1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Car rattles for 5 minutes before I start it.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by mprius08, Dec 23, 2016.

  1. mprius08

    mprius08 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I had a very strange situation tonight. I have a 2008 Prius with about 68k miles. I was driving today for about an hour in stop in go traffic when I arrived at my destination. After about 30 minutes to an 1 hour I got back in my car and heard a rattling/rumbling/vibration sound similar to a jackhammer sound. I had not started the car at this point. The noise repeated every minute or so for about 5 minutes then stopped. Then after another 5 minutes or so it started the same cycle again. I looked under the hood to see if I could narrow down where the sound was coming from. It looked like the sound was coming from the silver hybrid synergy engine.

    This time after it stopped again I started the car with no issue and drove home.

    I called the dealership to explain this situation and they have never heard of it.

    Any ideas/suggestions?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    welcome! i'm thinking one of the pumps. did you get any dash lights?
     
  3. mprius08

    mprius08 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I did not see any dash lights. Is that something I should expect?
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    not always, but often, when there is a problem. the dealer will look for trouble codes. i've never heard of anything like you describe, but there is a hot water thermos pump that runs after you shut down, maybe it has a problem.
     
  5. mprius08

    mprius08 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    That sounds like a starting point. I'm not looking forward to the dealer diagnostic charge just to check some codes.

    I really appreciate your responses. I will update if I find the issue or if anyone else has an idea. Thank you!
     
    bisco likes this.
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    does the brake accumulator sound the same when you open the drivers door?
     
  7. mprius08

    mprius08 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I don't think so. I could hear the noise as I was walking to the car and when I got inside it was so loud I thought it was some sort of drilling outside. I sat in the car waiting for it to stop before I turned it on because I was so alarmed by it.
     
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    amazing. sounds like something is running that shouldn't be, there has to be a trouble code, hopefully.
     
  9. mprius08

    mprius08 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Seemed like something was trying to start up/or stop like when you shut the car off.
     
  10. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,795
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Its probably the CHRS pump. Coolant heat recovery system. It will do it from now on till repaired. Its located behind the drivers side headlight at the bottom of the fender. Where the fender meets the bumper. Pretty common mine just started squawking in my 07 100K car too.
    It won't hurt anything but it makes some weird sounds.

    Btw, don't bother going to the dealer for an inspection because if there's no check engine lights on the dash or the mfd there's no codes to be harvested and going to the dealer on this investigation is a really quick way to lose $140. and come away with alot of shrugs.

    Just to be sure pinpoint it next time it does it under the hood. Look and listen where I said.
     
    fotomoto likes this.
  11. mprius08

    mprius08 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    That makes sense. I will be on the lookout for this and will try to capture a video of it in case it happens to anyone else. At least now I have some ideas on where to start. Thank you!
     
  12. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,795
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Mine makes a really weird eek-oink noise. Don't bother with a video there's alot of posts about it. Very common. Many many threads about it search "CHRS"

    Go to the top of this page find SEARCH FORUMS click on that and enter CHRS on the top line that says KEYWORDS.

    Lots of reading.
     
  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    16,463
    8,377
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    With the car in Ready mode, try stepping on the brake and holding it for a couple seconds, step and release a couple times. If you can make that "jackhammer" sound, it's just your electronic brakes.....getting louder. If there was a problem with the system (like losing pressure), you would get warning lights on your dash.
     
    fotomoto likes this.
  14. mprius08

    mprius08 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I will definitely give this a try. Thanks
     
  15. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2009
    993
    323
    0
    Location:
    Golden, CO
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    This is my guess. You say the noise was happening as you approached the car, and before you turned it on? Normally this pump turns on every couple of times the brake pedal is pressed, and is normally a quiet ratcheting sound. When it fails, it will run much more often, even when the car is turned off. The level of noise you describe is very unusual.

    The pump is located on the passenger side of the firewall in the engine room. The pump was recently covered in an extended/enhanced warranty offer, so be sure to document what's happening.
     
  16. b100

    b100 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2016
    139
    72
    0
    Location:
    Netherlands
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The Prius and all her sounds :D

    Most of the time its the brakepump or Inverterpump
    Brakepump sould be noisy inverterpump doesn't
    Just check for codes...thats almost always the first step to do when you think you have problems
     
  17. TWOPrius

    TWOPrius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2012
    51
    13
    0
    Location:
    Tampa
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    III
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    s,s,m,t,w,t...