Sounds like valve chatter

[Nathankenney94]

Drove my vibe today for the first time in a few weeks and first time i let it run while outside of car. Anyway when I got out it is making a fast chatter noise and was just wanting input on ideas the car has almost 194k.

[lannvouivre]

What year? Was it at operating temperature? Have you checked oil levels/condition? Did you open the hood and listen to discern where exactly the sound is out?

[Nathankenney94]

It's a 05 was up to operating temperature oil level is good but didn't really listen around.

[circuitsmith]

Have the valve clearances been checked in the last 60k miles?

[lannvouivre]

It's a 05 was up to operating temperature oil level is good but didn't really listen around.

You will need to listen around to be sure. If it never happens again, pat yourself on the back and tell yourself you fixed it.

If it's valve clearances, that's easy to check as well. I neglected my engine as a teenager, overhauled my engine at about 100k miles, and all the clearances were still dead-on. Of course, that was with new camshafts as well, but I highly doubt the heels of the lobes get much wear.

[Mark]

When I bought my 04 back in 2006 it had 38k and some noticeable valve noise when cold. I asked the dealer about it and he said it was "normal for this Toyota engine to have some valve noise". I wasn't too sure about that but I wanted the car and decided to take a chance on it, figuring it might just need some minor adjustment.

Ten and a half years and 115,000 miles later it's till rattling a little when it's cold and still runs like a top.

[ctgottapee]

.....
If it's valve clearances, that's easy to check as well
.....

Does that only apply to the gen 1 models??
I looked up the procedure to check valve clearance on the gen2 2.4L models and it looked fairly intense. For a shade tree mechanic it appeared I risked damaging things far more than just checking would provide.

[lannvouivre]

I looked up the procedure to check valve clearance on the gen2 2.4L models and it looked fairly intense. For a shade tree mechanic it appeared I risked damaging things far more than just checking would provide.

I just looked at the 2AZ for a highlander. You just pull the valve cover, set it to crank at TDC with the cam marks aligned like the procedure shows, and use a feeler gauge to check clearances between the heels of some lobes and the lifter buckets, then turn the crank one more full rotation and repeat on the other lobes, as indicated.

It doesn't get intensive until you find one that is off. Keep in mind that there are tolerances (min and max acceptable). At 100k miles, mine did not need it although one single clearance was at the max acceptable. I was installing new cams, but the heels and lifter buckets are your criteria, so that shouldn't change anything as the heels shouldn't ever touch anyway. Can't remember if I said that or not and I'm really tired. Only the toe of the lobe and the intake bucket on these cars should get any wear because those are the only parts that should ever touch, otherwise the valve would always be a little bit open no matter what.

What you are measuring is the distance between the heel (part of the lobe not meant to open the valve) and the closed valve's lifter bucket. You are checking the wear on that bucket, which will need replaced with a certain size bucket to bring it into spec (if it is found to have unacceptable clearance). For every full turn of the crank, the cams make 1/2 a turn. This is because you have the two strokes with the piston at TDC (exhaust and compression), and two where the piston is at BDC (intake and power strokes). The cam needs to make a 1/2 turn because 1 full turn opens the valve when the toe reaches the valve, and you only want open valves on the intake stroke and the exhaust stroke. Since these cars are DOHC, you don't have the exhaust and intake valve timing directly linked. VVT-i allows the intake cam to advance timing only on the intake side on the 1st gen 1ZZ and I think 2ZZ. Dual-VVT-i adds in the exhaust cam being able to vary timing in addition to the intake side.

Does my silly explanation help or make sense at all?

EDIT: Other cars have different ways to activate the valves; I only explained the way for the 2AZ and 1ZZ. The 2ZR uses hydraulic self-adjusting lifters. Some engines use long lifter rods, some use rocker arms (including the 2ZZ), and some use tappets. I don't want to explain additional valvetrains right now.

[ctgottapee]

Thanks for the explanation and that is how I've seen videos done

I believe the repair guide I viewed assumed a replacement was going to be necessary.
So I guess, even though it is easy to check, it is a bit of work to fix if out of tolerance which makes checking - if you are not diagnosing some other problem - kinda pointless as the fix is out of reach.

I'd share the repair but it's a pay site with login - they really break it out into different parts with links so they can hotlink between various operations so screen prints don't really work either.

[sideshowalan]

If it's a fast ticking/clicking noise you hear, it's a normal sound for the 1st gen engines. It's a vacuum line on the drivers side between the engine and the fender. Something you don't hear much in the car but if you're right over that area when the car is running it's a very clear sound. Not something to worry about.

[Caretaker]

lannvouivre: with the self adjusting lifter system in the 2ZR corolla engine, does that render it incapable of having the valves adjusted? I was told by several mechanics that the valves were not adjustable on this car. For the rest of you, having owned both generations of Vibes, I can tell you that both exhibit the same "loud valves" especially during the cold months. With both also being hungry oil consumers, I can't help but wonder if there is a correlation between the noisy engine and oil consumption?

[Nasmfell]

lannvouivre: with the self adjusting lifter system in the 2ZR corolla engine, does that render it incapable of having the valves adjusted? I was told by several mechanics that the valves were not adjustable on this car. For the rest of you, having owned both generations of Vibes, I can tell you that both exhibit the same "loud valves" especially during the cold months. With both also being hungry oil consumers, I can't help but wonder if there is a correlation between the noisy engine and oil consumption?

That is correct, the valves aren't adjusted, though the trade off is the PCV system is under the intake manifold, which has to come off every 30,000 miles so the valve can be checked and/or replaced.

[Caretaker]

Yeah, it is a real pain to have the PCV buried. About the only positive thing to say about that is that it offers the opportunity to swap out the intake manifold gasket for a Toyota orange one when the PCV replacement is performed. Regarding what you said Nasmfell, my mechanic said that if the PCV was not operating properly, a code would register. I have always been of the opinion that the PCV is a maintenance item and should be replaced at regular intervals. Since I am at 90,000 miles, do you think that I am taking a risk by leaving it in "until a code is thrown?"

[Nasmfell]

Yeah, it is a real pain to have the PCV buried. About the only positive thing to say about that is that it offers the opportunity to swap out the intake manifold gasket for a Toyota orange one when the PCV replacement is performed. Regarding what you said Nasmfell, my mechanic said that if the PCV was not operating properly, a code would register. I have always been of the opinion that the PCV is a maintenance item and should be replaced at regular intervals. Since I am at 90,000 miles, do you think that I am taking a risk by leaving it in "until a code is thrown?"

Yes, caretaker you are. Just replace it and you should have no worry about setting a code

[Nathankenney94]

Just wanted to let you guys know it's quite as can be now it was that the manual trans only had a quarter of a pint of fluid in it.

[circuitsmith]

Keep a close watch for leaks, where the drive axles meet the trans.