03 Camry Valve clatter?

I harken back to the 5SFE cam gear chatter, even though they are scissor gears? My '96 was making a simialr sound and I was concerned until a 2000 model pulled up with the same noise.

Maybe they still use the same drive config. Try listening to another car the same engine.

Jason

When I first purchased my '03 Corolla last September, I posted my subjective observation that the engine (1ZZ-FE) had quite a bit of valve lash clatter as compared to my previous car ... a 1990 Prizm (4AFE

1600cc) with 285,000 miles on it. SOME of the noise can be diminished by using a thicker oil (10w-30)... it seems. Now that I have 24,000 miles on the car, the clatter has not changed and I have not performed a valve lash check. The lash values on the engine calibration sticker are not especially wide so ... it may be that the opening ramps on the cams are a bit aggressive when taking up the slack before opening the valves.

While writing up a service order for an 02, 4cyl Camry today, I noticed a similar tapping sound that I experience with my 03 SE.

The tapping/clatter noise was in the exact same area as mine (#1 cyl) and seemed even louder. Other than Phillips logical reply concerning aggressive cam profile, what else could it be other than an out of spec "bucket".

I am under the impression that the noise is normal, but damn is it annoying for a car with 1100 miles.

We have a '02 4 cyl. Camry with what sounds like the same valve noise. Modest throttle when pulling away from a stop or any other light throtle application results in a (to me) really annoying noise that sounds like loosely set valve gear of olden times (excesssive mechanical valve clearances.) This noise has been heard since brand new, now has 20,000 miles and might be worse - but not actually known. Dealer had it several thousand miles back for checking the "valve" noise - says it sounds like other similar '02 Camrys on their lots. This is our third straight Camry (both earlier models went >150,000 miles before selling) - not one of the earlier model 4 cyl had any such noise. In fact, their engines were significantly quieter at 150,000 miles than when this brand new car came to us. I do not like to ride in the car due to my sensitiveness to the noise.

Oh yes, they (dealer mechanics) speculated that the Toyota change from timing belts to timing gears / metal chain in the fours was a big part of the noise. Can anyone confirm this actual change and if true - when it happened? By the way, my OLD (really old) cars with timing gears / metal chain never made a noise like valve clatter due to the timing gears / chain! Any comments?

As an aside - I don't buy the dealer's explanation that the new type of gas causing the exhaust stink - none of my other vehicles nor my family vehicles - stink! I believe we are being snookered - just like when GM had the same smelly exhaust problem - they stonewalled the customers in 1973 and got away with it ( by all miracles - it disappeared when they changed cat. convertors design!)

thanks for reading and appreciate anyone's help - if I need to clarify any of this - let me know. dan

There has been no such change to "timing gears."

The engines you refer to did not use roller chains. They used multiplate Morse HyVo designe chains.

The change was to the catalytic converter to meet ULEV emissions *using* a lower sulfur fuel than has yet to be delivered except in some markets, i.e. California.

Here is a short .wav file link to clarify the noise. I will try to get a higher RPM recording shortly

best is to compare it side by side to another camry

Good idea,...that's how I stopped being concerned about my 5SFE overhead clatter (moderately loud),...a 2000 sounded the same.

I once had a TC Fiarto 125 1600, it used buckets and shims and sounded similar. Its not cheap to get them adjusted and its a prick of a DIY job.

Jason