Also as far as we can tell here all the models have it; regardless of ring gears size, unfortunately.

 

When I left the dealership with a new TRD-PRO with 3 miles (new) it had a whine coming from the back area. I drove it home, went back to the dealership a few days later, the service manager drove the truck heard the noise, he said drive it see if it stops. As I mentioned on an earlier post, I said no thanks. The dealer refunded my money and I left the truck with 70 miles on the odometer, I was lucky if I had bought the truck at one the big corporate dealerships, the truck would still be in my garage and I would have had to hire a lawyer.

 

Do 2 wheel drive models have the noise ?

 

Also the Larger Diff is in the Manual Transmission Models.

 

Good question.

I think someone established all the different rear ends have had it.

But I don’t know about 2wd vs 4wd.

 

I have a 2016 2wd and no noise 34000 miles

 

My MT ‘17 Pro (build date 9/2016) with just under 10k miles has the rear diff whine. It made itself known around 1k miles or at least that’s when I started noticing. Induced as others have mentioned, letting off the throttle / feathering at roughly 50-65 mph.

 

With the way things are today I feel pretty save assuming engine oil, front diff, transfer case, and rear diff are all synthetic compounds called oil. So for this scenario, the rear differential, would it be a practical test to remove the synthetic from the rear differential and replace with say,

$30 75w-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75w-90 real gear oil for a comparison or would this be voiding the warranty?
I find it very hard to believe Toyota or any other manufacture redesigns the entire rear axle assy every year or every couple of years unless there is a major redesign of the the vehicle in question.

I would be willing to bet the rear axle assy on a 2016 DCSB auto trans off road Tacoma is the same assy on the 2018 DCSB auto trans off road Tacoma.
The only small chance for a redesign rear axle assy would be the change in engines from 4.0 to 3.5.

Thanks for reading.

 

Others have run

$30 75w-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75w-90 with mixed results.

I’m seriously considering doing it myself.

I don’t think it’ll affect anything but mileage (and hopefully the howl) and I’m pretty sure Toyota would be hard pressed to claim it voids their warrenty. Equal or better the way I see it.

Although I plan on keeping it synthetic.

 

The howl has existed through the entire production cycle of the second gen.

We’ve covered the TSB for that gen in numerous posts.

 

Thanks skiploder, Ive read that about the 2nd gens as well. I don't think the 2nd gen characteristic were/are as noticeable as the complaints registered here for the 3rd gens. I have owned Toyota trucks for years; I also know "things" with gears tend to make some noise, but not enough to return it or just not buy it.

I'm currently driving a 2011 Tacoma DCSB TX Pro, 87,803 miles and I have repeatedly strained to hear some type of sound from my rear differential but can't detect anything. I've purposely feathered the throttle at a variety of speeds, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70 and 70-80 and I can not detect any change in sound coming from the rear differential. I do off road about 30-40 percent of my summer driving (Mar-Dec).

Why am I in the 3 gen world; I have a 2018 TRD PRO marked for me some time before April 2018. This thread is making me question my decision and convincing me I might be very smart to turn it down when it arrives.

The howl may be, in reality, just a true and valid "characteristic" of the new, 2nd gen and newer Tacomas, more time will tell. I will give the 2018 a chance and give it a thorough test drive before commuting to the purchase. A background rear diff noise is expected and OK; an overpowering howl is not.

I spend most of my summer off roading deep into the Rockies, I want to the same confidence level in the new 2018 as I have in my 2011. If Toyota was/is not changing out rear differentials for some, but not others, as documented here on TW, one might tend to be more inclined to believe the howl is just the latest and greatest new characteristic for the Tacoma.

Additionally, there's rumors the 2019 will have an increased towing capacity of about 8000 lbs, may just have to wait for a new Tacoma.

 

I'd keep the 2nd gen. I took my 3rd gen to Utah on my bad differential. It was a struggle the whole way. I had to continuously put ECT mode and on/off and when I set cruise control. The engine has tendency rev alot (3k+)to make it over a grade. Embarsssing as my new Tacoma was being beat up grades by guys towing trailers.

This is not a truck for the mountains. If it had a turbo or supercharger sure... In ski resort towns I just people pass me as I know there's no point.

Sea level it does pretty well. I can tow everything I need. I will say I seem to have misfires from the high pressure fuel pump. I hear can rattling or popcorn sound during inclines as the engine is lugging. Thought switching to 89 would help.

I wouldn't be so bitter if Toyota would help me with my issues. Their flat out refusal or even acknowledgement and treating customers like kids has forever changed my opinion of Toyota.

 

Maybe try and test drive a used 16 or 17 with at least 5k. Still hit or miss if it has the howl but at least if you do hear it you’ll know what we’re all dealing with.

I honestly don’t think all new Tacoma’s have the howl. So you might get lucky. Or maybe we’re all just unlucky with the howl.

 

Well what's the incentive to upgrade ? A fancy interior, a QI charger and a cheap LCD touch screen. Then you have a questionable engine which has a cylinder head swap from the 3.5 Camry and Sienna.

At least the older 1GRE is proven. Plenty of mods, no pseudo Atkinson cycle or faulty high pressure fuel pumps..

I find it interesting the new 4 runners use the older engine.