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2005 Toyota Prius, Grinding Noise when Accelerating after a Complete Stop

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by 05prius_pal, Feb 6, 2022.

  1. 05prius_pal

    05prius_pal Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2022
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    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I have been hearing this “grinding” noise in my 2005 Toyota Prius. It only occurs when I begin to accelerate from a complete stop (or a rolling stop), and typically occurs at 5 mph - 15 mph; This happens when turning and/or going straight, but not every time. It is inconsistent, and some days I head nothing, other days I hear the sound. I began to hear this noise after I had the hybrid battery and water pump valve replaced.

    I am the 2nd owner of this Prius and my dad has helped me make sure to take care of it (thanks dad!). Normal oil changes, etc. The previous owners rarely drove it as I purchased it in 2018 with nearly 45k miles on it. We did have it driven by Toyota service center mechanics to get their opinion on this noise. They said it could be the transmission (did not want to hear that!). We already tried changing the transmission fluid which ended up needing to be changed but did not stop the noise from occuring.

    Please see my video I finally took of one of my recent drives. This particular day the video was filmed it was colder than normal for where I live—32 degrees at the time. I am not sure if weather has anything to do with the noise but I have noticed on the colder days it seems to occur more frequently. I have noticed it too in warmer weather but not as consistently.

    Any thoughts? I researched a lot but I cannot find someones else's situation that sounds similar enough to mine. I can provide further info upon request! Thanks!

     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    welcome!

    that's pretty loud, would someone be able to hear it if they stood next to the car?

    have you looked underneath and in the wheel wells for any loose underbody covers or liners?
     
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  3. BuyJapanese

    BuyJapanese Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I wouldn't assume your transmission is toast unless acceleration also feels bogged down while that noise is happening. The water pump replacement means belt off which is easier if the plastic trim/undercarriage piece on the inside of the right front wheel well is unpinned. If that's loose it could be dragging against the RF tire in a certain speed range.
     
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  4. 05prius_pal

    05prius_pal Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yes, you could hear it if standing next to the car. I will have to check your second idea, thanks!
     
  5. 05prius_pal

    05prius_pal Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It is hard to pin down if acceleration feels slower when I hear the noise because I try to not accelerate at the moment I hear the noise (when it is really loud) so that I do not make it louder! But in the times where I did continue to accelerate with the noise going, acceleration seemed normal. I will try and check your second point! Thank you!
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    2012 Prius Plug-in
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    Plug-in Base
    there is a clutch/damper between the tranny and the engine that sometimesgets noisy and needs to be replaced. i hope that isn't it.
     
  7. Tommmmmm

    Tommmmmm New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2023
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    Location:
    Maine
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Hello! Having what I think is the same problem - have you been able to safely get around for a bit now?
    Hoping to get through a few more days on it.
    I noticed a little squeak which after about a week turned into this. Would love to hear any solutions and will share whatever I come across.
     
  8. Prius2k9

    Prius2k9 New Member

    Joined:
    May 5, 2023
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    Location:
    Indiana
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    We just bought an 09 and im noticing the exact same thing. Any idea what it is?
     
  9. VOXul

    VOXul New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2024
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    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I am having this EXACT same noise/issue on my 2004 on takeoff. I can mitigate the issue based on how intense I lay on the accelerator, if I punch it it causes it to prolong the noise and make it more intense. No matter the case it will smooth out and go away eventually. If I baby the accelerator I can almost dodge the noise completely. It has been driving me crazy as I have found nothing on this issue until finding this thread, mine is doing the exact same thing!

    Though it was happening before I did any of the following work, the noise remains and seems to be affected by temperature or how hard the car is being driven overall for the current drive session. Car drives like normal up until certain certain temps or something occur...I am stumped.

    Recently completed: typical oil change, transmission fluid (genuine Toyota WS fluid used), accessory belt replaced (tensioner pulley seems fine), replaced front struts/coils with Detroit Axle easy swaps. Car has 186k with a rebuilt HV battery going on 3 years olkd now and near no issues aside from a few bumps and bobbles up front due to bad bushings I believe.

    Has anyone in this thread resolved their issue? Could a bad water pump bearing on the ICE make a noise like this? Any information on this would be amazing so I can figure out what is likely 99.9% wrong with my car as well, thank you!
     
  10. 05prius_pal

    05prius_pal Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hi to all who have posted since my initial post. I apologize for not replying to the posts in March and May of 2023 --- I must've missed those notifications as I was away in NYC for some time and left my car in TX.

    I still have not figured out any other information regarding this situation. The grinding noise still occurs in my Prius to this day. I previously mentioned noticing the noise occurs more often in colder weather, and I still notice that. Though I have also heard the noise in warmer weather, too.

    I had a catalytic converter shield installed and thought maybe that was somehow making a noise if it were somehow shifting or warping..? Though, I can't remember if I started to hear that grinding noise before or after the shield was installed.

    Anywho, I'm sorry others are experiencing this too but glad we have a place to share our thoughts on it!
     
  11. marl0nbrand0

    marl0nbrand0 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2024
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    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Same exact grinding noise issue on my 14 Prius C 87k with a newly installed catalytic converter shield, which was also when I started noticing this problem. Strangely enough, OP 05prius_pal and VOXul also have catalytic converter shields. I think I'm gonna remove mine, go for a test drive and see if that fixes it. Will post an update.