07 Prius Ticking Noise (Comes and goes)

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by priusasa, Jul 5, 2025 at 9:15 AM.

  1. priusasa

    priusasa Junior Member

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    When I start the car, engine kicks in. Then ticking noise is coming slowly, after 50 second, it sound disappears but engine is still working, then engine stops. As you can see on the video.

    You hear the sound more, from the passenger side wheel, or from the bottom of the car.

    When I press gas pedal while parked, sound disappears.

    So that noise is not coming from engine components, otherwise it would come all the time when engine is working, but its not.

    What do you think?

     
    #1 priusasa, Jul 5, 2025 at 9:15 AM
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Old nice person engine syndrome. I wouldn't be looking to do a whole lot to that . Run the hale out of it until . All this is very plentiful no need do much until something breaks . Doesn't sound like ancilliaries like a water pump or what have you you can take the belt off and see but I kind of doubt it.
     
    #2 Tombukt2, Jul 5, 2025 at 3:24 PM
  3. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    To figure out where a sound like that is coming from use a mechanic's stethoscope. If the car isn't hot you can also touch the components to see if you can also feel the clicking coming through somewhere. Hands away from rotating parts!

    Was the A/C on? Could be the compressor. It would stop "by itself" if the compressor turned off (or maybe just slowed down).

    The car is also making a sort of vacuum cleaner sound. Since the phone was right over the intake perhaps check that the engine air filter is clean, fits properly, has no holes in it, and all the clamps are engaged. Also inspect the air inlet tube that goes to the filter box, especially around the bellows, to see if there are any holes.
     
    #3 pasadena_commut, Jul 5, 2025 at 3:27 PM
  4. priusasa

    priusasa Junior Member

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    I have stethoscope, I touched some engine parts from engine bay, could not hear anything like ticking. So, the sound does not come from the engine. Also, I touched stethoscope to the transmission either, because it might be transmission since when I press gas on P, sound disappears. But I could not hear any ticking noise either.

    So, I need to know what is exactly ECU is doing when the car starts, first;
    1- engine kicks in,
    2- ticking noise appears,
    3- after 50 second,
    4- ticking noise goes away,
    5- engine rpm changes,
    6- then engine shuts off.

    That way I could have an idea.

    Air filter is new, and I don't think there is vacuum leak either. I do not have engine code.
     
    #4 priusasa, Jul 5, 2025 at 4:07 PM
  5. priusasa

    priusasa Junior Member

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    it might be some belt, that sometimes runs, sometimes stops even engine is on all the time.
     
    #5 priusasa, Jul 5, 2025 at 4:08 PM
  6. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Listening to your video, I don't hear anything unusual; it all sounds normal to me.

    Some prii sound louder than others during this warm-up phase.

    The clickity-clackity sewing machine noise is caused by the ECU setting of the valves so that the engine runs rich. This is done to warm the engine as fast as possible. The point at which you note the noise stops is when the valves get reset for normal ops.

    When you press the gas pedal while parked and the sound disappears, you are forcing the ECU you to stage 2 of the warm-up cycle and this also forces the valve to be set for normal ops – hence the clickity-clackity disappears.

    You are chasing a ghost, IMHO.
     
    #6 dolj, Jul 5, 2025 at 8:00 PM
  7. priusasa

    priusasa Junior Member

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    I understand, I also realized there is nothing like this on the whole internet, also ChatGpt does not have any clue. Normally I solved a lot of problems or inspect sounds, but not this one. But I am sure this sound was not exist before. It is alcually pretty loud, when my window is down, I can hear it when I go 5 - 25 mph. I am selling this car, and that sound was the last thing I wanted to fix.
     
    #7 priusasa, Jul 5, 2025 at 9:16 PM
  8. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Maybe it'll be more costly to fix in the grand scheme of things than the car would be worth fixed and all of that that that is more than likely at hi milages . And use . A lot of these cars get pretty seriously beat on by people especially 2 and owner out .
     
    #8 Tombukt2, Jul 6, 2025 at 7:42 AM
  9. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Yes, it is quite loud, and it may be louder than it once was, or it could be that you just didn't notice it before. But now that you can hear it, you can't unhear it.

    There is nothing to fix; it is the way it works.
     
    #9 dolj, Jul 6, 2025 at 12:37 PM
  10. priusasa

    priusasa Junior Member

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    I just looked by old repair videos, I found one.
    Exactly 1 year ago, I changed pc valve and I turned the car on, and i recorded that. I don't hear that ticking noise on the video. Whatever happened happened this year. As you said, I won't look into too much.
     
    #10 priusasa, Jul 6, 2025 at 3:09 PM
  11. priusasa

    priusasa Junior Member

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    2025 January. I cleaned fuel injectors and I recorded video, testing starting car. And I don't hear that ticking noise either. So something happened after January.
     
    #11 priusasa, Jul 6, 2025 at 3:14 PM
  12. priusasa

    priusasa Junior Member

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    2025 June, i have same kind of video and this time I hear the noise. :D i cleaned injectors again for some reason and recorded video. Maybe I will change the oil, I changed already during those time but maybe valvoline put different oil. They filled too much, i drove like that. Then I drop some oil.
     
    #12 priusasa, Jul 6, 2025 at 3:18 PM
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