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Shifting to Reverse - Clunk Sound, possible solution.

41K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  Remmy 
#1 ·
2007 Rav4 V6

When the car is cold, shifting in reverse cause a clunk sound (sometimes a couple clunks in rapid succession) that seems to come from back/middle of car although it was not always easy to tell where it came from. This only happens shifting to Reverse, and it goes away when the car is warmed up. There are no other apparent effects except the clunking noise.

After a lot of reading and messing around, I discovered that the cold start problem was really about engine idle speed and not about temperature or any fluid pressure.

I was able to duplicate the problem after the car warmed up, by pressing the brake, and giving it enough gas to get to 1300-1500 RPM, and then shifting to reverse. I also noticed that if I took my foot off the brake *right after* I shifted, It did not always hear a clunk.

I took it to a recommended local mechanic. He advised me that the rear motor mount was worn. The noise was actually the motor shifting under tourque causing the muffler to bang the underside of the car. There was almost no clearance between the muffler and the underside of the car.

This diagnosis also made sense as, if I took my foot off the brake quickly enough, the motor mounts would not be absorbing all the tourque and the engine would not shift as much.

A simple adjustment of the muffler hangers to give me more clearance has removed the clunk. I am awaiting a quote from him on replacing the rear motor mount.

Anyway, something else to check since a lot of people seem to have this issue.

... I am pretty sure if I went to Toyota I would be in for a new transmission or universal joint/driveshaft or some other thing that costs thousands of bucks.
 
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#2 ·
Please do not shift between park, reverse and drive unless you are completely stopped, also when you park your car you should first engage the the hand brake and then shift into park, when you want to go first step on the brake pedal, then disengage the handbrake (keep holding the brake pedal) and then shift into gear. If you follow this you will not hear any clunking sounds and you won't damage your transmission.

Most people are under the impression that putting your car into "park" is supposed to keep your car in place, however that is not the purpose of the park.
Then when they find their cars down the road in a ditch they blame their car.
 
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#4 ·
Please do not shift between park, reverse and drive unless you are completely stopped, also when you park your car you should first engage the the hand brake and then shift into park, when you want to go first step on the brake pedal, then disengage the handbrake (keep holding the brake pedal) and then shift into gear. If you follow this you will not hear any clunking sounds and you won't damage your transmission.

Most people are under the impression that putting your car into "park" is supposed to keep your car in place, however that is not the purpose of the park.
Then when they find their cars down the road in a ditch they blame their car.
Thank you for the response, however I am not sure you understood the issue. I do not shift when moving. I do not agree with the rest of your post. I have never had an automatic transmission car roll away anywhere when in park.
 
#3 ·
If you live in a snowy climate, using the hand brake in winter is generally a no-no.

This is because slush can re-freeze, causing the parking brake to freeze on, so you won't be able to disengage it.

.
 
#7 ·
That is so 1950's before they sealed up the cable housing used to actuate the brake. I guess if your housing is torn or if the seal bellow was ripped then this could happen.

I have driven a manual transmission truck in snowy slushy winters for 20 years or so. Used the hand brake every time I have parked. Never an issue with freezing/stuck brake.

When parked on a hill, parking in gear with out the parking brake is not an option. If the hill is steep enough (and it does not take a very steep hill) it will turn the engine over. Worse when things get cold.

I have a similar clunk when I put the RAV in drive when it is cold. Nothing I do can alleviate it. Car is compeltly stopped. I am told that changing out the ATF will solve this. The car has done this from day one.
 
#5 ·
I believe the clunking sound is coming from the parking pawl engaging and disengaging. The sound is more noticeable if you park in the slope and/or when the car is cold. The motor revs higher when it's cold so the car can warm up quicker. Normally after I put the car in park, I pulled the hand brake before turning off the car so the parking pawl doesn't put all the pressure against the spur gear in the transmission.
 
#9 ·
It did not seem plausible to me either. The thing is, I was able to make this happen, at will, and since he adjusted the muffler clearance it has not happened and I have been unable to make this happen.

It is of course possible that there are a number of different causes and noises happening with different people. If the muffler was hitting, the motor mount makes a lot of sense.

... Crossing my fingers that the clank is gone. :smile
 
#11 ·
I have never owned or even ridden in any auto transmission vehicle that did not give a slight clunk into reverse when the engine was cold and on high step idle. This is totally a non issue to me. Some clunk a little bit, others more. Once the idle is normal that's the end of it. Both of ours do it, as did the ones before, and on & on.

Now the muffler banging the bottom of the vehicle is a different thing altogether and I question if the motor mount needs replacing.
 
#12 ·
hello brother, hope you can see this, for me am driving Rav 1996, but when i shift to reverse, the noise is high, sometimes when i have just started driving let say in morning or afternoon as long as i have just started driving, when its changing gears, still the noise happens, my car is automatic

i tried visiting local mechanic in Uganda and they told that they have to change the car from four wheel to two wheel, something i do not want

kindly advise
 
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