2002 Corolla CE -- radiator vibration

Radiators are usually just setting in the lower radiator support in two rubber radiator mounts and held at the top by two bolts (one on each side of the radiator) threaded into the upper radiator support.

The supports are generally made out of metal and are part of the body structure.

You did not mention where your girlfriend was holding the radiator to make the noise stop but you may want to check the two top bolts I mentioned earlier to see if they are tight.

Now that you mention it, I will check again. She was holding the top left if you're facing the car. It seems both sides are loose though.

I bet that's likely it -- I will double check and find out!

OK, so I checked this. The bolts are on very tight which is good.

The bolts hold on this metal piece which extends out a few inches and has a rubber dealy which rests on top of the radiator. It seems this rubber piece is in decent condition but perhaps it should be a bit thicker? Not sure. Can't tighten anything more than it is yet the radiator still wiggles around. Perhaps that's not the issue but it seemed to stop the noises I heard when someone held the radiator steady so who knows...

I'll have it checked out.

So I went to the dealer and of course, like clock work, couldn't reproduce the issue.

Of course, the dealer was hesitant to want to GET inside my car -- and prior to him getting inside he shook the radiator quite a bit just for the hell of it. I guess he was testing the play of the upper radiator bracket assembly.

Anyway, the sound seems gone now that he did that. Makes me wonder if a rock was lodged somewhere or perhaps hitting a pothole just right made the radiator slightly out of some bracket. Who knows?

I do still believe there is a little too much play with the upper bracket assembly mounts. They seem somewhat OK but you can clearly see the right side is a little more flush than the left. The bracket assembly is like $27 so thinking of just replacing for the hell of it and hopefully that totally solves whatever it is.

Hah! In reality, she had her nether parts pushed against the rad, the better to achieve an orgasm....FINALLY.

So I went to the dealer and of course, like clock work, couldn't reproduce the issue.

Of course, the dealer was hesitant to want to GET inside my car -- and prior to him getting inside he shook the radiator quite a bit just for the hell of it. I guess he was testing the play of the upper radiator bracket assembly.

Anyway, the sound seems gone now that he did that. Makes me wonder if a rock was lodged somewhere or perhaps hitting a pothole just right made the radiator slightly out of some bracket. Who knows?

I do still believe there is a little too much play with the upper bracket assembly mounts. They seem somewhat OK but you can clearly see the right side is a little more flush than the left. The bracket assembly is like $27 so thinking of just replacing for the hell of it and hopefully that totally solves whatever it is.

**************** I doubt if replacing the radiator bracket will make the noise go away. The radiator is mounted with rubber isolators so that the radiator is not damaged. With the engine off, check to make sure that the electric fan shroud is not loose. You may just be hearing the electric fans kicking in. With the engine off, check the condition of the fan blades to make sure none are warped.

It's not the electric fans as this sound happens when they're OFF too. Honestly, I have tried to listen for it and for the life of me cannot pinpoint where it's coming from.

It makes the sound whether I drive or not. It's not ALWAYS there; it's intermittent. It may make the sound driving but with the road noise I cannot hear it. It also makes the sound in any gear, even park.

What I do notice is when in PARK, the idle changes and it's very low... which obviously would reduce vibrations and that seems to be when the noise is intermittent to gone. Reverse and Drive seem to have the noise but almost positive it is NOT the transmission making the noise -- it's more caused by being in gear is causing the wheels to move in some direction.

I drove to the store and put the pedal to the floor and the car had great response and went -- so whatever the noise is, it's not causing power loss that I can see.

My mileage seems to be the same.

I don't think it's a timing chain noise... almost sure of that. I had the tensioner pulley replaced a little over a year ago and it's not a tensioner pulley sound.

I'm almost inclined to think it's maybe some rattling/loose piping underneath the car that is silent outside of the car, but inside the car would make some really funky sounds.

That's all I can think of. I've tried EVERYTHING to find this noise/ vibration and for the life of me cannot seem to pinpoint it. I don't think it's a critical thing but I need to find it before I go nuts.

