I Fear The Death Of My Car

[Whiteclaw]

I wrote a new topic a while back about a clunking sound from under the car. Nobody it seems knows what it is. I despair. I thought it was the exhaust as I do hear this rattle sound when I put my foot on the gas, but it may be a separate issue.

The only thought was this handbrake bar or something which runs along the top of the petrol tank? The guy said he thinks this was it and packed it out for me to see if it was when I went for a short spin in the car, but it still continued.

I am not sure what it is now. I have thought all sorts, rear suspension as the clunking occurs when I go over bumps, but they all check out fine. Exhaust checks out fine, but then what is that rattle anyway?

It sound hideous, and fear the car is about to go kaput if it gets left any longer.

I love this car so much and am absolutely gutted.

Symptoms:- clunking sound when i go over bump, sounds like ti is coming from back of car, but can feel it underneath.

Symptoms of other problem but may be related, an annoying rattle sound when I put my foot on the gas.

[acetip]

I wrote a new topic a while back about a clunking sound from under the car. Nobody it seems knows what it is. I despair. I thought it was the exhaust as I do hear this rattle sound when I put my foot on the gas, but it may be a separate issue.

The only thought was this handbrake bar or something which runs along the top of the petrol tank? The guy said he thinks this was it and packed it out for me to see if it was when I went for a short spin in the car, but it still continued.

I am not sure what it is now. I have thought all sorts, rear suspension as the clunking occurs when I go over bumps, but they all check out fine. Exhaust checks out fine, but then what is that rattle anyway?

It sound hideous, and fear the car is about to go kaput if it gets left any longer.

I love this car so much and am absolutely gutted.

Symptoms:- clunking sound when i go over bump, sounds like ti is coming from back of car, but can feel it underneath.

Symptoms of other problem but may be related, an annoying rattle sound when I put my foot on the gas.

it could be a rear shock absorber.you could test by pushing down on each rear corner in turn,the corner should bounce back up after pushing but not appear soft.but would not have thought this this noise would happen when accelerating, if it was a shock absorber.

someone sitting in the rear seats when going over a bump and give a idea which side of the car its coming from.

[Whiteclaw]

I did that test yesterday with regard to the shock absorbers. They appear fine. I been under the car and had 3 mechanics now look at it and just coming up blank. I am completely mystified by it. Definitely from the back of the car but can be felt at the front. Yip, that is how nasty the clunking sound is. It sounds like when you hear a sewerage guy lifting up one of the iron drains and plonking it on the side. I keep saying to myself it is either something to do with the back wheel due to it occurring when I go over the bumps and only when the rear wheel goes over the bumps, or the exhaust where I do have that little rattle sound when I put my foot on the gas, but then I am told they all check out fine.

Thoroughly depressing to drive.

Thanks for your reply.

[rambler]

Maybe propshaft center bracket loose?...if you have one....i assume you do.

When you take up drive or accelerate it may ' bang ' against underside of rav,toyota technicians left mine loose when i had my DMF replaced last year.

Clonked for a few miles until i pulled over on the M11 to look for myself.......couldn't believe it.....prop bracket bolts were 3 to 4 threads loose..:censor:

Could have killed me...if it had come undone completley

[Whiteclaw]

Maybe propshaft center bracket loose?...if you have one....i assume you do.

When you take up drive or accelerate it may ' bang ' against underside of rav,toyota technicians left mine loose when i had my DMF replaced last year.

Clonked for a few miles until i pulled over on the M11 to look for myself.......couldn't believe it.....prop bracket bolts were 3 to 4 threads loose..:censor:

Could have killed me...if it had come undone completley

Well, I now have the fear of god in me. I am going to be a nervous wreck driving this. I am now going to look at what this prop bracket thingy me jig is. I need to console myself.

[Davrav]

Maybe propshaft center bracket loose?...if you have one....i assume you do.

When you take up drive or accelerate it may ' bang ' against underside of rav,toyota technicians left mine loose when i had my DMF replaced last year.

Clonked for a few miles until i pulled over on the M11 to look for myself.......couldn't believe it.....prop bracket bolts were 3 to 4 threads loose..:censor:

Could have killed me...if it had come undone completley

Well, I now have the fear of god in me. I am going to be a nervous wreck driving this. I am now going to look at what this prop bracket thingy me jig is. I need to console myself.

Can't remember if Bothwell Buyer suggested this last time you posted your problem but, have you checked the rear diff mounts?

The rubber breaks down over time and they go soft resulting in a clonking similar to what you seem to be describing. Bothy has been successful in packing them with silicone and leaving it to go hard I believe

[Whiteclaw]

I have had the car thoroughly checked, although I am taking the word of those who did it. But I thought with the car having gone to around 3 different people and all turning up saying everything appears fine, I am stumped. I would just go check them for myself, but to be honest, I haven't a clue what I am looking at or doing. I had a gander under the car just to see if anything looked broken. This is about the limit of my knowledge.

