2003 Is300 "noises" When Shifting...... Faint Rattle

[yarsmang]

Hey there,

I'm hoping that someone can help me narrow down this issue.

This is my 1st IS300 so maybe this noise is expected.

Car is an automatic, so when it shifts somewheres around 3000RPM I hear this faint rattle.

It sound like a pop can is being rattled under the car. The rattle is brief and goes away after the car successfully shifts.

Does anybody here experience a similar sound or maybe know where that noise could be coming from?

Thanks in advance everybody,

Mike R

[smooth1]

yo man, not to crack on you, but your explanation is way to vague to even speculate at this point. Does the sound happen during all shifts or just certian ones? Does it seem to effect the shift at all? Do you feel anything when you hear it? How old is your IS and how many miles do you have on it? When was it last serviced?

If you put it in neutral and rev it, does the sound happen at all? What about reverse?

[bulldog5150]

dude dont get scared, sounds like it could be a trans or engine mount as well, also check the u joints and the dust cover on the tailpiece housing.

[dave.b]

dude dont get scared, sounds like it could be a trans or engine mount as well, also check the u joints and the dust cover on the tailpiece housing.

I also have the 3k shift noise issue. Mine sounds like a cross bettween a gurgle and a rattle, but it isn't the common coolant gurgle issue. It sounds a lot like a bad throwout bearing, but it is an auto.

I took it to Toyota and they couldn't find anything. The sound is definatly there, but only under load and in gear.

Kinda like a thbbbbbttt!!! right at 3k rpm.

[smooth1]

when you say a 3k rpm shift noise, are you saying the car is shifting from a gear to the next at 3k rpm? Or are you saying that under load as the engine passes 3k rpm it makes this noise? going up the revs or coming off the revs?

[dave.b]

when you say a 3k rpm shift noise, are you saying the car is shifting from a gear to the next at 3k rpm? Or are you saying that under load as the engine passes 3k rpm it makes this noise? going up the revs or coming off the revs?

It makes the noise going up in revs while crossing 3k, it is very very faint afterwards if it exists at all. But at exactly 3k it is audible and very noticable (after driving it w/out the noise). It does not make the noise in neutral passing 3k.

Not trying to hijack the thread but it sounds like we have the same noise...

Edit:

Just adding that I put shifting in there bcs the car generally shifts at 3k when I'm driving through my neighborhood. If I use the paddles, I can hear the noise at higher rpm's under load but much more faintly. Also, It happens at 3k, not before, not ever.

[smooth1]

HHmmm. That is strange. This sounds like it could be anything from metal coated cable that is traveling over a heat shield and when the vibration of either the motor or the trans hits it just right it could be causing an audible rattle. ( Remember that certian frequencies transfer better than others, and are more audible as well.)

You also may have an EGR valve noise. The valve remains closed at idle and opens only under throttle conditions.

You may have spark nock, a flat spot in the AF tuning, or a you could be hearing a rod noise from inside the motor.( Which is way bad. Lets hope this is not the noise your hearing.)

[kes]

I have this exact same symptom and hoping that someone can chime in. My 02 ES300 has about 165k miles on her. I am the second owner (bought at 115k - 4.5 yrs ago) and do not drive her hard.

My car (tranny?) has two symptoms actually:

1) the erratic jerky shift issue that is very well known for this vintage and apparently with no known foolproof cure

2) the symptom I'm looking for assistance with - a rattling noise that occurs at exactly 2400 RPM at a shift point. It sounds like a flex plate noise I had on a car several decades ago. In any case, the rattling noise does not occur at any other point. Not at 2400 RPM while in driveway (no tranny shifting), or at any other shift points . Only at the 2400 RPM shift point.

I hope someone can help with my rattling noise symptom before I start ripping into this drivetrain. (I do much of my own repairs but stop short of engine and tranny tear downs). I'll take a look at possible non-tranny rattling points per this thread per as well.

I've come to accept the erratic shift issue after all that I've read on the subject and after paying $150 for a "master" mechanic at Lexus to tell me that he never sees tranny issues on 02's and doesn't think the tranny is defective. (Needless to say, I am unimpressed!)

Anyway, hope you can help with my rattling noise.

Thanks.