Ask the Car People.SM


Toyota Sienna Engine Problems

108 messages,  Last post on Apr 29, 2013 at 10:44 AM

You are in the Toyota Sienna Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Sienna, Van


Go to NHTSA to file a safety complaint.
Or call Monday-Friday (8 am to 8 pm ET) (888) 327-4236 TTY: (800)424-9153

Messages Page 8 of 11

#70 of 108 Re: Motor noise at cold engine start up [maxwell10] by craig72

Nov 16, 2010 (2:40 pm)

Replying to: maxwell10 (Feb 19, 2010 6:33 am)
I have the same problem. 08 Sienna LE with 59,000 miles. After taking into the dealership two times, they had someone from the factory come test it. Here is the response.
 
"Vehicle is currently operating within manufatures specifications, FTS inspected vehicle for engine noise. FTS noted engine noise on cold start-up is described as piston slap, after driving vehicle and letting it run for 20 minutes the piston slap noise was gone. Engine noise on cold start up and after warm up is normal operating condition when compared to other toyota v6 engines, noise is due to short piston skirt design, Toyota recognizes some customers may complain, however it is not considered a mechanical defect and will not affect the life of the engine. No repairs made."
 
Doesn't seem right to me, anybody else taken the vehicle in to get this checked? Same response and outcome?

#71 of 108 piston slap on warm-up by oldnslo1

Nov 16, 2010 (9:31 pm)

I would suggest taking it to an independent shop for diagnosis. Piston slap should not last 20 minutes under any condition.
My 2001 with 135k on it doesn't do it, although it's an entirely different engine family, but as I said, 20 inutes is way too long for parts to warm up and expand.
And for the sake of your engine, use synthetic oil.

#72 of 108 09 Sienna engine noise by wisjeepman

Nov 17, 2010 (4:12 pm)

We own an 09 Sienna van with just over 14k on the vehicle. When we bought it new it was hard to tell that the engine was running. Now there is a noise coming from the engine especially loud at a cold start. To me I would call it a bad lifter. Once at operating temp it quiets down but I still can pick it out. I have been around engines for almost 50 years and I have never had this with any car I owned. This is my first "rice burner". I took a hose and held one end to my ear and then went around on the engine to pinpoint this sound. It was not hard to find right at the top of the head on the leftside of engine. Took it into dealer and they say nothing is wrong. Now I will try again at another dealer and see what they say. This dealer said "we hooked it on the machine and all checked out". Trouble with so many of these new mechanics is all they can do is read a machine and not know the basics of engine diagnosis like we did years ago.
Well anyone have this same trouble. Would like to hear your outcome.
Thanks

#73 of 108 Re: 09 Sienna engine noise [wisjeepman] by ateixeira

Nov 19, 2010 (10:46 am)

Replying to: wisjeepman (Nov 17, 2010 4:12 pm)
I'm surprised you're not getting a check-engine light. OBDII regs mean that a single misfire would trigger such a malfunction indicator.
 
How is your gas mileage? Besides the sound, is it running OK?

#74 of 108 Re: 09 Sienna engine noise [wisjeepman] by 20yeartec

Jan 01, 2011 (7:02 pm)

Replying to: wisjeepman (Nov 17, 2010 4:12 pm)
I agree i have a 2010 with 9000 miles. Have been in the shop three times for oil changes.Every time i go in i question the noise and get the same outcome.I own a auto repair shop im ase cert and still use my ear and a hose.The dealer said the vehicle is new and i need to wait and change the oil .Three oil changes later and still the noise continues.

#75 of 108 Toyota Sienna 2000 by jorgester

Jan 05, 2011 (5:51 am)

I have a Toyota Sienna 2000 with 260k miles, and engine check light has been on for ~ a month already. Plan to bring the van to a shop, and would like to find out what are other parts/points that need to be checked before and during the engine check. If there is something that I can do it on my own in my garage would be good if you can share them to me Thanks.

#76 of 108 why so long? by oldnslo1

Jan 05, 2011 (3:28 pm)

Take it to any repair shop--most all have dignostic meters that plug into your computer system and tell you what is going wrong. I can't imagine letting a month go by watching the light and waiting for something to go bang or thud to a stop. DO IT!!!

