1998 Avalon, noise ~2 seconds after startup

"ka chunk" is difficult to diagnose without hearing it. A whining/grinding noise is probably the ABS system doing a self-check. It may be the AC compressor engaging. To check, turn off the AC compressor before turning off the engine and then re-start to see if the noise goes away. Check your transmisison fluid to see if it is bright red in color. If it is brown or smells burnt, have it changed.

Water pumps generally do not make clunking noises or noises that go away. More often, they leak before they make noise.

If you have 98k miles on the timing belt, you should have it changed. While you're at it, you should consider changing the water pump because most of the labor is redundant so you would only have to pay for the pump, gasket material, and an extra half hour or so of labor. You cannot visually check the timing belt without removing the timing belt cover. Are you talking about the accessory drive (fan) belts? If so, you should also get them changed while you're doing the timing belt.

You should make sure that your shop agrees to charge only for the incremental labor. My Toyota dealer won't discount their 'flat rate' schedule for combined repairs. That is one reason I no longer go there for maintenance.

I agree with RayO about suspecting the air conditioning compressor. If you have the defrost selected, it would engage the A/C. Besides turning it off before starting, you could test this by having someone start the car and you watch with the hood open. The clutch of the A/C would free wheel, then engage with a "chunk". Watch those fingers!

Thanks for the ideas everyone. Transmission fluid was changed recently, and is still a good red. I think you're right about the noise coming from the A/C compressor.

I guess I'll call around between the two toyota dealers and the more reputable independent shops that do import work and see about getting my timing belt and water pump replaced.

Total bill for that (parts and labor) should be around $300? Anything else I should have them do while they're that deep into the engine compartment?

Hey Danny - it would be interesting to know which of the shops will combine the labor charges, and which ones work strictly 'by the book'. Please post back and let us know what you find.

Just out of curiousity, how did you inspect the belt?

I didn't. I mistook the lower fan belt for the timing belt. In my ignorance, I thought "well, I can see two belts. I know the upper one isn't the timing belt, so the lower one must be the timing belt..."

Ah well, you win some, you lose some.

98K miles is the practical life limit for a Avalon belt. Time to schedule the replacement.

When calculating flat rate times, you are supposed to use the labor for the deepest operation, which would be for the water pump. The timing belt should be charged only for the belt itself because the labor would be covered under the water pump R&R.

Maybe that is how you do it, or your garage does it, but my Toyota dealer wouldn't do it that way.

Hello Travis...

Is that based on your personal experience? I can't imagine why there'd be different practices among authorized Toyota stores.

Brent

Yes, it is. I had a timing belt done on a Camry and wanted the water pump replaced at the same time; the service writer wouldn't cut me a break on the labor costs -- he said they charged "by the job to be done and not by the hour".

So I don't use that dealer any more. I don't know if other dealers would handle it differently.

I should have noted that was an Autoway Toyota dealer in central Florida.

Thank you, Travis. That's instructive. It changes my view of things.

Brent

I had your experiences in mind when I said "you are supposed to use the labor..." and "timing belt should be charged..." as opposed to saying that all shops calculate that way.

Every dealer is an independent business - I recommend shopping around for one that does good work for a fair price.

The majority of Toyota dealers calculate prices as I mentioned before. Travis was unfortunate to have visited a shop that does not calculate jobs properly.

Got 4 quotes:

timing belt would be $269, and the water pump would be $230. I balked a bit, and asked if there was a discount on the water pump labor, and they said that they only charge 1 hour additional labor for the water pump. so apparently $230 is the price of the pump + 1 hr labor.

that this estimate includes the belt, water pump, tensioner, and cam/crank seals. The others didn't mention the last two items; are these unnecessary add-ons or prudent additions while they're that far into the engine?

I caught another independent as they were running out the door, and they quoted $800 (yikes) off the top of their head. Might be lower when I call back tomorrow morning.

I'm new to the area (central NJ), but these labor rates seem high to me. Any thoughts. Thanks everyone for your prior responses.

IMO, the dealer that quoted $269 for the timing belt plus $230 for the water pump not only is giving you the best price, but a dealer will generally have more experience working on Toyotas than independent shops.

As far as whether the tensioner and cam and crank seals quoted by the independent shop are unnecessary add-ons or prudent additions depends on whether you are a gambler or not. If those extra parts are less than $60 and it was my car, I'd do it.

As far as the labor rates, the prices sound pretty reasonable to me for a metro area.

Thanks for your input Ray O.

Out of curiosity, do they have to drain the oil to change the timing belt / water pump? I just put 4.5 quarts of Mobil 1 in there, I'd hate to lose it after only 3 weeks of usage. It's a silly thing to worry about $25 of oil for a $500 repair, I know.