Whenever i turn my car on i hear a grinding/clicking noise coming from what sounds to be the tranny. Any ideas what this might be? Its not constant but more like when i rev it up....and it seems to only be doing it when it is cold. Thanks

Might not be the tranny.....but its coming from the right front or right middle.

i got the same thing, mang. it seemed to go away a lot when i put new clutch fluid in it and bled the clutch...but it still happens though, just not as often anymore since then.

Do you think it is anything major? I sure as hell hope not, i just got my car back from where i spun my bearings!! That sucked hella bad!

Does the grinding/clicking noise go away after the engine warms up, a few minutes? I have to go through cold winters in Ohio, and what you described sounds normal. In the cold, engine oil and transmission fluid thickens a little, that's why you hear the clicking noise. It should go away after 5-10 minutes of driving.

Yea it goes away after like 5-10...it also seems a lil harder to shift whenever i first turn it on.

nothing at all.....im serious.....completely normal.....when mine was doing it it was actually just my A/C pulley rubbing up against my coolant resevoir but it did it before and ur engine is just cold.

My 95 does this grinding sound too.... i thought maybe it was new clutch time,or new tranny time!! but it does go away after the car is warm,also if you first start it up it makes the grinding sound from the tranny but if ya push the clutch it stops,is this the same for U guys?

YES! I GOT THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM! Good, now I know my car isnt jacked up or crazy. Yes, 2gntcutie my car's noise goes away when you push in the clutch, but then take foot off clutch, it comes back. Grinding horrible sound from tranny/engine block area. When the engine warms up after 10 minutes it goes away. Weird, now at least I know there are like 2-3 other people with the exact same problem. IF anyone knows the solution to this puhleeeze speak! It's so annoying and sounds like my car is gonna blow up or somethin.

its normal, the ticking is the lifters ticking and it goes away after more oil is there and warmed up, the shifting is also normal too they all do it, now if its a grinding that is different check belts rubbing.

Well thanks guys....atleast i no im not crazy now! Good know other people have this problem...and yea it goes away when i push in the clutch.

About the clutch thing, that is also normal. When the clutch is untouched, the gears (I forgot the technical terminology) are engaged and spinning, eventhough it's not "in" gear; when you press in the clutch, you dis-engage the clutch from the tranny, and that is why you hear that light grinding, hissing sound. You could really hear a difference when you crouch down to just in front of the driver side front wheel. I know this explanation is pretty broad, but you get the idea.

now does anyone now how to get rid of this?

I wonder if this is a sign that the clutch master cylander isn't holding pressure as well as it used to... Have any of you that hear the sound done the clutch restrictor mod? At first with the clicking sound I was thinking CV joint, but if the sound is related to the clutch...

"The fastest draw is when the sword never leaves the scabbard,
The strongest way to block, is never to provoke a blow,
And the cleanest cut is the one withheld."

Michael J. Kulaga
e-mail: Michael_97RS@2gntDSM.zzn.com aol IM: MJKulga
http://highlander.dsmpower.com/

All Motor Beast in the Making

Injen CAI, 55mm TB, Hooker 4-1 Stepped Header, GS-T Muffler, AFX UDP, S-AFC, 8.5mm Magnecor Wires, SS Clutch Line, NRG Susp. Motor Mount Ins., FU/RU/RL STBs, TSW Blade 17x7.5, Bridgestone Potenza RE730 215/45ZR-17. Front KVR Cross-Drilled Rotors and Carbon Fiber Pads

To Be Installed: Ported/Polished Intake Manifold, Rear disc brake conversion kit, SS Brake Lines, Rear KVR Cross Drilled Rotors and KVR Carbon Fiber Kevlar Pads

Nope no clutch restrictor mod here.......im pretty new at this stuff....what is a clutch restrictor mod?

nope. no clutch restrictor mod here either.

Michael, can you help us out? I want it to go away! arrg! It's been happening for me since Sept/Oct time frame..... when right about the same time I had my tranny fluid reserviced at Jiffy Lube and a month later from my timing belt install/UDP/waterpump. I checked out the tranny fluid levels and checked the tranny area at a local mechanic shop....he said tranny fluid is correct and so is the level of fluid. Also, to beat you to the punch before you ask me,....he also said that he thinks it's the throwout bearing...


But I dont wanna spend $300 for him to rip it open just to tell me whats wrong with it. As stated before, the car drives like a champ, its just a major annoyance when the car is cold.

