noise / vibration under engine load / acceleration

[tau166]

I have a vibration problem that has been getting worse. Now it's to the point where when people get in my car they comment on it. I have not had much luck tracking it down and am wondering if anyone has any tips on where to look.Symptoms:- noise/vibration when the engine & driveline are under load- it is not engine speed related- it is not vehicle speed related- happens in all gears as far as I can tell- does not happen when the car is not in gear but the car is moving- does not happen when in gear but foot is off the accelerator pedal- does not appear to happen when engine braking...but it might and I just haven't notice lately because, unfortunately, I'm starting to get used to the noise - have not 100% ruled out that it is behind the dash but it sounds more like it's somewhere on the other side of the firewall- happens when the engine is cold or hotI checked the following and do not think they are part of the issue:- removed engine cover- checked exhaust and heat shields...all snug and not rubbing- strut brace was loose...removed it and put back to stock- plastic shrouds under engine bay were somewhat loose but I got them all buttoned downThe only thing I can find somewhat loose under the hood or under the car is the shift linkage. The lever arms that attach to the transmission and the bushings at the end of the cables are somewhat loose. This could be a potential cause that I have yet to eliminate but I'm wondering if anyone else has any ideas.Thanks!

[star_deceiver]

Check the motor/tranny mounts.

[joatmon]

The 2003 5-speeds have a higher rate of bearing failures than than all that "Toyota reliability" propaganda would have you believe.

[tau166]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »The 2003 5-speeds have a higher rate of bearing failures than than all that "Toyota reliability" propaganda would have you believe.which bearings?Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »Check the motor/tranny mounts.I did check these at least visually and they look fine. Bolts are tight and rubber looks fine. Because the sound happens mostly on load I was thinking it might be a mount but I'm not seeing anything that would indicate that is the problem. Still mystified but I appreciate the help!

[joatmon]

I don;t know which bearings internal to the transmission are failure prone. On mine, I just replaced the whole tranny with one from a wreck. Not sure of a safe way to locate the source in the driveway. I took mine to a shop, who put it on a lift and ran it in gear with the wheels off the ground. Made it a lot easier to exactly locate the source of the sound.

[tau166]

ugh! I did some more trouble shooting over the weekend and am not coming up with much. - I don't think it's doing it in 1st gear. If it is it is much quieter- I can definitely hear the noise start after I shift into 2nd (or 3rd, 4th, 5th) as soon as I let off the clutch.- no change in noise under cornering so I don't think it's the hub bearingsI'm going to replace the tranny fluid next weekend (and look for shinny bits) and order a new set of shifter cable bushings (I've been using the Speed Source brass bushings and they are worn) and then see how it goes. I have not completely ruled out motor/tranny mounts or behind the dash as sources yet but I don't think them likely...I'm worried a new tranny is going to be costly! Thanks for the input!

[tau166]

Well, the trouble shooting is over...sort of. Vivian finally broke down on me. I was driving home on the interstate late tonight and heard a loud bang sort of like I ran over something in the highway and then again about 10 seconds later. I then noticed a whining/whirring noise and my heart sank. Fortunately I was 1/2 mile from a rest stop and pulled her in. I was hoping maybe I just blew a tire but they all looked fine. I started her back up with no issues but as soon as I let off the clutch the whining noise came back. I tried moving a few feet forwards and backwards with minimal success...something is clearly sticking in the drive train. Considering that I was able to get into the rest stop without issue (no changing of gears) and the engine fires up and sounds fine and I still appear to be able to get into all gears and the sound comes and goes as the clutch is engaged/disengaged I think it's something in the clutch. I'll get her towed in the morning and deal with it then. I'll report back when I know more. C'est la vie.

[star_deceiver]

Hopefully this is all that's wrong...If you're going to replace the clutch yourself and plan on keeping the car for a long time, replace the throw-out bearing and the crankshaft oil seal as well.

[houseofbugs]

Wow. That's one hella of a quality control issue. I hope everything works out in your favor. If you were closer I would say bring it over to my garage and I'd give you a hand but I'm in IL. Good Luck!

[tau166]

Got her towed to my local shop this morning. She won't even roll at the moment. I don't have time to work on it myself with a full-time job and no secondary car to drive in the meantime. Since my project car is already in pieces I need this one fixed ASAP. The shop says it's either the tranny or final drive. They estimated $1250 ($700 parts + $550 labor) to swap in a used transmission+final drive. They said it's 8.5 hours of labor just to pull one and swap in another. I'm waiting to find out just how "used" that used transmission is before I pull the trigger. I'd also like to figure out how much a re-manufactured tranny would cost vs. the used one. According to KBB the car is only worth about $3000 anyway but it's worth very little as scrap if I can't even roll it. I'm thinking it's worth my money to fix it even if I end up trading it in shortly. Blah!

[joatmon]

serious suckageSeems like it would have to ben tranny if it won't roll with the clutch pedal pressed. 1250 for a used tranny and labor is a decent price. try to get a tranny out of an 04+ Vibe/matrix/corolla, the o3s seem to be the most failure prone. probably worth having htem put in a new clutch while they have it apart, even if the clutch isn't the problemkbb of $3K seems low, good luck finding a vibe in decent shape for that little

[tau166]

Just to follow up that $700 used transmission vaporized. After that I was getting quotes of ~$1400 to $1500 for a transmission (part only, no labor) with typically 60k to 80k miles on them. One option I came across is buying a tranny from Pep Boys for about $2000. They are used but come with a 3 year/unlimited miles warranty if you also change the pressure plate, clutch, and throw-out bearing at the same time. I hunted around for a few days and found a tranny out of a 2008 Corolla with only 25k miles. That was ~$1650 shipped. Local shop charged me 8.5 hours labor (by the book) for install. Got her back last night and she's so much quieter than she used to be. I'm thinking the bearing must have been slowing getting worse over time and didn't notice the slow change in noise level until it was really bad. At least she's back together.I have the broken tranny and may take it apart to look at it later. From the symptoms I'm pretty sure it was the input shaft bearing. I have 2 theories on why it went. First is just plain old dumb luck for getting a bad part. Second is that I had the tranny fluid swapped at 60k miles at my local Pontiac dealer and I wonder if they put the wrong grade of fluid in there. A light oil may not have worked it's way up to the input shaft bearing...just a possibility. I don't trust this dealer much after I took the car in for several things (including the tranny fluid swap) and asked them to check the valve clearances at 60k miles. When I picked the car up they told me they didn't check the clearances because they didn't have the right tools. (removed)!?! They didn't have wrenches and feeler gauges???

[hank]

I am just going through the same diagnostics with my wife's 2004 Corolla, bought in Aug/03, it now has 195,000 km on it. It whines under acceleration in all gears, so this is not good news. I have also checked all the things you did and found nothing. So looks like I need to find a tranny for it or pull it and get it repaired

[tau166]

Try draining the tranny and check the fluid for flakes of metal. Sorry to hear about your problems but I hope it turns out as well as possible.My car has been driven about 100 miles or so now with the swapped tranny and it is soooo much quieter than it used to be. Unfortunately something appears to be wrong with the cruise control now. The cruise will turn on (light on the dash turns on) but when I try to set a speed the "cruise" light flashes...not sure what that means. Alas. I'll have to go hunting around the board to see if anyone knows what it might be with the cruise control now.