not a dodge - but help me out anyway.
97 toyota 4runner, sr5, 2wd, 3.4 v6. Auto. 200,000 miles
runs great. shifts great. drives great. stops great.

its got a roaring noise coming from the transmission area thats getting louder and louder. its been doing it for over a year. at first i thought it was just tire noise, but it kept getting worse. the front wheel bearings made a little scraping noise on the seals, so i replaced the bearings. no help, and it just keeps getting louder.

it seems to be coming from the front/middle of the transmission.
according to what i read, the trans is a A340E.
i changed the fluid and filter, which looked very clean and pink.
minimal amount of sludge in the bottom.
previous owner kept up all maintenance schedules.

anyone know if this is common with toyotas ?
can a torque converter start making noise ?
what else could roar, but not show any other problems.
she's bringing it home from school this weekend, so i've got to figure something out.
help is appreciated.

 

No easy fixes on those.

Does the noise change as you drive? does it get louder the faster you go? Only hear it in certain gears? Is this a roaring like a stuck clutch fan roar?

 

there's a lion under the car.

you can try this:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=214783

 

is it possible it's the rear diff and not the trans?

Like a pinion bearing going out?

 

sounds to me like its coming from the front/middle of the transmission, up beside drivers feet. i'll put it up on jack stands this weekend and get under it with it running and try to pin it down. i hope the lion doesn't bite me.

 

?????

 

sorry, missed the question. the noise starts at about 10mph as a slow roar-roar-roar. it sounds a lot like mud grip tire noise, except it seems to be coming out of the trans. it gets louder and faster with speed. it roars in all gears and doesn't change with shifts. i haven't driven it enough to give a good description at high speed. i think the pitch just keeps climbing higher.

the sound is most similar to tire roar, or rear end roar. its just confusing me that it seems to be coming out of the trans.

stuck clutch fan - wll check it this weekend. the fan is a little noisy, but when i rev the motor up sitting still, i don't hear the loud roaring. the roaring starts when its rolling down the road.

 

The way you describe it is almost ryhthmic, which would indicate it as something that is spinning that spins faster as speed increases. When you say its something that is extremely slow @ 10mph, I would guess its something that @ 10mph is spining near the speed of the tires which would probably rule out the driveshaft joints, but I'd check them anyway.

Any way to get a quick sound clip?

 

I would check in over in the Toyota forum on Pirate - http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=12

There are a ton of Toyota folks over there and they are very knowledgeable. Be forwarned that they can be quite rowdy and like to harass the hell out of each other - but you'll likely get it figured out.

Good Luck!
Cartman

 

I doubt its the clutch fan, i was just trying to gauge the sound. Jack it up in your drive way with the back wheels off the ground. Secure the truck with jack stands. Have your daughter, start the truck, put it in gear and accelerate. Lay beside the truck and listen.

Does the noise happen when you rev the engine up in park or neutral?