KEY FACTOR HERE....the car does NOT make the grinding noise when the car is warm or hot. ie., summertime, spring, i am assuming. Cause right now with the winter season is when I noticed it as well, since sept/oct.

Oh, and also added info...rememebr that I posted 2 weeks ago that I realized I was bone dry on clutch fluid. Since I filled it up and rebuilt/cleaned out master cylinder area and parts/lines...I have kept my level of fluid since, so I don't appear to have a clutch fluid leak now. Hope all these details help, and if anyone can answer this very seemingly common problem....by all means puhleeeze hook a "duuuggg" up! tia

my car does it too, I noticed today as I was warming it up and it freaked the shit out of me. It went away after the car warmed up though, so I stopped worrying about it. I havent done the restrictor mod either

How many miles on your throw out bearing? Spring loading might not be strong on the bearing anymore, enough to hold it still.

Some one with some free time experiencing this problem do the restrictor mod. Two man job should only take 15 minutes, and most of the time is to bleed the hydrolic clutch system.

Thinking ouyt loud:
Also could be a clutch pedal adjustment issue, there is a slight adjustment on the clutch pedal to adjust engagement point and travel.

"The fastest draw is when the sword never leaves the scabbard,
The strongest way to block, is never to provoke a blow,
And the cleanest cut is the one withheld."

Michael J. Kulaga
e-mail: Michael_97RS@2gntDSM.zzn.com aol IM: MJKulga
http://highlander.dsmpower.com/

All Motor Beast in the Making

Injen CAI, 55mm TB, Hooker 4-1 Stepped Header, GS-T Muffler, AFX UDP, S-AFC, 8.5mm Magnecor Wires, SS Clutch Line, NRG Susp. Motor Mount Ins., FU/RU/RL STBs, TSW Blade 17x7.5, Bridgestone Potenza RE730 215/45ZR-17. Front KVR Cross-Drilled Rotors and Carbon Fiber Pads

To Be Installed: Ported/Polished Intake Manifold, Rear disc brake conversion kit, SS Brake Lines, Rear KVR Cross Drilled Rotors and KVR Carbon Fiber Kevlar Pads

hmmm....

Michael: I bled my clutch by myself using a tire iron wedged in between the pedal and the seat, and this was very successful for me after about 5 times in succession. My clutch is now very stiff. So, can I do the restrictor mod myself then?

If so? Then can u link me to a write up on how to do it so that I can try it this weekend and let everyone know? thanks mike! ur a champ.

Well i have the restrictor mod, and I cant really remember if my clutch was making that noise when cold, never really noticed it. I do notice however, when in 1st, and coming to a stop and pushing in the clutch, it kinda makes a metalic rattling noise. I Don't really know if thats bad or not, it shifts great and clutch feels good as new soo.. After i did this mod, I didn't notice a huge difference in the cluthc feel, but I do notice more control with it, and less clutch travel to engage and disengage, but only small difference, deff worth it though.. Just check out this link mike!!! http://www.2gnt.com/files/clutchrestrictor2.htm

tia!

it could be your valves. When its really cold metal kinda shrinks right, when it heats up it expands and there is less gap in the valves and springs and stuff. Heh then again oil is suppose to fix the gap issue. If it's really loud I would get it checked out.

Well about 2 months ago i was having some problems with my clutch....so i took it to the shop and they said that it was out of alignment. And checked everything out,and said that everything looked good. So i dont think its an adjustment problem. Its deffinately loud but only till it warms up.

ya same here. it's kinda loud. If I am around a large group of people, I keep the clutch pressed in when I start it up, lol. doh.

You guys are describing an input shaft bearing prob. The grinding shitty noise goes away after warm-up and when your clutch is DISENGAGED(pedal pushed in). A TO bearing makes grinding noises when your clutch is ENGAGED(pedal all the way out). Just deal with it. Unless you want to teardown and rebuild your manny's(not a pleasure). I had the prob about a year after I bought my 1997 RS from another guy. Hope this helps.

On cold days especially, once I turn on the car it'll go -
click...click...click...

I checked and it's definatley coming from the rear of the car - the only thing that would be moving in the back would be the fuel pump. It also goes away after the car begins to warm.

Do you have this problem too, or are you sure the sound originates from the front of the car?

front of car. right below cold air intake. betweeen engine block and tranny housing.

Yea just in the front under the CAI.