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2011 Prius making noise only when slowing down/braking and turning

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Sam Jackson, Sep 14, 2015.

  1. Sam Jackson

    Sam Jackson New Member

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    First off, thanks for any help, this is my first Prius (only owned Hondas before) and literally know nothing about the Prius.

    So when I first bought the car in Arizona in May, no noises. Drove from Arizona to Washington state to move.

    On the way to Wash St, in Ketchum, Idaho (visiting Hemmingway's gravestone) a lady told me I should drive to a house where he use to live. I drove there (this is a sort of residential neighborhood) and is sort of oval shaped with slight hills.

    As I drove around trying to find it, when I came to a part in the road where you slowed down and had to brake a bit and turn the steering wheel some I heard a noise in the front driver side general wheel well area.
    A sort of clicking kind of noise or maybe some would call a chattering type of noise but it was pretty faint.

    As I got to Wash St, the noise was louder and has stayed the same for the last few months. This noise does not happen if you drove down a straight road at say 30 mph and pushed the brakes to slow down.

    It only happens when you're driving at a normal rate of speed (say 15 mph+) and slow down and either fully turn or slight turn.
    Also, it does not do it if you are not braking.
    For example, if you drive down a straight road, that had a curve at the end, going 40mph where say you didn't have to brake but turned the steering wheel, you do not hear it.

    I've taken it to 3 mechanics (all non Toyota, I have an appointment at Toyota on Friday) First one said they could find nothing.
    Second said he thought maybe the front differential because when he spun the tires when the car was on the lift, he heard something in that area and if it was I need to get out of the car ASAP due to cost of transmission.
    The third said disregard what he said because when you spin the tires on a Prius, when up in the air, you are going to hear something because of the way the tires can spin in opposite directions and what you hear is normal. He, like the first mechanic could find nothing wrong.

    I'm at a loss here. I've just had such horrible luck with dealerships (most seem to be crooks) and am scared they'll try to rip me off "Uh, yeah, a new tranny sounds just right......would you like us to schedule it today?" LOL
    I'm also all worked up from the second mechanic talking about the differential and can't get it out of my mind.

    If anyone has had this kind of experience, any insight would be appreciated.

    Also, no warning lights have ever come on. Car has 94,000 miles and I had the tranny fluid changed.

    Thanks for taking your time to read this and any advice you can give.

    Also, since I'm new to this forum, if I have posted this in wrong place, please tell me and I will post in proper place.

    -Sam
     
  2. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    I think we need a clearer description of the sound. Does its frequency vary in proportion to car speed? Does it seem to be about one click per revolution of the wheels? Is it louder during hard braking, or the same as with light or moderate braking? Do you ever hear it when accelerating in a turn? Any other clues?

    What kind of fluid went in the transmission when you had it changed? Has anyone checked the fluid level since then?

    Good luck!
     
  3. Sam Jackson

    Sam Jackson New Member

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    CR94, thanks for the reply. Tonight I had my buddy stand outside on the street in front of the car at "12 o'clock" he was then at "11 o'clock" when I made the turn slowing down and he also heard it.

    This is probably frustrating but I honestly cannot exactly describe the sound. It is some variation of a clicking sound.

    There is a difference with hard braking and soft to moderate but it isn't that much of a difference. It's fairly the same.

    No, now thinking of it (never thought of it until you said it) it doesn't seem to be in correlation to a 1 revolution of a tire. It seems the noise comes when you are braking and turning.
    Just a guesstimate of mine and I am no mechanic. It's as if by turning and braking, it is causing a stress to something that is in return making the noise.

    No, I do not hear it when accelerating into a turn, I could take turns all day, if not braking, and would never hear a thing.

    The called for WS of Toyota. No I have not checked the levels since but I can tell you this much. I found out today that the previous owner never changed the tranny fluid. The tranny fluid was black. I had it changed like a week ago and having done that (though the sound has not changed) the car seems to run better in general.

    Clues.....Weird thing is. The mechanic (who changed the fluid) said the car looked fine but he noticed that it had two new front struts. Seemed odd to me. A 4 year old car needing new struts. The previous owner told me one was leaking, I'm no mechanic but seems weird. The car was down in Phoenix though in the 110ish+ heat.

    Like I said previously, I'm just afraid Toyota will try to sell me some line of hogwash just to get a buck.

    Thanks again for the input and concern and if my reply is frustrating, I feel you, this whole thing is majorly frustrating and worrisome for me.
     
  4. Fore

    Fore Don't look back!

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    Mine has been making this sound when slowing down to brake in a turn for over a year now. From what I've gathered here on Prius Chat it seems to be a common problem with the beginning of the 3rd Generation vehicles between 2010 - 2012. Nobody seems to know for sure why this happens so I'm just living with it for now until someone isolates the issue better. It doesn't seem to effect my mileage at this point.
     
