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2013 Avalon Hybrid making clunking noise

Discussion in 'Toyota Hybrids and EVs' started by Isaac Zachary, Jun 30, 2023.

  1. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    I need to figure out what's causing the noise. As I drive over rough roads it makes a clunking noise. I suspect either a bushing (maybe on a sway bar) or a strut.

    Any ideas?
     
    #1 Isaac Zachary, Jun 30, 2023
  2. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Had the sway bar bushing cause the clunk, as well as the short rods that connect the sway bar ends to the wheel suspension.
     
    #2 Trollbait, Jun 30, 2023
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  3. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    A rotten end link can make a heck of a lot of noise.
     
    #3 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Jun 30, 2023
    drash likes this.
  4. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    I took a look and found a swaybar bushing that was crumbling. So I ordered bushings and swaybar links. Any idea what the procedure and torque specs are? I think I can get them all replaced, but I don't know the torque specs and can't find any repair manual for an Avalon Hybird. I did find a Haynes repair manual for a non-hybrid Toyota Camry that supposedly has info for the non-hybrid Avalon. Should I get that?
     
    #4 Isaac Zachary, Aug 26, 2023
  5. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    A subscription to whatever Toyota calls their service app will have the info. Plenty here have used it.

    Having replaced both the end links and bushings on an HHR, the actual procedure should be easy to divine. Get the wheel off, and all the parts should be in view. Any difficulty would come from if things need to come off for access.
     
    #5 Trollbait, Aug 26, 2023
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  6. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    I finally got around to a TIS Subscription.

    The first step says: "Remove the engine and transaxle [INFO]". o_O :cry::cry::cry:

    Now I just need to write it down or I'll lose the instructions as I only got two days subscribed.
     
    #6 Isaac Zachary, Sep 9, 2023
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    What are you viewing on, windows system or?
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Sep 9, 2023
  8. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    The sway bushing making noise failed the HHR on inspection. They wanted what seemed excessive amount to do it. I think they were planning on removing the sway bar to replace the bushing. That involved dropping a sub frame.

    Maybe that is what you are looking at.

    I did it without all that effort as the bar didn't have to come out to replace the bushing. Just loosened bracket holding the bracket and bar down, slide the bushing off, slide the new one on, and replace the bracket. One side at a time.
     
    #8 Trollbait, Sep 9, 2023
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  9. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    Thank you! That's exactly what I did. There isn't even enough room down there to get the bolts on one side of the brackets completely out. But I did loosen them and slide the bushings out.

    In the end the bushings seemed fine. But the swaybar links definitely were needing replaced. Now there's no noise since I replaced those too.

    Thanks again!
     
    #9 Isaac Zachary, Sep 9, 2023
  10. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    Well, I think I just got banned from TIS or something. I thought I could print to PDF all the pages on the Avalon and then maybe start on the Prius. But after only about 5 documents it won't let me see anything nor log back in. I can't even get the main page to show up.

    Oh well, at least I have the page that says I should remove the engine in order to change the swaybar bushings.
     
    #10 Isaac Zachary, Sep 9, 2023
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That’s not gonna win them any popularity contests. o_O
     
    #11 Mendel Leisk, Sep 10, 2023
  12. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    I got it going again. It kept saying something about a server error, but now it's working fine.

    Man! There are a lot of documents. I'm probably going to have to download what I can and then get another 2 day (or month) subscription to TIS at a later date.

    Hopefully I can find the one on how to fix my radio. And hopefully it doesn't say "Step 1, remove the engine assembly and transaxle."
     
    #12 Isaac Zachary, Sep 10, 2023
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