Terrible Cat Noise

Long time reader, first time poster!

Last year I picked up a 2014 4 cylinder Tacoma and maybe a week or so later I had this strange noise coming from the catalytic converter. I took it to the dealer, they practically said I was hearing things and even tried to blame it on the AC.

Video of that noise:

This noise is triggered by the same thing from the noise today, during a cold start and when accelerating, definitely doesn’t seem like a coincidence to me.

I ended up leaving it alone because it was very quiet, however today that has changed. Today it sounds absolutely awful, the video below is a cold start, no AC/Heat on, idling in park.

Video from today (won’t let me
embed it) : https://youtube.com/shorts/0Ro3Gjqr5ew?feature=share

Seems to make the same awful noise at certain times when hitting the gas, mostly when I first start to accelerate.

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on this? Currently waiting on the service manager to call me back, but last time all the techs swore up and down they didn’t hear anything. I even drove around with one of them and pointed it out last year with the not as bad noise, and they still “didn’t hear anything”.

 

You sure it's not the heat shield rattling?

 

I checked out all the heat shields around the cat and none of them were missing screws and seemed pretty sturdy. I thought it may have been that, but with the symptoms being the exact same as before only louder, I didn’t think it could be the heat shields. No smacking around when I go over bumps, etc, only on cold starts and when accelerating.

 

Something is loose & needs a new bolt. Mine was a heat shield rattling around only did it when I stepped on the gas. I had to take it in to find it. I couldn’t find it & I tried to locate it. Threaten to take your business to another mechanic & I bet they’ll find it. I would start going to a different mechanic anyways. You need a mechanic you can trust!!

 

check here. you might need a new gasket & hardware

 

I’ll definitely check that out! This dealership has given me nothing but problems, last year the tech tried to blame that squeaking noise on the truck pulling air in from the fender, when the video clearly shows it coming straight from the cat. I’d leave the service managers message after message trying to get something figured out and got zero responses unless I drove down there. Same thing happened today, service manager was with a customer, I left my number and message with the rep on the phone and it’s now end of day with zero response, just like last year. I do all the maintenance myself, and only take it to the dealer for this specific issue because I brought it to their attention the week I got the truck. I’d be super happy for it to be some simple hardware needing replaced and not the actual cat, but they won’t even give me the time of day. Last year they basically told me there was nothing they could do. I’m not a rude person, and I’m very understanding, but it’s gotten to the point where they are just hoping I go away or something or pay them $2,000+ for a new cat which definitely isn’t happening. If this actually is an issue with the cat, any tips on getting THEM to replace it since it was heavily documented the week I got the truck and constantly brought back for the same noise?

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...vice-campaign-2010-2014-4-cyl-tacomas.399785/

You're welcome.

And find another dealer.

 

Heat shield loose? When it's cold, grab it and see if u can replicate the noise.

 

I tried that as well, the service manager at this dealership is the wife of someone I worked with, I sent this email and the response was basically that she would forward the information on to the shop manager, and when I continued to ask what was going on, the replies I would get from her would be super vague like “did so and so contact you?” And then she would continue a conversation about something non Toyota related, avoiding the entire purpose of the email. Email after that was her asking if I had heard from the shop manager, which I hadn’t, and basically they avoided contacting me at all costs unless I drove down there to talk to them, in which they told me “there was nothing they could”.

 

Call corporate.

Quit trying to tell them the diagnosis, just tell them you want to participate in the SSC, which did NOT require a problem to be present.

Also, by definition, there is no expire date on the SSC

And like I suggested, find another dealer.

 

I absolutely will, and I appreciate the advice! Should there be anything on this page when checking for the SSC? I don’t see why mine wouldn’t be included if that’s the case.

 

^This

 

Give them your vin and ask if the SSC has been completed already. It may well have been.

If so, ask when. Then ask if the time clock on those components of the emissions system 'reset' at that date. Your should be under 8 years, even if miles are over. Also they would have recorded miles at the time of the work, so the mileage clock for those components may have reset too.

 

I absolutely will, thank you for the information, I’ll be heading down there Wednesday morning loaded with questions and information, wish me luck!

 

Not the dealer. Toyota Corporate is where to be asking.

 

That’ll be my first call tomorrow! This does however have me a little worrisome, any thoughts?

 

All you can do is ask.

Is it over 80k?

 

Sitting at 111k currently

 

Just ran outside to give that a try, I grabbed both heat shields near the noise and it didn’t seem to change it. However, when I pushed on the cat it’s self, the noise went away, I let it go and noise comes back

 

Terrible cat noise you say?

https://youtube.com/shorts/X061Xbrv52E?feature=share