nest

I'm probably just a typical paranoid new car owner, but I could swear the motor has gotten noisier since I got the car (750 miles)

Are these just clattery little engines? I can hear valves chattering away at idle, enough that a friend of my mine commented that it sounds a bit like my old diesel Volkswagen!

I don't mind at all if it's normal and not a sign of anything wrong. The car runs great otherwise. The only issue I've noticed is a wavering idle sometimes, when the car is first started. It can be just a little slow to start and every now and then the tach needle will dip like it's going to stall. Not that often though.

So? Thoughts? Comments? Does your sound like a purring cat too, or is my valvetrain eating itself or something?

Talk to me mah brothas

Futureicon

No worries man. Mine does the same. One thing I have noticed is that gas makes a huge difference. I used Shell at first because it was cheapest near my house, and I started noticing a slight knocking noise when idling (the manual even mentions this and says a slight knock is normal) but it bugged the hell out of me. I even tried Shell's super "flavor" and it knocked just as bad. I was getting ready to take my car to the dealer and see what he thought but decided to give it one last chance with different gas. I filled up at exxon and she's been running smooth since! I've also read in posts that using sinthetic oil helps but I've yet to need my first oil change so we'll see. -later

XBman

Yeah same here as the engine breakes in.

NemoBronsky

yeah, I just hit 100 miles and my engine already sounds a little tappy... I wouldn't worry too much- its pretty common.

tbblizzard

get some grounding wires from randode and it'll fix your tach from dropping like that, mine doesn't move at idle at all.

TheScionicMan

That's why they toss in that rockin' Pioneer system... Just crank it up a little more and you won't even hear it.

ScionRI

ground wires on ebay = 30 or 40 shipped

rotarycolt

Both are normal, the tapping is the fuel injectors. The whine, who the hell knows... it sounds kind of cool ;)

NemoBronsky

you got your own personal metal orchestra... tttsssstttsstttsssttt

nest

I think the tapping it the valve acutally, but a noisy valvetrain doesn't always mean trouble. Different types make different noises depending on how valves are actuated.

The whine is the timing chain, if you're talking about what I think you are. Chains are a little noisy but I will take one over a belt anyday. I was psyched when I heard these have a chain. Belts break. When a T-belt breaks in a high compression engine like this you're in some deep ish. You think your valves are noisy now, imagine what they'd sound like crashing into the top of the pistons at 94985970893 miles an hour

Luckily, unlike the othe 90% of the cars on the road we never have to worry about that rare but catrostrophic event. We also don't get the biggest regular maintance buttraping there is with any car--- replacing the timing belt.

Our Scion's will be on their third or fourth owners and we'll be driving hydrogen fuel cell powered plastic cars that go 0-60 in 30 seconds by the time that chain needs replacing.

Djuan

I got a few miles on my xB, and the noise is fine. I love the lil engine whine at high speeds...

ayS

haha yes that's what i was thinking. i think it's normal for all of them to sound like this. i was worried myself for a bit. i am going to try to put better gas. hopefully that will make a difference.

sosumi

Glad you mentioned this. I have the same loud valves. I noticed a knocking/rattling from the engine when I'd accelerate from a stop and I freaked. I posted about it under maintenance/problems, but made the mistake of describing the problem as a rattle, and got suggestions on how to make my hood stop rattling. I took it in to the dealer, and about three different guys took turns pretending not to hear the sound at all. Finally, it was "OH! THAT sound! That's normal." I'm pretty sure they were ____ting me and had no idea what the sound was, as it's much more pronounced from inside the car and when the engine's warm. I haven't had a chance to try a different gas, but you better believe I'm hitting Exxon next time.

lavabox

You will also notice a dip in RPM when the radiator cooling fan comes on

215scion

thats cause shell stations only have two tanks one regular and one premium so when you go there always buy the mid grade its from the same tank as the premium.....so buy midgrade!!!secondly shells gas blows do the chevron thing mine nly knoks when i first start it!

215scion

werd!!!! 0-60 on 30 sec. that would be so dope!!!!

heymrwonderful

mine has about 500 miles now and my engine is still silent. I put speedway regular in it so i dont know why mine is still quiet but im not complaining

Djuan

let me guess your a waiter...

sosumi

*bump*

I'm still interested to know if more people are hearing this sound as their engines get broken in. Still drives me nuts every day not knowing what the damn sound is from.

Pulse

Mines got just over 1000 miles on it (in less then two weeks ) and it's doing it too.

Going to do an oil change tomorrow, going to either buy the ground wire set, or just make my own (wouldn't be hard, plus I can find some color matched 4guage wire). Hopefully this will quiet things down some.