Lifter noise?

https://youtube.com/shorts/4N8Tel6Oqkw?feature=share

My 2022 tacoma is making what sounds to me like a lifter tick (not the typical injector ticking and not the fuel pump) on the driver side. It only shows up when the engine is fully warmed. There is also an erratic buzzing /grinding noise that is coming from under the rear of the driver side valve cover. Any ideas? I have just over 6000 miles on the truck.

 

It's hard to diagnose engine noises from a cell phone recorded video.

Most people will tell you these engines make all kinds of noises and it's normal.

If it concerns you take it to the dealer, your truck is under warranty.

 

Completely normal, mine does it as well when idling

 

That’s absolutely how a 3rd gen tacoma should sound . Noisy. You’ll get used to it. Try to ignore it so you wont experience buyers remorse. I try to imagine my 2017 has Diesel engine . Wait till you hear that ac expansion valve whistling/harmonic high pitched sound occasionally under load for a few seconds . You’ll think it has turbo

 

its the high pressure injection and the high pressure fuel pump. it cycles on and off depending on when the ECM commands so

port is around 50 psi

direct is around 400-600psi. hence WAY more noise.

 

I have less than 3k on mine and it’s sounded like that since new, I’ve checked it out, no metal in the oil filter and nothing else out of sync. I’ve listened to a few others and realize it’s a feature not a fault!

 

This is the injector cleaning cycle at idle. Read your manual.

 

The injector cleaning cycle is noisy and it seems to happens just about every time vehicle does into park in cold temperatures. -20c and lower

 

Wish it had a diesel lol. If only Toyota would start offering a diesel version like the hilux in the US

I'm pretty positive it is not the injector cleaning cycle (thats a different and much faster paced noise. I've heard it go into the cleaning cycle many times at idle), nor do I believe it is the injectors as the frequency of the noise seems too slow (not saying it isn't, but if it is the injectors, one of them is popping a lot louder than the rest), nor is the fuel pump (I put my ear right up next to the HP pump using a screwdriver, and again it is a much faster tick). If it is the valve train like I believe, and everyone claims to have the same noise and engines arent blowing up left and right then I guess I'm really not too concerned. I'll mention it to the dealer at my 10k service and get it documented

 

No metal in your filter even on the 1st change? I had some, but I expected it as part of break-in. If there's a bunch in the next time I change it I'll be a little bit more concerned

 

I agree, it was odd for no metal in the filter, was your metal steel or aluminum?
I was annoyed by the ticking, I agree it sounds slower than normal injector cleaning cycles, that’s why I pulled the filter early. It does sound predominantly on the left bank.
I am a mechanic by trade and most my friends are too and they all look at the engine thinking it’s not healthy. But from experience, without metal in the filter, it’s not a mechanical failure. That leads us to believe it’s a programming “feature”.

 

Its normal. Some of these 3.5 engines get louder than others mocking a diesel. As i pile more mileage on the odo, if you listen to my engine closely it make's a similar sound idling at times.

 

I'm not sure what type of metal it was. I didnt have a magnet on me at the time. Like I said, not too concerned as I figured there'd be some flake an bits in there from break in. I'm thinking about sending out a sample for analysis before my next oil change for shits n gigs. And yea I hear ya. I work on rather large marine diesel engines for a living (I'm talking ones that have their own head, fuel pump and multiple injectors for each cylinder). I'm used to monitoring cylinder temps, firing pressures, fuel pressures, fuel rack position, bearing temps, crankcase pressure, load % and all sorts of fun stuff (If only toyota gave us that kind of monitoring capability ). With what I'm used to, usually any problems will first present themselves as abnormal temps or pressures followed by abnormal noises. A lot of times the oil will look mint and even come back A OK on analysis until shit really hits the fan. That being said, if your tacos doing it, my taco is doing it, and everyone who responded to this posts taco is doing it...makes me feel a little better about it. Anyways, thanks for the response

 

22k on mine and it sounds just like that.

 

mine has 240kms and it sounds the same...my 2020 did not make this noise.

Update - replaced the lifter on cylinder #3,it was sticking. No more noise!

 

How has it been holding up? still no noise? Did the dealer give you a hard time about it and try to tell you it was normal? Was it covered under warranty (I would hope so)?

Thanks!

 

At first they thought it was a bad injector but after trouble shooting them they moved to the lifters.

The #3 lifter was sticking they said.

I had been complaining about the noise since the day I drove it off the lot. I asked the service manager to take a listen and right away he said it is much noiser that normal.

No issues with warranty work, the truck was only 2 months old. Took a few days to diagnos though. So far the noise had not returned, put 3000kms on since.

 

Thanks for the response and glad to hear it all worked out for you. I'm about to take mine in. Trucks a little over one year old now and just seems to be getting progressively louder.

 

Any updates? My 2023 has 3k miles and has been doing this since day one.

Everyone tries to tell you it’s the cleaning cycle and it’s normal. The cleaning cycle is a completely different sound and pretty obvious when it’s happening.

I have a hard time believing Toyota is just shipping thousands of Tacomas from the factory with stuck lifters though.

If I recall correctly, my brand new 2023 RAV4 made a similar noise. I just assumed it was a characteristic of Toyota engines after reading the countless forums of people with this exact noise.

 

Go return it and leave people alone