Is the diff thing in the middle between the two wheels? I will have a look online to see what and where they are.

Thanks all for your replies, I have complete faith to this car and will do whatever it takes to fix it.

[Whiteclaw]

I just found that thread and happens when you accelerate and decelerate, but it occurs on mine when going over a bump.

The little rattle when I put my foot on the gas, not sure, it could be that.

[Whiteclaw]

Struts? how would I check these, it appears to be the cause on many makes of car with similar issue. Or was this that push down test on the four corners?

Please, nobody laugh by my terminology. You can imagine me in a garage, and the fact I actually have a bit of a phobia of garages can only make it all the worse. haha

Found this too

"Symptoms of a faulty Toyota Control Arm

Worn-out or oblong shaped control arm bushings in one or both sides of the Toyota, may give you a feel of high vibration, or a clunking sound while going over bumps."

I think I am developing OCD

[Davrav]

Is the diff thing in the middle between the two wheels? I will have a look online to see what and where they are.

That's it

[bothwell_buyer]

Probably said this before but can't remember.

The rear diff mount when it goes soft will give a good hefty clunk especially on accelration and deceleration. If it hasn't been replaced by now with your age of car, then its worth packing it with siolicon anyway. Even if it has been replaced pack it.

Check the big nuts that hold the rear hub on are torqued up - if at all loose (and when I say loose I mean that you won't feel any play on the wheel nor will a mechanic). Can't find my manual just now. However I lived with a clunk for ages before I read somewhere else about the rear nut... and sure enough it was slightly under-torqued and when done up tighter solved the clunk.

The centre diff mount will produce a clunk and I've had that before..had to get it tightened and lockstuff put on the bolt threads.

If its the bushes on the rear trailing arm, I've been told its a major strip down of the rear suspension so I've put off doing that as the car passes the MOT anyway.

[rambler]

Hi Whiteclaw

Below are two photo's of the underside of my rav4.....(i hope)

Yellow is propshaft,red is propshaft center support bracket,blue obviously exhaust

next.....

yellow cross is rear diff (casing),and white is drive shafts which take drive from propshaft via differential (series of complex cogs in that caseing) to each rear wheel.

Scuse the dodgy artwork (not much good with this stuff)

Hope this all works

[local hero]

Maybe propshaft center bracket loose?...if you have one....i assume you do.

When you take up drive or accelerate it may ' bang ' against underside of rav,toyota technicians left mine loose when i had my DMF replaced last year.

Clonked for a few miles until i pulled over on the M11 to look for myself.......couldn't believe it.....prop bracket bolts were 3 to 4 threads loose..:censor:

Could have killed me...if it had come undone completley

Well, I now have the fear of god in me. I am going to be a nervous wreck driving this. I am now going to look at what this prop bracket thingy me jig is. I need to console myself

.

Hi Whiteclaw, I had a quick look at your profile where there is a nice little picture of your Rav, have you posted any photos as it looks a little stunner? I notice its quite heavily modded and apears to have wider arches bull bar side bars etc, However on that photo we cannot see the back, does it have the stainless steel rear step? because their is a cut out in this where the exhaust passes through, It couldn't be something as simple as your exhaust vibrating on acceleration + when you go over a bump and rattling against this, could it? obviously you want this sorted but if its been doing this for over a month now + nothing has happened it doesn't sound like a very serious problem..Stew

[jedi134]

Anti roll bar links can make a horrible cluncking noise when going over bumps, the ball joint wears out, and only has to wear out a little for them to make a horrible cluncking noise. Hard to see while under the car, you have to take them off, even then they seem ok, only cheap so worth a go.

[Whiteclaw]

Thanks for all your replies. Visual picks with clear labels are always welcome, so thanks for that.

I should point out the pic is not mine, I almost had the car but it was sold just before. However, I have the pic as I like it so much. So sad I know. I think I need to label it or just put one up of my own car.

The big nuts that hold the rear hub on are torqued up, checked this morning, I am going through this checklist now, obviously not on my own, otherwise the car would be taken to pieces and left on the side of the street.

All the diff stuff check fine. So I am told by my friend.

"On that photo we cannot see the back, does it have the stainless steel rear step? because their is a cut out in this where the exhaust passes through, It couldn't be something as simple as your exhaust vibrating on acceleration + when you go over a bump and rattling against this, could it?"

I will check this, it could explain the rattle sound.

I am almost certain the clunk is from the back of the car now after doing some driving test with passenger in rear of car this morning.

Yesterday just added to my disaster troubles. They say it comes in threes. rattle sound, clunk sound and tyre bursting yesterday down a long stretch of a slight hill making it difficult to change the tyre.