#77 of 108 Re: 2002 Sienna LE - ECM Replacement [johnsonjhn] by steven52

Feb 10, 2011 (4:31 pm)

Replying to: johnsonjhn (Jan 19, 2007 12:35 pm)
This is an older message that reflects a design defect in the original ECM on 2001-2003 Siennas. It is still worth talking about, because effects of the defect can show up late and cost the owner a lot. Toyota admitted the defect in a 2005 TSB (EG047-05) but did not notify owners. The original ECM versions worked correctly except that they could generate a false p0420 code when, in fact, the catalysts and associated sensors were operating correctly to limit emissions and control engine parameters. Toyota's fix (but only for owners who had the specific complaint within the qualifying years/miles) was to replace the ECM under warrantee with a redesigned one which would only generate the p0420 code when it should. The vehicle can be driven with the MIL on for this reason, but: 1) the engine is always in open loop so it will use extra fuel and may gradually lose some of its reliability due to oil dilution, slow warm up, etc.; 2) the catalysts may eventually die from running too rich; 3) emissions are too high; 4) you cannot pass state emission inspections; 5) if a meaningful code occurs you will never know and may suffer costly unnecessary damage because the MIL is already on. Some "fix" the problem by a workaround such as disabling the MIL or installing an O2 sensor simulator, but these leave the engine in open loop with all the attendant risks mentioned...
 
There are several unfortunate aspects of this problem. Toyota would replace the ECM for free within 8 years and 80,000 miles, but up to 5 of those years had gone by before they admitted the defect. No doubt many owners replaced sensors and catalysts several times, only to have that p0420 frustratingly pop up again within a few months or thousands of miles (in the most painful scenario, this would happen just out of warrantee...) Most owners, despite having a defective ECM from day 1, were lucky (or unlucky) in that their catalysts/sensors/etc. stayed no-code-good (as opposed to just good-good) for a long time. While many "working" examples of original ECMs are available cheap on the used market, the redesigned ECMs seem unavailable. It cannot be that the upgraded vehicles are immune to being junked, which suggests that a great many owners may have replaced defective ECMs at their own expense. The sad thing, of course, is the cost of ~$1600 plus labor. Though specialized and ruggedized, these computers are relatively simple and made in large numbers. I bet Toyota pays less than $100 for each. How much goodwill could they have earned by replacing the defective ECMs with no limit on miles and years?

#78 of 108 Re: Timing Chain, 2 port intake [fccn75] by fibber2

Mar 08, 2011 (6:44 am)

Replying to: fccn75 (Aug 09, 2007 10:23 am)
I realize that this is a very old question to be responding to, but I might have figured out the answer. We just purchased a CPO '08 and drove a few before picking this one. Each one we drove seemed to have a different noise 'issue'.
 
The set of complaints listed on page 2 & 3 was related to resonating vibrations heard/felt at some narrow RPM bands on 2007 models with the new 2GR engine. When crawling around underneath, I noticed on my '08 that just behind the spare tire were two heavy 'dumbells' clamped to the exhaust pipe. Were they there on the '07? I'm wondering if these are dampers added to change the resonance of the shaking pipe. Perhaps adding / changing the weights could null out or shift the noise to a less objectionable RPM? Just a thought....

#79 of 108 Re: 09 Sienna engine noise [wisjeepman] by fibber2

Mar 08, 2011 (7:31 am)

Replying to: wisjeepman (Nov 17, 2010 4:12 pm)
Again, two new items that I came to find out about my 'new' '08 related to engine noises:
 
Quoting from my car's service log
 
1) Driveability - Customer states there is a ticking noise from engine area. Ticking sound from B2 exhaust camshaft VVTI controller. No codes present or stored. Technician replaced B2 exh camshaft VVTi controller.
 
2) LSC 90k campaign - Variable Valve Timing Oil Hose replacement - completed.
 
This may be your noise!
 
I found a campaign letter on a Camry board that was issued for the 2GR engine. It states that other vehicles may be impacted, and the recall could be widened to a broader range of vehicles...
 
http://sumbiz03.home.comcast.net/~sumbiz03/CamryVVTiHoseCampaign.PDF
 
Q2: What is the cause of this condition?
A2: The rubber portion of the engine oil supply hose for the VVT-i actuator may develop a pinhole. Over time, exposure to small amounts of corrosive gases from the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) may cause this pinhole in the hose to expand. As a result oil may leak from the hose.
Q3: Are there any warnings that this condition exists?
A3: Yes, this condition may cause abnormal engine noise and/or the oil pressure light to illuminate.

Messages Page 8 of 11

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement