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Strange Humming Noise from Driver's side

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by harky, May 18, 2016.

  1. harky

    harky New Member

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  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    couldn't hear the buzzing, are you sure it's not the brake accumulator?
     
  3. Ben Little

    Ben Little Junior Member

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    The vibrating noise I hear in the clips is exactly what I hear coming from under the driver side dash. I don't hear it much this winter because im guessing with the heater going more things are warmer down there. I asked the dealer to look into it at my last service but as I expected they couldnt reproduce it, sadly I dont think they really tried very hard, the appointment was downgraded from a full second service to just an oil change.
    The conditions I get it to reproduce are when the engine is running and at around half throttle and at cruising, goes away while accelerating. It can get rather loud and intrusive.
    I plan on trying what earlier posters in this thread have tried.
     
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  4. harky

    harky New Member

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    According to Toyota tech, the brake accumulator issue will happen when the car is in stop. The sounds in the clips were recorded at the highway speed (>65 MPH)
     
  5. bbald123

    bbald123 Thermodynamics Law Enforcement

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    One of the benefits of getting old and going hard-o-hearing is I don't hear anything in either clip.
     
  6. harky

    harky New Member

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    Just received a call from the dealer. I was told that they were able to duplicate the noise and identified the root-cause. It was related to the air-vent duct from the driver's side. I don't have the detailed info on this, but was briefly told on the phone that the order has been placed and the car should be fixed by tomorrow. I will cut and paste here the description of the problem/repair performed by the service tech.
     
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  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    glad to hear it, thanks.
     
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  8. GreenJuice

    GreenJuice Active Member

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    I've just started hearing the same 'buzzing' or mid-frequency 'rattling' noise on mine! I can hear it on your videos and it sounds the same.

    I'm based in the UK, Excel model, since October 2016.

    It is intermittent at the moment, unfortunately. Seems to be coming from the central vents on mine.

    Your post has been helpful in confirming I wasn't going mad!

    Please post any details you might have on the parts used in the repair.
     
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  9. tucatz

    tucatz Active Member

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    I couldn't hear the buzz in your clip either. But I also had the same buzzing problem in my 2016. As others have said, it's actually white plastic heating ducts under the dash where they blow throu two square cutouts in the lower plastic panel. It sounds like it's coming from the upper dash, I know. I solved the problem by rolling up pieces of cotton toweling and wedged between the ducts and the panel. The noise stopped. Btw, I found the the issue on both driver and passenger side.
     
    #29 tucatz, Jan 14, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2017
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  10. altdel

    altdel Member

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    I can hear the buzz in your clips. The closest sound that I can compare it to is "the flapping sound made by the wings of a fly trapped between the window pane and a window shade". I'm going to listen to my gen4 Two on my commute home tonight to see if I have it too.
     
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  11. Elt31987

    Elt31987 Active Member

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    I can hear it because i have that issue and know what it is. It is in fact the white plastic air vent. The air vent under the dash, drivers side, is composed of 2 pieces that clipped together to make one. The tightness of the 2 halves is not tight enough and it allows them to rattle against each other. You can confirm this by placing your foot against the vent when the issue happens and this will provide enough resistance to the 2 halves to prevent the rattling. Ive just been too lazy but squeezing the 2 halves together and putting some duct tape across it should hold it just fine. Or Toyota could replace it with a vent that has a stronger clip on it and will prevent the 2 halves from rattling against each other.
     
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  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Just as a public service, the above could also be expressed as:

    The outlet forks into two ducts

    (Had to look that one up.)
     
  13. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Thank goodness for that. I thought it was a posh swear word!
     
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  14. tucatz

    tucatz Active Member

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    That's it, exactly... A fly in the window, buzzing desperately for a few seconds, stop, nothing for . . . Then buzzing again . . . Etc . . .
     
  15. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Did you read post #31 in this thread? The answer and, maybe the solution lies there.
     
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  16. tucatz

    tucatz Active Member

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    Didn't see the post, slow internet, slower owner.

    thanks Elt..... Duct tape, or super glue, to the rescue.
     
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  17. harky

    harky New Member

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    I'm happy to say that the annoying noise has completely gone. I've driven almost 200 miles past few days on highway and I am very happy to say that the issue has been resolved. As promised before, here is the what is written on the customer invoice copy;
    Cause: Lower Floor Vent For Drivers Side Poor Construction/ Loose Fit Cause Noise.
    870281 Air Duct (All): Part # 87211-47190 Duct, Air

    11960 Drove vehicle about 13 miles and verified noise coming from L/F floor area. Called Techline and they said they had similar issues with vent ducting and to start with the floor vent duct. TAS Case# 170120503. Removed Lower Trim Panels and Road Tested. Noise was still there and slightly more noticeable. While Noise was present putting pressure on the floor vent noise would go away. Replaced Lower Floor Vent Duct.

    I thank all the forum members for your suggestions and helps. If you are having a similar issue, the good news is that Toyota is aware of this problem and you should reference the TAS Case# 170120503.
     
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  18. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    You might try hanging a sheet with the words printed on it... ...since your Prius obviously doesnt know the words!!!

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  19. TMK

    TMK Junior Member

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    I have this exact same issue. I brought twice into Rochester, MN dealer for 6-8 hours total of my time and they can't replicate it. Plus they won't fix it unless they can replicate it. So I tried to contact corporate Toyota and just got passed around with no resolution either. I provided both the videos and fix description yet they refuse to fix it unless they can replicate it. Needless to say, I will plan to try to fix myself and in the future I will stick with Hondas as my experiences with them have been FAR BETTER.
     
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  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Toyota make good cars, but the US dealer network generally leaves much to be desired. Toyota is succeeding in the US in spite of their dealer network, not because of it.
     
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