Fixing the 1500rpm drone, vibration and rattles

[Piratepete Member Find all posts View Profile Close Piratepete]

Been meaning to provide this comment for a while. Have a February 2012 diesel Altitude. After reading pradopoint, I've had the tail shaft replaced, no more clunking and ecu flash upgrade, no more surge. Prior to ecu upgrade, had noticed intermittently the 1500 rpm noise as described on Pradopoint. Have had ecu upgrade for about 8 weeks now and have noticed no more 1500 rpm drone. Have driven deliberately at 1500 rpm to try & make it happen but does not occur. Maybe just coincidence, but ecu upgrade really does seem to have fixed this problem. Suggest others try this before attempting expensive mechanical/ structural fixes.

[Vk3zgw Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vk3zgw]

Is there a way the owner can check what version of firmware is in the ECU? What is the version number of this 'new' version. Can Scangauge see the version number?

[Piratepete Member Find all posts View Profile Close Piratepete]

On this forum, and confirmed by the dealer, there was a firmware upgrade in March/ April 2012 which was after the manufacture date for my Prado. I think there may have been another one since. The dealer can check the firmware version. If you haven't had an update after march 2012 then you don't have the latest. I don't think they do it automatically with services. I had to specifically request it. By the way, have also noticed significant improvement with gear changes around town. Feels like driving in old S4.

[norooz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close norooz]

I had the idle rattle when aircon was on, put a snorkel on it didn't fix it. What fixed the problem was like a o ring plastic that I wrapped on the fender where the air box pipe goes into the fender, the air box has about a 1mm play which vibrates through the right fender the plastic I wrapped around the circle then put the air box back in, started the car have been driving for a week it's fine.

[thylacene Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close thylacene]

2010 VX D4D auto, vibration at 1500 rpm from new. Dealer put in a great effort to minimise it, adjusted air box and rh front guard, replaced cover under rh wiper, made it bearable.

The software upgrade for the gearbox was applied, also the ecu upgrade. It still had the vibration after this.


As the result of an incident with a roo, fitted a "smartbar", no change as a result. A few months later I fitted a set of HID driving lights, and eventually the "Shake" of the bar causing the lights to "flicker" got to me.

I fitted a couple of stays from the panel behind the grill to the driving light housings. Initially the drone was horrendous. I the put rubber Isolators in the stays, and it reduced it.

The point of this story is to highlight that the root cause of the vibration is not the intake, that is merely the first point at which the symptoms manifest.

The engine is the most likely candidate, evidenced by the transfer to the chassis rails, and subsequently thru the bulbar/ lights to the panel.

I do not have a solution, but it have done enough experimenting to be able to identify that treating the guard and air box is merely masking the symptoms and not addressing the root cause. I have even had a mate drive it while I stood on the sidesteps using a stethoscope on the panels and windscreen. The resonance is clearly evident at the front guard, but also evident on the passenger side, lower windscreen and chassis rails.

Today it had its 110k service and I spoke with the service manager about it, he acknowledged the issue and that the toyota "fix" is only partially effective.

I avoid the noise by using the s mode on the tranny, but disappointed that an "upmarket" vehicle has such an issue.

Toyota don't want to know about the rattling rear seat or the coating on the steering wheel that is coming off or the fake leather side on the seat squab the has all but worn through.

Quality control seems to have been sacrificed for profit. Overall very happy with the vehicle but annoyed by these minor issues

[Riv39 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riv39]

Curious how my vibration problems have completey dissapeared after several firmware updates. That said my city driving fuel economy now sits at approx 13.4ltr/100km (calculaed using a fuel log app) which is pretty average. I put this partly down to the fact that the trani won't select 5th before 60km/hr and often you have to force it to shift to 5th (select S and back to D).

[Audiobuzz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Audiobuzz]

Hi All,

I have a 2 month old 2014 model GXL that I have done approximately 4000 km on. While I don't (yet) get any rattles, there is still a very strong drone at 1500rpm when sitting on 70-80kmph. It's at the point where the missus hates driving the car.

The dealers is saying "Thats normal for a diesel" but I don't buy it.

Has anyone else with a 2014 model prado found this and fixed it? or had a dealer fix it?

AB

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

Drove a new 2014 Prado the other day and all the vibrations that my 2010 had seemed to have been ironed out.

Also made me appreciate how smooth my 2010 is after fitting all the little mods to get rid of the resonance and vibrations.

Edit: I've also had all the ECU upgrades.

[Beach Lovers Leds Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Beach Lovers Leds]

Have a 14 gxl and no noises rattles here. Only 900km on clock though.

[Piratepete Member Find all posts View Profile Close Piratepete]

Update on my October post, since the ECU update, still no 1500rpm drone problems, driving in D like old S4 and feels great. I have had no significant difference in fuel usage, mostly running around metro Adelaide & getting 10.3 litres/100km....very happy all round

[Fred63 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fred63]

No noises or vibrations with mine 5 week old GXL.
After reading the post from AB i thought i will try a drive and keep the rpm from 1300 thru to 1800 while driving in D, S5 and S4.


AB do you have bullbar or nudge bar that might be the cause of the vibration.
A mate had a hilux and the bullbar used to vibrate like you wouldn't believe.


Fred

[Audiobuzz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Audiobuzz]

No noises or vibrations with mine 5 week old GXL.
After reading the post from AB i thought i will try a drive and keep the rpm from 1300 thru to 1800 while driving in D, S5 and S4.


AB do you have bullbar or nudge bar that might be the cause of the vibration.
A mate had a hilux and the bullbar used to vibrate like you wouldn't believe.


Fred

No this is a stock as a rock GXL. It's not so much a vibration/rattles (ie nothing loose) but more a harmonic drone/resonance. I can feel the front guard resonating if I stick my hand out the window.

I suspect toyota have fixed all the rattles and items that vibrate, but not the resonance in the air intake that cause them.

AB

[Craigo72 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Craigo72]

I've had my ECM updated several times and the Toyota mod for the drone/vibration, it's better than when I first got it but the dash rattle that comes along with the 1500rpm rev range is out of control. And the dealer had a crack at fixing it before it came out of warranty, they didn't fix it. Now I own the problem apparently. Not happy at all.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

My dealer removed the piece of plastic/foam on the inside of the engine bay where the air cleaner connects to the guard. This has fixed the problem but I am not sure if sucking air from inside the engine bay instead of through the wheel arch area is a good idea. Any thoughts on this???

Outside under the wheel arch will be cooler air.
Could be cleaner???
Definitely less likely to get mud or water in when left factory as the duct faces backwards.
I wouldn't like or accept it being disconnected.

[Stewey Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Stewey]

No this is a stock as a rock GXL. It's not so much a vibration/rattles (ie nothing loose) but more a harmonic drone/resonance. I can feel the front guard resonating if I stick my hand out the window.

I suspect toyota have fixed all the rattles and items that vibrate, but not the resonance in the air intake that cause them.

AB

Hi AB - I'm experiencing exactly the same drone issues as you mentioned on my 2014 GXL at 1500 rpm in 5th at about 80klm/h. So it looks as though you aren't experiencing this alone.