I was thinking of taking a stethoscope to the engine compartment as I can faintly hear it from there but it could just as easily be piping underneath maybe. It's VERY hard to hear OUTSIDE of the car and very easy to hear INSIDE the car.

I have removed everything from inside the car to make sure it's not something in the glove compartment, trunk, or console... that didn't help.

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Heat shield(S) over the catalytic converter or exhaust pipe \manifold ?? Make sure they aren't getting loose due to rusted out bolts. Just a thought. dc

I'm thinking it's piping underneath too. I was going to jack the car up this afternoon and see if I can wiggle anything underneath.

Question...

When your oil is changed, do they have to remove that heat shield at all? I wish I remember when this sound started -- when it first started a few weeks ago I just attributed it to something in the car but now I have ruled that out. I did get my oil changed a couple weeks ago so wondering if they had to remove that heat shield and if they do -- wondering if they got it back on there securely?

Thanks for the suggestion!

I just jacked up the car. I can't find anything loose underneath. Muffler / Cat / piping all seems secure. Checked the heat shield, it looks on their normal and not loose that I can tell.

Going to try starting the car and seeing if I can hear anything while underneath it.

I just jacked up the car. I can't find anything loose underneath. Muffler / Cat / piping all seems secure. Checked the heat shield, it looks on their normal and not loose that I can tell.

Going to try starting the car and seeing if I can hear anything while underneath it.

************ Check the flex pipe or flex joint on the exhaust. They sometimes make noise. Also check to make sure that no wire looms or connectors are resting against the engine without some kind of rubber isolator.

So thanks for the advice everyone.

The sound is now gone however I never did find a cause.

Here is what I did though:

Emptied out trunk, glove compartment, console, etc.. sound was still there.

Tightened top radiator mounts -- sound still there.

Attempted to move engine around -- it was secure, wasn't moving at all.

Checked all dipsticks / fluid levels -- everything kosher.

Checked radiator / fans -- they work fine / not warped -- checked out OK.

Finally jacked up the car and checked piping/muffler/etc.. -- checks out OK.

I banged around on the heat shield underneath the car as well -- seemed tight, nothing seemed loose... all boots looked OK and felt tight.

Anyway, after all of this (specifically after the banging on the heat shield / trying to shake piping underneath car) the sound is now gone. Not sure what it was or where it was coming from... what I can tell you is we have those curb stops like most parking lots and if you pull to cloose, it'll scrape the heat shield underneath the car. Almost sure that was causing some issues likely.

Anyway, sound is gone and has been for 3 days...

So thanks for the advice everyone.

The sound is now gone however I never did find a cause.

Here is what I did though:

Emptied out trunk, glove compartment, console, etc.. sound was still there.

Tightened top radiator mounts -- sound still there.

Attempted to move engine around -- it was secure, wasn't moving at all.

Checked all dipsticks / fluid levels -- everything kosher.

Checked radiator / fans -- they work fine / not warped -- checked out OK.

Finally jacked up the car and checked piping/muffler/etc.. -- checks out OK.

I banged around on the heat shield underneath the car as well -- seemed tight, nothing seemed loose... all boots looked OK and felt tight.

Anyway, after all of this (specifically after the banging on the heat shield / trying to shake piping underneath car) the sound is now gone. Not sure what it was or where it was coming from... what I can tell you is we have those curb stops like most parking lots and if you pull to cloose, it'll scrape the heat shield underneath the car. Almost sure that was causing some issues likely.

Anyway, sound is gone and has been for 3 days...

********** Thanks for the update. Perhaps one of the heat shields was resonating, and banging on it fixed it.

That was probably it - if you pulled and pushed on the heat shield you can bend the shield to where it puts compression on (or pulls away from) a mounting tab with a broken spot-weld.

The exhaust system components expand and contract quite a bit with heat cycles, that's why you hear those popping and pinging noises from down there for several minutes after shutting off the car.

If you can ID the heat shield mounting tab that is broken, you can always go to a muffler or welding shop - 15 seconds with a torch and that broken spot-weld is replaced by a quick puddle-weld with a MIG or Stick welder and it should be vanquished for a few more years. Or till another weld pops loose.

A drilled hole and stainless sheet-metal screw or pop rivet would work too.

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