High Pitched Noise Drivers Side 2011 Tacoma Prerunner

Have a high pitch noise coming from the drivers side, most likely outside as I've taken it to 3 mechanics.. They don't believe it's inside and also can't figure it out. It's not the radio either, had that looked also as well as taking the driver side door off. It's driving me crazy.

Happens when going over 45mph and gets irritating when on the highway over a period of time 50+mph. It does not happen in idle. I am wondering if it's wind dependent. Also happens when going up and down dips on the road, regardless if I'm accelerating or not. Nothing over bumps though. Any idea what it could be? I've tried looking for missing bolts or loose ones. Any guesses would be greatly appreciated.. Or if anyone has had a similar sound please chime in.

https://vimeo.com/488949287

 

Any after market accessories, light bars, ditch lights , flags, cb antenna, roof rack..... I've seen these things make weird wind noises. How about when this noise happens reach over and pull the door inwards without wrecking, maybe the doors out of adjustment. Missing any weather striping ?

 

'08 PreRunner here...

Honestly, I'm having trouble hearing the noise from your vid.

But if the conditions that you described, my first thought was trim/seal surrounding the windshield. Try using some painters tape and tape around the windshield like what they do when a windshield is replaced. See if it makes a difference.

 

Does it happen when you drive backwards?

 

If not then we have narrowed down the possible causes by 50%. Has anyone else on here already narrowed down the causes by 50% yet? OKAY then! I'm making progress here...

 

I would think wind/speed dependant or loud vacuum leak underhood?

 

Tony, ur making progress!!

 

Or it could be an empty beer can in the bed circulating around in the wind vortex back there. I once paid $300 to have my outboard wheel bearings replaced because I just KNEW that they were going out. I could HEAR IT. Afterall, I worked at Motion Industries and I sold bearings for a living. By God, I KNEW what a bad bearing sounded like! I left the shop and got on the highway and there it was again. Was a empty beer can blowing in circles, ticking the ridges in the bed all along...

Or it could be that Elizabeth Warren sticker pealing up and whistling in the wind...

 

I bought an 08 Prerunner a few months ago with the same thing going on. I found a generic replacement carrier bearing had been put on it so gave it a shot of motorcycle chain to see if it effected it. That was it and after replacing the carrier bearing with an OEM Dana its silent. BTW there seems to be a different part number for the Prerunners VS the 4WD replacement carrier bearings although they all use the same U-Joints.

 

Listen, in all seriousness, a good shop will have vibration/sound locating equipment. They can put several sensors on your car, connect them to the unit and hunt it down pretty quick. Let's just hope they have someone trained to use it effectively and with extensive experience in that kind of thing...the problem is...there ain't a whole buncha money to be made in finding and fixing your noise. THAT'S the problem.

 

I can't open the video but...
Does it sound like the noise is coming from the driver's side door near the top of the door? If so I had this happen to me but I was driving around 80mph in high winds. It sounds like a whistle. It could be similar to that. I would make sure the weather sealing is still good and the door is in proper work order such as dents around the edge of the door. Also, check if the door is closing all the way. Hope this helps.

 

Shortly after getting my motorcycle restored and road worthy. I would have high pitched whine when riding double with my wife. The whine was non-existent riding single. I spent many hours searching the bike for the source. Never could isolate it and LOML wouldn't burn time riding while I was trying to isolate the problem

Then one day, we were out just riding, the whine was really beginning to irritate me. I stopped at a stop sign, left a little abruptly, because of the annoying sound, the front wheel left the pavement a few inches......the whine stopped. COOL. I turned my head to speak to LOML.....well....she was sitting at the intersection. It was tough to go back, cause I knew the noise that would ensue, but I had to go back. Oh, my, the noise reached a new level on the way home. It didn't stop.

Now, she won't ride with me. The noise hasn't returned.

 

How about the tab on the brake pads signaling time to replace.

 

Hi did you ever get this problem solved? My 2015 Tacoma is doing the exact same thing. It’s driving me nuts!