Spun Rod Bearing?
 

So today my 86 developed a noise that makes me very worried. It sounds very similar to the noise in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XOAXFG36BY

The noise is only audible once I rev up to around 2000 rpms in neutral. its mostly audible between 2000-3000 rpm, any higher and its very faint, even almost non existent. When I'm driving, sometimes the noise doesn't happen at all when in the 2-3000rpm range. Other times, while I'm engine braking or pressing the gas pedal lightly I will hear the rattle again.

I wasn't driving too aggressively at all to cause this... I remember the last thing I did before I heard the noise was downshifting from fourth to third as I was approaching an exit ramp to get off the highway. I was engine braking in third while I was on the exit ramp and used the engine to slow down the car until I approached the stop lights at the end of the ramp. My rpms were something like 5000rpm before I downshifted to 3rd, and 6000rpm after I shifted to third.

The first thing I wanted to do was take the car to Toyota but I'm well aware of my warranty situation. My car will be 5 years this March, and I have 109,000km. The kilometers alone will void my powertrain warranty as I'm over by 9000kms.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what my next steps should be? Should I take it to Toyota anyway? Should I look for shops around the GTA? Any help would be appreciated, in the meantime I'm trying to avoid driving the car anywhere.

I reckon the first thing I would check is the crankcase oil level. If it was OK, I'd poke around the belt driven accessories with a homemade stethoscope, to make sure one of them wasn't acting up.

You may wish to make a recording and post it for us to listen to.

Maybe take it into a shop or dealership and have another set of ears give a listen.

What's the last thing that you did mechanically to your car?

Good luck.

Check your oil for glitter. If it sparkles, get a used motor and drop it in

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That does indeed sound like rod knock, though i thought rod knock will be more consistent at all revs. Check oil for glitter like others have suggested. How was the car operated? Tracked? Driven like it was stolen?

Here's a video from this morning:

https://streamable.com/etti5n

I didn't realize how horrible that video was until I just took a look at it, I apologize. I'll try to take another one outdoors later today. As for the last thing I did mechanically, back in March 2020 I installed Tein Street Basis Z coilovers, nothing else has been done to the car since except swap winter tires in October.


I'll do an oil change this weekend and see what I find. Also, car has never been tracked. As far as aggressive driving goes, I'll do the occasional hard pull on the highway once in a blue moon. Other than that, I'm pretty conservative with my driving as I try to make a tank of gas last me for two weeks before having to go to the gas station. I try to never shift past 2900rpm, its where I set my shift light to go off.

Take a sample and send it for analysis. That way even if there isn't visual metal you can have a better idea of how healthy the engine is.

IS this a TYPO? :confused0068: What OCTANE are you running?

I also back the suggestion for Oil analysis at least give you peace of mind if its not an internal issue.

If it is a spun bearing you will have the dubious honour of being the first 2016 car to have one! Well the first to say anything here.

I'll be sure to set aside some of the oil to send for analysis. If I do find remnants of metal in the oil, I'm screwed right?

Yes, sorry. I meant to say 3900rpm, not 2900. I'm running 91 octane.

Really? The first? I don't know if that's something I should take pride in :sigh:



In case anyone asks, here's a list of modifications I have on my car if it helps:

- Remark axleback muffler delete
- OFT stage 1 tune
- Tein Street Basis coilovers

That's pretty much it, anything else I changed is appearance related, like Valenti tail lights, LED interior bulbs, window tints etc.

Pretty much any metal is bad.

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There was a 16' for sale with a spun bearing in my area I was trying to buy, I just have no money cause of the house remodel. Clean, 5500 bucks.


Lugging an engine is just as hard on it as excessively revving it out.

That sounds more like a sound coming from the valve train to me - :iono:

Anyway, if it's NOT the HPFP making that sound, it ain't good - :(

Best answer to date, next sound will be the piggy bank shattering..

The Octane question was due to your mention of low RPM ,Lugging with crap gas (below 90) can lead to audible knocking but the sound in your video is not that.

Good luck with the solution.

You don't know he's lugging it.