New to Forums so hello. I just bought it for my wife to replace her 2007 tC. I did ride in it during test drive and did notice a constant whine audible no matter if we were moving or idling.
It sounds a lot like a power steering whine but it isn't. Is this noise normal for these 2.5 engines? It is annoying for sure.

 

is it a high pitched whine, or more like a mechanical noise of things moving in the engine?

 

mechanical. it follows rpms of the engine. has done it since brand new and it now has 700 miles on it.

 

If it's an auto that's normal. 6-speed auto is planetary gearing.

 

I hear the mechanical noise in my manual 6 speed too. its the lower gears i think, 2,3,4 when slowly cruising or slowly accelerating. to me it doesn't sound annoying - reminds me of a truck a little bit. I believe this is just a normal noise this car makes at this point. mine is at 14,000 and has been doing that from the very start.

 

Yea. Some drivetrain noise is normal. I've owned over 20 cars and almost all of them have had some.

 

Thanks for the feed back guys but I feel I did not explain the noise well enough in earlier post.

startup: extremely audible whine which overtakes sound of engine running. almost like an alternator whine but not as high pitched.

Shift car from park to any gear sitting still: whine disapates but still audible.

Start driving car at low speeds: whine follows rpms very audibly until road noise cancels it out.

The whine is always there no matter if I am moving or not. If car is in park and I rev engine it follows rpm. This is not a high pitched squeal which would be associated with a belt. I don't think it is the tranny because it will follow rpms in neutral as well. If anybody has a 2.5l and the time can you assure me this is normal? Thanks in advance.

 

Don't have that with mine. Can make a video sometime but mines quiet other than rpm fluctuating 200-300rpm at idle

 

yeah now that you describe yours more, OP, it sounds like some problem. make a video so that we can hear. also see what the dealers says about it. it's best to get this noise solved before your car's new warranty expires.

 

Sounds loud from what you are describing. Perhaps take it in and see what the dealer says. Let us know!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJEtZcviRXw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

video I just sent to dealership.

 

I might be off but could it be a faulty alternator?

 

I also have a very annoying noise that is A/C related.
Every time I drive the car with the A/C ON to the point where its fully warmed up I start to hear a grinding noise only with the A/C runnning. It increases when I switch the A/C **** to cycle 3 & 4.
It sounds like grinding blades. Dealer says its the HIDs draining power from the battery causing the AC compressor to loose voltage.

 

my thought exactly. even did the screw driver trick and it sounded like it was coming from there. these a-hole dealers are so trained to say normal its pathetic. I sent that video to every email list on the dealerships website. maybe that will get their attention.

 

what has happened to Toyota quality?

 

Something is not right for sure.

 

wow yes that is a bad noise. idk maybe something with a pulley or a belt not aligned properly from factory? i'm not good at diagnosing this stuff sorry

 

Yea the Toyota dealership in my area sucks ___! I will NEVER go back there not even
To check out any of the new cars that are on the lot. I did not buy my tC there, I only go there for service because its 10min away from my house.
And you're right DaltonChaotic their favorite phrase is "Its normal"
From looking at the video it sounds like the alternator. Just because the car is new it doesn't mean it can't have a defect from the factory. Fight it and make them pinpoint the issue man.

 

left the car overnight and dropped the key in the box with a note. the emails got the managers attention because I got a response from store manager, service manager and salesman within ten minutes of each other. they all wrote "we have watched your video and are now working on your car. we will let you know. that was an hour ago. let's see if they come back with the ole "no two cars sound alike and its normal bs."

 

they might come back with " We have replaced your car. problem fixed!"
lol jk. I hope for the best for you car. let us know if they replaced anything.