Whirring (electric motor type) noise coming from under rear body.

Saturday evening, I went out to my garage and realized some kind of whirring noise was coming from under the back end of my 2017 Tacoma 4x4 TRD 4 door with less than 900 miles on it. It sounded like a small electric motor of some type running. I had driven it that morning and had parked it a few hours before I had gone out and heard the noise.

I could not pinpoint the running sound, however I started the truck and let it run a moment and shut it down. Afterwards it was not making that whirring noise.

Any ideas? Should I be concerned and get it to my dealer? Was it possible the fuel pump still running for some reason (if it is located in the fuel tank, as I suspect)? Apprehensive and anxious about a possible defect of some kind. Thanks. Danny

 

There’s very limited electrical motors in the rear of these trucks! I personally would be concerned with a fuel pump possibly getting stuck on! I’d call the dealer and video the sound next time. Since when you take it to the dealer it propbably won’t dublicate the sound.

 

have you read the owners manual? It's probably part of the emissions system

 

I feel like this is the third or 4th post I've seen in the last few weeks about this electrical motor whirring. It's so weird that all of a sudden people are noticing this motor whirring and/or posting about it. It's part of the evap system pressure check. Maybe it's fall so people are spending more time around the garage getting things ready for the winter? thats why people are noticing it more? It's just shear coincidence and timing that you'll catch this thing make noise because it doesn't do it all the time.

first time I heard it, I was under the truck changing rear diff oil. Shit my pants because I thought I broke the damn damn truck, but then remembered our car having something similiar and making the same noise so I googled it. If it wasn't for our car doing something similiar, I would have shit a brick trying to figure out what it was since it happened while I was draining the diff. This was last October and I haven't had the luck to time my presence by the truck to when it does a pressure check again.

It's just pure coincidence and (bad?) timing that you hear it.

 

Most likely evap system purge. It tests the tank periodically to make sure there are no leaks. No need to worry.

 

Wtf lol


It’s an emissions purge. Jesus.

 

People need to stop applying the same trouble shooting logic to this truck as you would an 84 f-150. These newer vehicles are so much more advanced that you can't just use the same train of thoughts. It's been that way for years.

 

Thanks for your responses! I did not find it in the book that came with the vehicle, but I understand it is suppose to be doing it. It is just a lot to learn about a new truck --I bought my last one in 1997 and things have changed just a bit. I will study hard to understand what I need to know. Again, thanks for you responses and my God bless you and your family daily. Dan

 

Thanks Dan. I was in the garage just now and heard my tacoma making the same noise in the back end. lol First time I have ever heard that noise. Bless you too brother.

 

I know what you're saying but new vehicles still have the basics, pistons slapping, a crankshaft spinning, fuel injectors squirting and so aren't immune to the same ol' mechanical and electrical failures. Not to mention squirrels and mice chewing wires, wires getting nicked installed sliders, whatever.

Point being that if I heard a whirring I didn't expect I'd at least make sure something hasn't actually failed before just saying "oh well, new stuff is complex." But, yeah, a few minutes with the search function would help explain it.

 

Was just in the garage and heard the electric motor hum. got underneath and it was coming from the rear. First thought was "WTF is this?!?" Assumed it was the fuel pump, then came on here and searched. TW is awesome!

 

You think the Taco's are noisy , try having a Prius sitting in the garage late at night! First time my wife's Prius sounded off while I was at my work bench I screamed like a girl and jumped on the bench!

 

Just heard this for the first time at nearly 50k. ALmost unloaded my whole truck looking for a robo duck I may have left on, Glad I googled instead.

 

It tells you in the Owners Manual too, usually happens 4 or 5 hours after you shut it off.

 

Wow tacoma world is great I just posted the noise I was hearing and then found this post. Thank you for explaining it to us. I have had my sr and never heard it from it. And never heard it from my 2016 trd off road. Just went out to turn x mass lights off and heard it.

 

Glad I found this post that noise was driving me crwzy

 

I don't have a Tacoma but I had to sign up to reply and say thanks. I have a Toyota Corolla and I just took the garbage to the curb, passed by the car at which I owned for 6 years and just heard that noise from the rear of the tire. I thought someone planted something under my car, I was thinking I was about to die, I use to watch mafia movie as a kid