Vibration And Loud Metallic Rattle - Help!

[bigfiiish]

Hi everyone,

Maybe someone can help / Shed some light on this.

Just today ive noticed that if I try and pull away from standing in 1st with very low RPM, like 1500rpm or less, i get a really obvious metalic vibration - untill the revs rise into 2k+ region. The best way to describe it is like the sound your car would make if one of the exhaust brackets was loose. Its unmissable. :( And its even more so from outside the car, and its freaking me out that some serious damage is being done.

Now, this ONLY happens when pulling away from stopped in VERY low RPM in 1st gear. I doesnt do it shifting into or out of any gear, at any speed, at any RPM. It doesn't do it under high load, cruising or freewheeling and changing gear.

If I give it a bit more rev when pulling away it feels and sounds normal.

I did have a new Fidanza aluminium flywheel installed about a month ago, but kept my stock clutch. I broke the new flywheel in for over a week before driving it hard but have only noticed this noise today. Its not the normal engine cough/splutter before you stall noise either.

Could this be due to the new flywheel? Has anyone any ideas? Im taking it back to the tuners tomorrow to see what they say.

Any help would be well appreciated.

[farhanali89]

i have that same noise when your in second or third and the engine is asking for more gas ....like a rattling exhaust sound?? hasnt affected anything for a long time but does make me wonder. also my clutch pedal squeeks ever so often :S

[cabcurtains]

I could be wrong....but, the symptoms’ sound like the auxiliary belt tensioner, if it is this then its nothing to worry about.

Our drive is very steep and as this car has a terrible clutch the revs need to be low to stop the horrible smell appearing so we get this everytime we pull of the drive in 1st or reverse.

[bigfiiish]

Thanks guys, that does make me feel a good bit better!

i have that same noise when your in second or third and the engine is asking for more gas ....like a rattling exhaust sound?? hasnt affected anything for a long time but does make me wonder. also my clutch pedal squeeks ever so often :S

Thats exactly what is sounds like, but i only get it in 1st at almost stupidly low rpm's. - Oh my clutch pedal lever does the same squeaking, i got Mr T to lube it up a bit at its last service and havent had a squeak untill now, over 2 months later. Think its jst something im going to have to live with.

Our drive is very steep and as this car has a terrible clutch the revs need to be low to stop the horrible smell appearing so we get this everytime we pull of the drive in 1st or reverse.

OK just tried it in reverse too, same sound! but only at near stalling engine rpm's.

Glad my transmission or gearbox isnt going to throw in the towel! Im a bit of an automotive hypochondriac I love the thought of tuning my car up, but it scares the dung out of me that anything will go wrong!

Thanks for the info guys.

If anyone else wants to contribute, im all ears!

[farhanali89]

yea as cabcurtains says thats the same sound happens when you dont gas the car enough in any gear you get that rattle sound. And agh the clutch only does it sometimes really annoyinh like it did it about a month ago then suddenly stopped....been fine then today started playing up with the annoying squeek after about an horu stopped the car redrove and it was fine??

[cabcurtains]

If its near the stall point then its exactly what ours does, have a search and you will find a few threads about it. I wonder if the new flywheel has increased the effect as the lighter it is the more likely the car is to struggle to pull away from rest on low revs especially as the CTS has such a little amount of torque.

[emsii]

It's your exhaust pipe making that noise with low rpm's.

I have that same problem.

I was complaining this same problem to my friend at toyota service and he said that it's the exhaust so..

[kangzy]

had the same problem.. realyy gets on you !Removed!..

could b numer of things..

could be a loose heat shield on your manifold or cat?

you centre box?

broken rubber clip which holds the pipe up which is giving it more slack causing vibrations?

at worse it could be your cat thats breakin up?

shaun

[FoxX]

Why dont you borrow some one, put the car on your driveway with the handbrake on and release the clutch with a few revs like on a hill start.

Have the other guy check under your car to see if anything is visibly rattling, you could ask him to look in the bonnet and check the heatshield also. If you cant see anything visibily you might be able to narrow down where its coming from.

Dont burn your clutch out though :) my ZS didnt like to be laboured and made a similar sound when it was under pressure at low revs, traded in before I bothered looking at it.

[Jock Fran]

This sounds a lot like the aux belt tensioner - do a search on it, I've read it on here before.

Squeaking clutch pedal can be solved with a new master cylinder.

[emsii]

Don't remember what part it exactly was, sorry. :(

[bigfiiish]

Thanks for all the ideas folks, much appreciated.

Ive been trying to make it do it all day, and the only time i can do it is as described in the first thread.

Ive had it back at the tuners today they have had it up on the ramps and said that no brackets are loose, and nothing seems out of place or ready to fall off. Ive had two people who have suggested to me that it could be my "old" (stock) clutch not quite bedded in with the new flywheel.

But nothing ive heard yet that makes me want to panic and return it for out of warranty work to Toyota. I will keep an eye on it for a few weeks and see if there is any change for the worse or the better.

I will look into as many of these suggestions as i can over the Xmas hols, but from whats been posted it doesnt seem like i should be loosing any sleep over it.

Cheers again for the help guys!

Have a cracking Xmas!

G

[Hogie]

The heat shield above where the four pipes from the main exhaust manifold converge into the main exhaust system before the cat.

Thats what was doing it on my car. Rattling when pulling off.

[borodaz]

also get this on myn and have had it since ive owned the car, many ppl have asked about this many times, very common and nothing to worry about. someone found out what it was , must have been almost a year ago on here and posted a thread telling where it was and just to tighten it up. as my memory is rubbish i cant remember what it was but it certainly was not clutch or belt related

[akatheking]

Just seen this post and iv just had this fix. Low and behold it was the auxillary belt tensioner and had belt replced aswell. The link below describes exactly the noise i was getting

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.p...mp;hl=tensioner

[Danny_TTE_compressor]

Hi mate,

I have a compressor and there is a weakness in the exhaust because toyota in there infinate wisdom decided to put a silly tin splitter in the downpipes (dunno why) after a few good thrashings the welds crack and it rattles at a specific engine speed (mine was around 1500rpm) it starts off as a slight rattle then after a few more runs it gets worse and worse.

Sounds like you have a similar problem

[ae102]

this guy had the same after his fidanza flywheel was incorrectly installed

[Rez89]

since u are talking about strange noises, i have been hearing a strange noise from my car for the past few days, i took it 2 a garage yesterday and my DRIVE SHAFT needs replacing! the car sounds like horses foot steps when i drive the car! does anybody no how the drive shaft can get damaged? also a few months back my dad had to have his drive shaft changed on his civic! i am thinkin is it because of the speed bumps in our area! they are so high they damaged my dads front spilter!

[tccom]

hi,i have this on my compressor it vibrates when pulling off if you dont give it enough revs! pull off at about 1500 rpm and its fine,dealers fitted new manifold/front pipe springs and bolts but its still doing it.as i said its a vibrarion not a rattle as its fine through the rev range.only does it on start off if its labouring if that makes sence.