Hi All I had my 5000 mile service done at Toyota dealership Dan Wolf in Naperville, IL yesterday (whose ad's seem to be plastered on every page of the forum website!!). After I took the car back and left, I noticed a new sound from the engine. I noticed the sound when I am stationary at a light or at a stop sign. From inside the car it sounds like a muffled pop that sometimes doesnt come on, but sometimes comes on every couple of minutes. Its not the whirring sound from the dashboard that I am used to, which i know is normal. So, when I returned back home, I kept the car powered and stationary, with my foot on the brake (car was in gear not in park), lowered the window and listened. Its some sort of pump or motor running in the engine that I never heard before. It almost feels like something is being regularly charged, but the car engine/motor is not actually running. Any idea what the source of this sound could be and if I need to get it checked. I would rather not get the dealership to just open the car, as even after something as simple as oil change I am getting new sounds from the car. I sometimes wonder what these car dealerships and their service departments actually know. Thanks for your help CJ
Its like a motor or pump sound, its definitely not a buzz and it doesnt alwys run. Sometimes its not there at all, but sometimes it comes on every couple of minutes and i only notice when stalled at a light or stop sign.
Ok, I listened again for it. Basically, while car is stationary, some sort of switch comes on followed by a whirring sound for 4-5 seconds. This is not the same noise that comes from the dashboard while normal driving. It almost feels like after the switch comes on, a fan is running or just some sort of motor is running. Any thoughts anyone???
Must be the electric fans, from either the A/C or front defrost being on. I know when the front defrost on mine is turned on, it cycles on/off and is heard when stopped like you describe. Check for the little orange defrost light on the dash. It's the one in the upper right corner of the image.
Ok. The sound definitely has something to do with the AC. It doesnt come on otherwise. It comes on when something related to the AC comes on every now and then. Whenever this comes on there is the sound, followed by a whirring noise as if a fan or pump is running. Is this the inverter collant pump? How does the inverter coolant pump work? Thanks
The air conditioning compressor makes a whirring sound; it is electrically driven. Likewise the ventilation fan makes a noise, but it should be obvious when that is running. Tom
The inverter coolant pump always runs when the hybrid system is on (all the time the car is in 'ready' mode or ig-on), and is pretty quiet (you can't really hear it in the car). I think it has to be the AC or defrost in which case the sound you describe is normal and expected.
