Kairoh

I think it has something to do with the muffler.

Resolve

I heard the same type of sound then when took hub caps off heard it more i believe it is the air holes in the steelie rims and the air going through them but that just me...


Besides most times music loud and i am spinning tires when i take off so dont hear to often..

Tomas

...could it be from the tiny claws of the hamsters tapping against the rungs of their wheels as the try to get the car moving?

I dunno.

I've only heard something maybe similar once or twice, and it's not something that is going to worry me.

Fetthunter

I test drove one (with the 9 spoke hubcaps) for a day about a month ago, and never noticed any sound like that. I purposely trying to pay attention to sounds, creaks, squeaks, buzzes, and the like. Not doubting you, though. Maybe I just wasn't observant enough!

If I had've heard it, I probably would have dismissed it as the hamster falling asleep on his wheel.

Let us know if you figure it out!

xyzbox

mine is going to the dealer next week. motor has a rattle sound at low rpms. and also stop at a light if u start to move foward there is a thunk from the rear. with my 18s on or the stock tires

Mooneyzs

I hear the same noise that everyone else is hearing. Just started noticing it last week. I took off my plastic hubcaps and added a chrome beauty ring on it so I thought maybe there was just a small rock in it but the noise is bothering me and was trying to figure it out. I Hear it going forward and in reverse. It even happens after the car is warm. You can really hear it when you drive past some sort of wall. The sound bounces off the wall and you can hear it better that way. I am going to have to take a look at my manual now since someone said it says something in there.

I will have to ask the guys I know that have boxes here in phoenix if they hear the same thing....

UnFocused

Does it only happend the first time you take off after a start up?

If so, it is compleatly normal. My 2002 Camry SE with TRAC, and my xB with TRAC both do this. It is a self check for the TRAC/VSC system. On the camry, the noise is very well pronounced. my xB is a lot more faint with the noise. Dont worry though....

talich

I think what you have might be the same noise as I experienced. If there is car passing by, I sometimes can hear larger sound, like been reflected. It's a rhythmic sound like snap a twig, and going faster if I drive faster. I can hear it once my speed is faster than 25MPH.

toby3002

i hear this same noise in my tc, right when i start to roll forward. of course its very faint cuz i have to listen through the hatch rattling...

ScoobyVan

The sound I get is a slight "buzzing" from my passenger side B-pillar...it's intermittent and I can't determine the cause...it happens with the window up or down, radio on or off...car cold or warm...

It's very slight and I'm not sure I want the dealer messing with it to try to find out what it is...

Anyone else have it? Is this just another one of the xB rattles we have to live with?

Tomas

Scooby, my xB has that and it turned out to be the grill over the dash-top speaker being slightly loose so it would buzz on occasion. It's actually in a TSB.

Mooneyzs

No its a constant noise that I hear. I hear it backing up and when driving forward. I know there is probably nothing wrong with the car considering I only have 1600 miles on it but is more of a thing that is driving me nuts. the clicking sound is slow at a slow speed and increases as speed is built up. I will be pulling my beauty rings off and seeing if it still makes the same noise to determine if its them. If not then I wll be jacking up the car and spinning each wheel to see if it is only specific to the front wheels or the rear wheels.

I am wondering if has something to do with it being front wheel drive....Not sure if thats the case or not.

Mooneyzs

Ok so I took off my chrome beauty rings tonight when I got home and drove the box around to see if I heard any more noise. Well the clicking noise went away. It had something to do with the way the clips on the beauty rings attach to the rim. I even pressed on the beauty rings and hear the same sorta of sounds.

So I suggest others that are hearing noise. Not sure if you all have rims or stock wheels with the hubcaps. I would take the hubcaps off and drive it and see if you hear the noise. Let me know if you all find the same thing that the noise disappears when you do that.

auher

Has anyone ever figured out what this actually is? I've encountered the noise for a while now - and it reminds me of one I used to get on a Volvo I used to own. The twig description is excellent - it sounds like that when accelerating at low RPM's.

dudehitt

The hubcaps will click if you bend one of the little plastic fingers on the inside. It can be pretty quiet, but increases with speed, usually fading out before you shift out of 1st. Like Mooneyzs said, try taking the hubcaps off. If the noise goes away check inside for bent fingers.

auher

So you think it's a hub-cap noise? I was about sure it was more along the lines of a slight engine ping....... but I'll test the caps if that's what others have seen.......

dudehitt

My noise sounded more like a CV joint going bad, but it was hub caps. It's at least a really easy thing to check first.

x-ray_Bravo

This may sound funny, but also check your tires. Sometimes a bit of gravel will get lodged in the tread, and make a clicking sound. I've had that happen to me before, and it drove me nuts until I figured out what it was.

auher

Alright, I'm stealing this from another site, but I think this is the case. Those who are more mechanically inclined than I can prob. comment on the validity of this.

Quotation:
> I have an automatic 03 Corolla with 53,000km's. It's making a light,
> metalic, tinkling noise when I accelerate gently. When I press the gas
> harder you can't hear it - but it never seems to go awaye even after
> the car's been driven on longer runs - it keeps on tinkling. I thought
> it was pinging due to use of low octane fuel, but I've been using mid
> grade and premium gas consistently for a couple of months now and it's
> still there. Any ideas?


I own a 2003 Corolla also. The exhaust crackle you describe is not a flaw
... it's a "feature". There are several reasons for the phenomenon.
1) The exhaust header manifold faces the passenger compartment. In earlier
generation Corollas, the manifold faced the radiator.
2) The exhaust header manifold is a welded tubing affair. In earlier
generations, the manifold was thick cast iron.
3) This engine (1ZZFE) has VVT-i which is an electronically controlled
hydraulic variable intake cam timing mechanism. The exhaust crackle you
hear is the result of running more advanced intake cam timing (increased
valve overlap) under medium throttle at lower revs than at light throttle.
VVT-i can alter intake cam timing over a 40 degree range as the ECU sees
fit.

mikem53

Anyone Have VERY Subtle Noise When Accelerating???

Yes.. it's all the other cars passing me...