Rattle Under Front Pass. Side

To start off, I know how little information I have, but maybe some of you all might have experienced similar things.

Randomly, and I mean randomly, I will hear a metallic rattle while driving. Sometimes I’ll go months without hearing it. Then when it happens, I’ll hear it a few times, maybe 4, then it mysteriously goes away.

I THINK it’s coming from the passenger side, but it’s definitely coming from under the front half of the truck. The best way to describe it is it sounds like running a stick over metal bars really fast.

Currently have 25K on this 2022 OR MT and I’ve been hearing it almost since it was new.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Maybe a loose catalytic converter heat shield.

Get under the truck and start tapping on things to find out if anything is moving around.

If you have the stock splash guard, it's so flimsy it rattles around in some cases too. Could be many things

 

The heat shield under the rear passenger side floor on mine rattles. I haven't found a good way to stop it from rattling yet.

 

Stainless steel zip tie, metal worm clamp, tack weld, lots of options

 

It's the flat heat shield attached to the bottom of the cab, not the one that wraps around the catalytic converter. I'm sure I can figure out something, I just haven't had time to really look at it. I can't figure out exactly where the rattle is coming from.

 

Straight pipe mod time

 

Some more information on this:

I will randomly (and I mean very randomly) hear the rattle sound from somewhere on the front end during the beginning of acceleration. ~90% of the time it's in 3rd gear, but I have experienced it in other gears, however it is always as the truck is accelerating. The sound will last no more than a second and then disappear. I cannot reproduce it, however I can remember one particular instance when I heard it, let off the throttle, then started pumping the pedal which allowed me to reproduce it a few more times as I worked the RPMs up and down.

The best way I can describe the sound: it's very similar to rapidly running a stick over a metal grate so you get that metallic rattle sound. I have done a cursory inspection underneath to make sure my skid plate is not loose. I've also check exhaust mounts and they all seems secure.

Anyone else experiencing this or know where I should be directing my attention? I'm left scratching my head.

 

I got one that sounds like something sliding around under the back seat or in the right side passenger door. I have taken everything out of the back under the seats including the jack and it's still there.

 

I cleaned out a car once that had kids all up in it before the new owner. It had some noises. I pulled the seats, then found marbles in the seat tracks.

 

Wow 7 months later.
Sounds like you have a ghost with a baby rattle.

 

Had a few people suggest that it might be pinging and to try running 93 octane. That's my next attempt to resolve.

 

large worm style hose clamp if you must...
Its new, take it in....
Be done with it...

 

All my rattles have been from loose skid plates

 

Someone (I wish I remembered the user) mentioned a loose shield on the front, near the rotor I think?

 

O.p. I've had that happen a couple times. No idea what caused it. I originally thought it was a side step that loosened up a bit, but they seem snug. This thing makes some weird noises occasionally, but so far no issues with anything.

 

I'm talking about the flat heat shield attached to the floor of the cab. Still haven't gotten around to fixing it. No warranty left on mine.

 

Update on this.

Another user suggested it might be engine knock from using 87 octane summer blend. I think he was on to something. All winter this sound was gone. Never heard a thing. Now, since gas stations are switching to summer blend, I heard it for the first time today since last season.

If this is the case, WTF Toyota? Why the ultra-sensitive engine? Why not suggest higher octane in the manual?

I will try using a higher octane and report back, but this gets expensive especially when the sounds is so intermittent.

 

Mine is definitely not the engine - something is loose somewhere - everyone who rides in the truck says it sounds like it's coming from the passenger side like it was in the rear door or behind the seat.

 

I had an intermittent rattling sound from
my passenger seat area. Turns out the adjustment for the base of the seat was not locked in a notch, which very easy to correct.

 

I think it's hard for anyone with an automatic to test this. Like I said in one of my earlier posts, it happens a majority of the time when I am in third gear giving it throttle at low RPMs. I don't think the engine likes running at low RPMs in that gear. I hear the sound almost at the same part of my drive home as I am going up a steep hill to my neighborhood. If I stay in third and give it throttle, it sometimes rattles as it is climbing through 2,000-2,500 RPM under medium to heavy throttle. I am starting to wonder if it's lugging and the engine responds to this (and the higher-energy summer fuel) by knocking. I never get the sound if I am running the gears to 3K+ RPM before shifting.

At this point, I wish it was something loose, but it happens so infrequently that if something were loose I am sure I'd hear it more often, especially going over bumps in the road.