Is that noise similar to this one?

2020 TRD Whistling when cold ?

I have an appointment with the dealer next week, but have noticed this over the winter. When I spoke with the lead tech at the dealer, they had never heard of this before. Taking off when the vehicle is cold and stationary overnight, I get a rather loud whistle. I've disabled the climate, radio...

www.rav4world.com

 

No, the noise on mine is more like a robust humming -- and it does go away after driving past 2000 rpm

 

I drive an SE, quiet as a mouse, I think the secret is not having any RPM display ;-)

 

Is it AWD? Could just be the sound of transfer case, this gen has poor noise insulation. I also hear a faint rattly/humming noise in low speed city driving when the oil has not warmed up. AWD is most commonly engaged in city driving below 45 MPH as it's mostly FWD on highway speeds.
This engine also switches between direct and port-injection. It's also a lot louder on a cold start as the engine switches from direct injection to port injection.
Only other guess is it could be the fuel pump.

 

yes, it is AWD. maybe the switch from direct/port injection could be causing it.. not sure. I have also noticed the noise is more common on colder weather, city driving. I am taking the car to the dealership this week and will see what they say about it. Thanks for the reply!

 

is this a hybrid or pure ICE?

 

not a hybrid

 

THis car is an engineering marvel...........I dont here squat cause I have studded tires, so it masks all the imperfections.

 

Hi
I had the exact same problem as you, same! The dealer changed my driving shaft.

 

I have the same issue since I bought mine, its a 2019 le awd. The problem only happens when the outside temp is below 5degrees centigrade. It really bugs me and dealer and Toyota dont consider it a problem. It will do it at any speed when the rpms are in the 1800-1900 range under normal acc leration, noise will go away if you decelerate. I have been in the auto repair industry for 40 yrs and to me its the exhaust vibrating. It could be probably fixed by adding vibration dampers on the exhaust , but where to place them, how many and how heavy is the million dollar question. Since only a few people will notice and complain about it , dont expect Toyota to do anything about it. I even tought about trading my Rav4 for a Honda or Subaru.

 

Actually, you have a point about exhaust vibration. There are rubber hangers on the exhaust but I can image that this rubber can get pretty hard when it's freezing out. This would account for the noise going away once warmed up. Since the rubber hangers are attached to metal parts of the exhaust, these parts will warm the rubber making them work when it's not freezing outside.

 

No....
The problem comes from the driving shafts!
I have a 2019 XLE, it made noise at -12 degrees C. I took it to the dealership and they kept my vehicle for a week. The week I went, the temperature stayed below -12 C.
The service manager is a friend. He really couldn't find the problem, until he took the driving shafts off and went for a ride.
In the center of it there is a bearing and well that was the problem.
If your dealer tells you it's something else and you accept their verdict, you have to live with it......

 

drive shaft vibration, noise is in direct relation to vehicule speed, the noise we are experiencing is in direct relation with engine rpm ( more noticable in 5-6-7-8 gear )

 

I just found the post of the time, do a search with: ** Noise from transmission or transfer case ** You will find all the exchanges of 2021.

 

its not a high pitch noise we are experencing, its a loud hummmm and does not disappear until we get warm weather ( over 5 celcius )

 

One thing is sure, I no longer have the noise and you still have it. It can be cold in Quebec, my 2019 RAV4 XLE no longer blinks.

 

was your problem going away after a few minutes or would it stay until it was warm outside

 

I have same problem, it didn’t get resolved by warming up. Even after car wash with warm/hot water. It also noticeable when temp is lower 17 calcium.

 

The noise went away once the part was changed. You replace a defective part with a new one....

 

my question was did the noise stop after driving it for a few minutes or would it be there all the time the weather was cold , I can also add , was the noise only present between 1700 and 1900 rpm

 

After 2 or 3 km and even at -25C, the noise disappeared. After 2hrs without riding, the noise came back.

 

So we are not talking about the same problem, the problem we have will not go away even after hours of driving, it only goes away if the outside temp warms up to about 5 celcius ( ps, the problem seems to get worst every year as the truck gets older )

 

Hi. Have you found the cause of the noise? What dealer said? I think I might have same issue on my 2021 xle awd.

 

Yes writer give us update please! 🙏

 

I have same problem, it didn’t get resolved by warming up. Even after car wash with warm/hot water. It also noticeable when temp is lower 17 calcium.

If the noise goes away after 2000 RM then it is normal. All mine 3 non-hybrid Toyota's with Dynamic force engines sound the same.

the noise on mine is more like a robust humming -- and it does go away after driving past 2000 rpm

 

In my opinion, the noise we experience is coming from a muffler system. It is very hard to determine as it only appears under light-slow load of the engine around 1600- 1800 rpms, so vehicle must be moving, and especially it is more noticeable on 4-5-6-7-8 gears. Sometimes slightly incorrect welding may cause some turbulence in pipe by making that noise. This is the only explanation I have for it, and unfortunately we have to live with it.

 

got it, thanks for reply

 

There is another thread on this problem that goes into more trouble shooting. Worth searching it up. Not sure now but I may have started the thread. It is a resonance issue but it is very definitely temperature related, exactly as this thread starter relates. The most common opinion is that the temperature change affects the elasticity of motor mounts or exhaust system hangers. They tune differently with temperature issues. Not surprised that it gets worse with age. It is not bad enough for my to start monkeying with the exhaust hangers. You can notice weighted projections (tuning forks) welded to exhaust, so I suppose it is an issue known about by Toy engineers but they sure dont talk about it in public. Notice recently that it was a common comment by people who test drove in the winter; Didnt like the bothersome "droning noise". It absolutely is not there in warm weather.

 

any updates to this issue?

 

If you talking about the "extra" noise, which occurs between 1700÷2000 RPM, then it is not an issue. I have 3 Toyota's with Dynamic force engines (2 FWD and 1 AWD), and all of them are making the same.

 

Did you ever resolve this? I’m having the EXACT same issue

 

It is explained quite well earlier in this thread and in others that have been linked to. No problem, mostly just the nature of the beast!

 

2024 RAV4 LE – same issue. The dealership refuses to do anything; they even refuse to acknowledge it despite the fact that we did a test drive together with a tech, and he noticed it. They just keep saying, "This is by design."