Cold start engine rattle 2zzge

[420NLY]

Hi, I need some help/suggestions.

I have an 05 sportivo with 85,000ks on the clock and only in the last fortnight a rattle has appeared when the car is started cold. It doesn't do it every time i cold start it and it never does it when its warm. It sounds metallic and only last for 1-2 seconds and i'm stuffed if i can pinpoint it. The sound is similar to say an exhaust shroud with a couple of bolts missing (that sort of rattle). The car is stock. I am hoping it's nothing internal.

Any ideas would be great.

P.S. I can't see much point in taking it to Toyota to get the standard "We couldn't find what you were talking about" standard line they always say.

Thanks

Darren.

[CHA54]

hows the oil level?

[123R-Prozak]

Welcome to the forums, check oil, don't forget when u leave the motor sitti around the oil goes to the sump, so for that split 2 seconds or so u might get a noise till the oil get to the rockers n cams at the top.

Is that the sound? Or do u think it's something else?

[Blind Kid Seeks]

i get a similar rattle... one in a while

i've heard the belt tensioner bearings can go off on 2zz's reckon it could be one of those??

[420NLY]

Nah, its not the oil level. I always check the oil level and did the oil a week after the noise started. I started pulling stuff apart just now and found that the earth lead that bolts to the motor was missing the bolt for some f'd up reason (not me) and the earth lead was just dangling next to another metallic part which may have been the noise and for another reason (not me again) i have just found a nut similar to the ones used to connect the battery terminal leads sitting in behind the inlet manifold and laying in a little crevice next to the head. I used a magnet to get it out and can't for the life of me see where it has come from. The bolt for the earth lead is nowhere to be found. I will put it back together and see how i go and report my findings

[DJKOR]

I started pulling stuff apart just now and found that the earth lead that bolts to the motor was missing the bolt for some f'd up reason (not me) and the earth lead was just dangling next to another metallic part which may have been the noise and for another reason (not me again) i have just found a nut similar to the ones used to connect the battery terminal leads sitting in behind the inlet manifold and laying in a little crevice next to the head. I used a magnet to get it out and can't for the life of me see where it has come from. The bolt for the earth lead is nowhere to be found. I will put it back together and see how i go and report my findings

I highly doubt any of those are your problem based on your description of it's occurrence.

[yoshi]

belt tensioner should be making a noise only when the engine is under no load as when you put the engine under load it pulls on the belt. next time it is making the noise drive slowly and go on throtle and off throtle a few times and see if disappears when accellerating

[420NLY]

Update. Its been well over a week now and since finding the nut and the earth lead and fixing both the car has not made the noise since. I hope to never hear it again to be honest. The crazy thing was it only did it for a second when cold and not often enough to pinpoint the noise. I can't say for sure that what i did fixed it but only time will tell. Thanks for the suggestions anyway.