    BigBear2010, MPGRaja and sdtundra like this.
  5. cproaudio

    cproaudio Speedlock Overrider

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  6. Sam Jackson

    Sam Jackson New Member

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    WOW!!!!! THANKS FOR THE REPLIES EVERYONE!!!!

    I went through the thread you posted "cproaudio" and it seems exactly what all the others are saying.
    In all my years of driving cars I've never heard anything like it.
    Glad to see others talking about it so as to not be in the dark.
    Though it does suck that the video you posted says its private and I cannot hear it.

    I will bring this up to the dealership on Friday and see what they say.

    Thanks again for the help.

    -Sam
     
    #6 Sam Jackson, Sep 15, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2015
  7. jamessicat408

    jamessicat408 Active Member

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  8. priusrc

    priusrc Junior Member

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    I have the exact same thing. My friend is a mechanic and can't find the issue either.
     
  9. Xterra72

    Xterra72 Senior Member

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    I made an appointment and will take a test drive with a toyota tech. We'll keep ya'll updated
     
  10. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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    I'm still having this issue at 65k miles. Had the passenger side axle replaced a while ago

    Fone ?
     
  11. priusrc

    priusrc Junior Member

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    Ok, update. Toyota replaced the bearings. Didn't help. They now replaced the CV axle. That was it! No more noise! The front end and steering is very tight. Feels like a new car.

    Something else I noticed. Before I replaced all these goodies and before the noise came I noticed that if I had the breaks on while going over rough railroad tracks or bumps like the potholes that are very rare in Michigan...the ABS would go crazy and I loss all braking power, the pedal would go to the floor. I don't know why I never took it to the dealer for warranty repair earlier. But it seems that is fixed too!

    I will continue to see if the problem is truly gone but it seems that was the trick. Started at about 30k miles and now finally got it replaced at 44K. All under warranty!
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    We've had something similar. Well maybe, except: brake pedal doesn't go "to the floor". There IS a different feel to the brakes, and it's unsettling. The service manager, when I brought it in, described it as "default mode". The brakes still work, but take a little more effort, and don't modulate as easily, a little harder to control.

    On the dash the traction control light comes on steady in upper left corner, plus yellow triangle, also a couple of brake lights in lower right corner. Plus "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" warning.

    This is an ongoing issue for us. The service manager is suggesting: next time it happens (if it does), bring it in immediately, and keep the car running, have a mechanic come right out, check with lights on.

    He suspects there is nothing truly wrong with a component, say the brake master cyclinder, that it's a "handshake" problem in the wiring.

    Here's what we were seeing:

    image.jpeg
     
  13. cproaudio

    cproaudio Speedlock Overrider

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    can you scan and attach the work order of the repair so we can know what part numbers they replaced? I think the CV axle is part of the drive shaft.
     
  14. priusrc

    priusrc Junior Member

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    Mine didn't come on steady and none of the other lights came on that you see. Mine, ABS (NO! It wasn't ABS, after seeing your photo mine was the car on curvy path light on your top left.) flashed very fast, made some beeps and then went away after I released the brakes and past the rough ground.

    I actually don't have the work order...I wonder if he forgot to give it to me or I lost it....I think I lost it already. I will try and look for it otherwise go back there and get another copy.
     
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Apologies if this is old news, but:

    CV stands for Constant Velocity. Both sides of the transmission there are drive shafts connecting to the wheels. The shafts will come out roughly horizontal, then go through a CV joint, into a down sloping portion, then a second CV joint, and into another roughly horizontal portion, to the wheel. The object of the CV joint is to allow the drive shafts to have kinks.

    CV joints have a rubber boot that keeps them clean, and contains the grease that allows it to work. Sometimes those boots will crack/split, and the joint will start flinging grease. If it's not lost much, and the internals of the joint are still sound, sometimes they'll just replace the boot. Considering the amount of disassembly to accomplish this, I think as often as not they'll just replace the whole shaft.
     
  16. cproaudio

    cproaudio Speedlock Overrider

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    What the hell kind of dealer did you go to? At my local dealer, anyone who picks their cars would have to go to the cashier to show ID and sign the paper work, even if no payment's needed.
     
  17. priusrc

    priusrc Junior Member

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    umm....I don't know.... I picked up my car after hours at midnight so I called ahead of them closing and told them to put the keys on the front driver's side tire and they said they can put it under the passenger floor mat.....That's what they did. I never had to show drivers ID bringing my car there or any dealership before....I just go to the service desk....
     
  18. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    priusrc likes this.
  19. priusrc

    priusrc Junior Member

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    Awesome! But that service is not on there. Maybe it will show up later.....
     
  20. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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    Mine is making the noise again from the passenger side and even though the dealership documented it previously at 40k miles, because I'm at 65k it is not covered and they want $1100. Seems like a common defect with the car and I had nowhere near the amount of issues with my 08. Quality def seems like it went down for the 3rd gen. and as much as I want to get a 4th gen, may be jumping ship to an older Lexus LS with similar miles

    Fone ?