[Whiteclaw]

I should mention my front tyres are not wearing evenly. The front right one was patchy and goes down quicker than the other tyres. No puncture but it just goes down faster. No, I am not that fat.

[bothwell_buyer]

I should mention my front tyres are not wearing evenly. The front right one was patchy and goes down quicker than the other tyres. No puncture but it just goes down faster. No, I am not that fat.

Aside of the clunks, the tracking is probably out. Or a loose ball joint.

[Catweazle]

Do you have side steps on your RAV as the clunk on my RAV which numerous garages could not trace, turned out to be the cantilever bracket on one of the side steps hitting the floorpan whenever I went over a bump?

[Whiteclaw]

Do you have side steps on your RAV as the clunk on my RAV which numerous garages could not trace, turned out to be the cantilever bracket on one of the side steps hitting the floorpan whenever I went over a bump?

No steps but I do have these side chrome bars.

Everything is going wrong, which is awful, I have had no real issues with the car until now. I was turning the wheel this morning and there was a hideous screech sound, right hand side again. I fear whatever the issue with the clunking is is causing other issues to develop.

I have already started looking for another car, just in case. Still a Rav, preferably before 2001, better than a lot of modern rubbish.

[Whiteclaw]

Do you have side steps on your RAV as the clunk on my RAV which numerous garages could not trace, turned out to be the cantilever bracket on one of the side steps hitting the floorpan whenever I went over a bump?

No steps but I do have these side chrome bars.

Everything is going wrong, which is awful, I have had no real issues with the car until now. I was turning the wheel this morning and there was a hideous screech sound, right hand side again. I fear whatever the issue with the clunking is is causing other issues to develop.

I have already started looking for another car, just in case. Still a Rav, preferably before 2001, better than a lot of modern rubbish.

[Whiteclaw]

Do you have side steps on your RAV as the clunk on my RAV which numerous garages could not trace, turned out to be the cantilever bracket on one of the side steps hitting the floorpan whenever I went over a bump?

No steps but I do have these side chrome bars.

Everything is going wrong, which is awful, I have had no real issues with the car until now. I was turning the wheel this morning and there was a hideous screech sound, right hand side again. I fear whatever the issue with the clunking is is causing other issues to develop.

I have already started looking for another car, just in case. Still a Rav, preferably before 2001, better than a lot of modern rubbish.

[Whiteclaw]

Perhaps some good news, and if right, this mechanic will get all my business. Took the car for a spin, and he said the clunk sound was god awful. Everything does check out on the things listed, however, he said he had a feeling the sound came from the front of the car but when in the car it sounds like it comes from the back.

Anyway, upon inspection, the bonnet people, the bonnet is rather loose. When closed you can lift it up and down, and it sound very much like the clunk sound. So we are going to pack it out first to see.

And the rattle, the guy I think has found it. A clamp or something for the handbrake rod is it, which runs along the top of the fuel tank, well it has gone and as it lay next to the exhaust I think, not sure on all this see, thinks it is rattling when I put the foot on the gas.

If all this is correct, I will be amazed.

Whiteclaw, looking on the bright side.

Fingers crossed people, fingers crossed.

[bothwell_buyer]

You have missed the obvious..... go and knock the doors of your neighbours on each side of you.

If you get a reply, you will know they are not squatting underneath your car. Some people do anything to avoid Council Tax.

Or worse - they could be slowly removing parts from your car as scrap steel is going for £250 a ton and the cat convertor is worth hundreds.

Things are geting so bad I had to go outside to my front footpath (which is my property) where a mini-jcb was preparing to dig a hole. I questionned man in yellow waistcoat and said I also have a yellow jacket but I don't go digging holes in folks property without some valid reason. At this another chap came along and said we're from the water board. I said I don't much care if you're from Mothercare, you're still not entitled to dig up my pavement. besides it was dug up by me 2 years ago whehn I replaced the lead water pipe feed to the house, and in doing so also removed part of the mains. From this action, I knew that the pipe 2'9" down is a cast iron 4" water pipe worth a fair few hundreds at the moment.... and the experience of my father having no water to flush the toilet with the medicines he's on would mean a major evacuation of the village.

So said workmen packed up and went aff.

I'd keep an eye out tonight for neighbours trying to steal yer bits!

[Whiteclaw]

Some good news. It passed the MOT with no issues and was told how amazing good nick the car was in.

The issue, I can't remember the names of things, but it was to do with these bars at the front of the car, and 2 bolts which were worn and loose. Something like £12 each to replace. The bars linked to the wheels. And he showed them moving too. It makes sense.

So getting it fixed tomorrow. Surprised all the others couldn't find the issue though.

[bothwell_buyer]

well done - so the RAV lives on for another few years !!!