Whenever I accelerate, I hear a clicking noise sounds like it's coming from the left side (left as in while sitting in the driver seat) of the engine. It doesn't happen _all_ the time, but it's frequent enough that I'll hear it at some point while driving.

If i let off the gas and just coast, the sound immediately goes away, and if i step on the gas again, then it starts up. The frequency of the clicking seems to correlate to the RPMs as well.

googling tells me it could be various things, but the one that kinda makes sense to me is an exhaust leak. The last thing that changed before I noticed this is that I had to get the catalytic convertor replaced.

What say you, garage?

2/28/2012 12:32:48 PM

Is it AWD? Wondering about the front CV joint (or whatever those things use.)

2/28/2012 12:35:09 PM

nope, 4x4. I haven't checked to see if anything changes when I engage 4x4.

Also, the sound does not correlate with any accel problems or vibration, just the noise, but it's annoying.

2/28/2012 12:36:32 PM

I'd check on yotatech.com. They always seem to know what's up with Toyotas. I sold my 4runner over a year ago, but mine was an '85 solid axle, 22re.

Maybe this will help:
http://www.yotatech.com/f117/03-4runner-engine-clicking-noise-68795/

2/29/2012 8:59:27 AM

Grease the front driveshaft

2/29/2012 9:51:32 AM

Ten bucks says exhaust leak.

3/2/2012 10:36:41 PM

yeah i need to just suck it up and take it to a shop.

3/8/2012 10:45:23 PM

Seriously, do you own a grease gun?

3/9/2012 8:33:18 AM

Quote :

"Ten bucks says exhaust leak."

I'm willing to bet another 10 that you're right. I'm guessing flex pipe in the exhaust.

3/9/2012 9:35:06 AM

^^nope. my mechanical abilities are limited to changing oil and replacing bolt-on type parts.

[Edited on March 9, 2012 at 9:35 AM. Reason : .]

3/9/2012 9:35:16 AM

Using a grease gun is easier than either. Not expensive either.

3/9/2012 9:34:34 PM

With the help of someone more knowledgeable than me, I was able to show the shop that did the cat work where the leak was and the indisputable evidence that it was their failure that caused it.

I got no pushback, an apology and assurance that they'd fix it today.

3/30/2012 12:47:59 PM

^great to hear!

And for the record I too would have said exhaust leak

3/30/2012 1:00:00 PM

which shop did you go to....i'm looking for a reliable Toyota mechanic as well for my 4runner

3/30/2012 2:48:51 PM

I would not recommend this shop. they botched the job to begin with.

It's Autosmart on US 55.

Phil's Toy Store is a great toyota shop, but they're $$$ -- stealership prices.

I should have known better, but this was the first non-maintenance item i've ever had on the vehicle, and they'd done a good job with said maintenance items, so i thought i'd give them a chance.

3/30/2012 5:28:04 PM

So here's the end of the story.

Exhaust leak was fixed. 3 days later, the CEL came on again along with the VSC TRAC /VSC OFF lights. This was the same initial symptom that led me down the path of the initial cat replacement.

Get it scanned again, code is warning that bank 2 cat was below performance threshold (P0430).

got two opinions on it this time from different shops, and sure enough the second cat failed. plenty of anecdotes on various toyota forums with similar experiences (both banks of cats failing within a month or two of each other)

so a total of around $2k later, I've been trouble free for about 3 weeks.

4/23/2012 3:59:14 PM

Good that it got fixed.

On a side note, you really need to grease your driveline joints and propeller shaft.
It's easy.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance/28414-07-v8-4x4-zerk-fitting-pics.html

4/24/2012 3:54:06 PM

$2k? wtf. did they charge you again to fix their mess-up?

4/24/2012 4:55:03 PM

I, too, have two cats on my 4Runner.
Why the hell were they selling California Emissions Vehicles all across America again?

^ Factory cats are expensive. $1k/each installed is lower than I would have guessed.

[Edited on April 24, 2012 at 4:58 PM. Reason : s]

4/24/2012 4:58:32 PM

factory cats meaning they bolt right up? hell you can knock that out in an afternoon easily

also, were these cats under 100k miles? i've always wondered how you go about getting credit for that.

4/24/2012 5:00:20 PM

Factory cats meaning not the generics they sell at places like Summitracing.com.

This is the catalytic converter for my truck:

Quote :

"catalytic converter 4-Runner; 6 Cylinder; Rear MSRP Core ? Online Price $1,335.66 $0.00 $1,095.88"

4/24/2012 8:03:40 PM

why would you spend that much for an oem cat that died that soon? magnaflow, who's business began with production of catalytic converters, makes great pieces that are bolt-on replacements, flow much better than stock, and last longer than stock for $200.

4/24/2012 9:02:46 PM