Just bought this car and only have 450 kms on it. In the morning when starting it and let it warm up there is this loud clatter noise coming from the engine which lasts can last up to 2 and a half minutes before quieting down. This is quit disturbing for a new engine. Anyone else hearing this kind of noise from the new 2.0 engine ? thanks in advance.
2020 Corolla SE cold start clatter noise in engine
- Thread starter Gary59
- Start date
Thanks for the reply. I was to the dealership here this afternoon and got the service manager to listen to the video off my phone, he said he didn't think there was anything to worry about. Said that it has 5 years warranty on the engine and also said he will now have to listen to one of there corollas when it gets a little cooler out. I did talk with a salesman for a toyota dealership in the city and he said these engines do make a louder then normal noise when they first start after sitting for a length of time, he said that the engines are making this noise from the extreme forces put on the engine during warm up ? I will have to wait till it gets a little colder out and see how noisey it gets. Who knows what is normal any more these days.
Here's the other thread you created a few days ago about the same issue: http://www.corollaforum.com/threads/2020-toyota-corolla-se.12938/
I compared the sound from the video I posted in that thread with the video you posted above...and they sound pretty similar to me. My guess is you're hearing the high pressure/direct-fuel injection pump and injectors. I'll let you know if mine gets louder as it gets colder here, though my car is garaged and I don't think it typically gets below the low single digits C in my garage.
As far as the salesman's explanation, that the noise is "from the extreme forces put on the engine during warm up" -- I don't think he has any idea what he's talking about. In this case I think the Service Manager you talked to gave a much more reasonable answer.
I compared the sound from the video I posted in that thread with the video you posted above...and they sound pretty similar to me. My guess is you're hearing the high pressure/direct-fuel injection pump and injectors. I'll let you know if mine gets louder as it gets colder here, though my car is garaged and I don't think it typically gets below the low single digits C in my garage.
As far as the salesman's explanation, that the noise is "from the extreme forces put on the engine during warm up" -- I don't think he has any idea what he's talking about. In this case I think the Service Manager you talked to gave a much more reasonable answer.
Thanks again for your input. This is the first time after owning many cars in my life time that I hear such a racket from an engine when first starting the engine in the morning, it just seems very odd for a new engine. I will one day when it gets cold out go to a toyota dealer and start one of their new ones up and see what kind of noise it makes. Thanks again.
I understand -- if it's not something you've heard in an engine before, it can certainly be alarming. Especially when it's a brand new car, I think we're all a little paranoid about anything that seems amiss (I know I am -- for the first week of owning my SE I thought there was something wrong with the suspension while turning, but I've concluded it's just the driving characteristics of the lousy Dunlop tires).
I'll admit that the first time I heard the injectors clacking I was wondering what it was about. After I saw that mechanical review video I posted in the other thread, I stopped worrying about it. It's an unusual sound that I wish Toyota had figured out how to engineer out of the system, but I think it's probably normal for this engine.
To further set your mind at ease, check out this video of a Camry making the same sound (it has a slightly larger version of the same engine as our Corolla):
If you read the comment section under that video, and browse message boards where people have noticed this sound in the newer-gen Camry, you'll see lots of people chiming in that it's a normal sound for Toyota's high pressure injectors. I'd guess that on startup/open loop the ECU probably does some cleaning cycle or similar on those injectors, which results in the louder-than-usual sound. Maybe the cycle runs longer in colder environments? You'd probably never have noticed it if you had the XSE with the sound-dampening material installed on the underside of the hood.
I'll admit that the first time I heard the injectors clacking I was wondering what it was about. After I saw that mechanical review video I posted in the other thread, I stopped worrying about it. It's an unusual sound that I wish Toyota had figured out how to engineer out of the system, but I think it's probably normal for this engine.
To further set your mind at ease, check out this video of a Camry making the same sound (it has a slightly larger version of the same engine as our Corolla):
If you read the comment section under that video, and browse message boards where people have noticed this sound in the newer-gen Camry, you'll see lots of people chiming in that it's a normal sound for Toyota's high pressure injectors. I'd guess that on startup/open loop the ECU probably does some cleaning cycle or similar on those injectors, which results in the louder-than-usual sound. Maybe the cycle runs longer in colder environments? You'd probably never have noticed it if you had the XSE with the sound-dampening material installed on the underside of the hood.
Thanks again for your input and the video of the camry. It does sound a lot like my corolla's engine. I guess I will just have to get used to the noise while it warms up. The morning after I got the car, when I started it I almost got sick and wondered what kind of mess did I get myself into now. I really like the car otherwise, it's quiet in town and the highway ride smooth and no clucks anywhere and best of all the mileage is great.
I am glad to find this site as I also got my Corolla sedan 2.0l engine for a month and have the same noise when I first start the car. I was surprised that the new engine could be that noisy . At first I thought the car didn’t like the Caltex fuel, and I was thinking to switch to a different brand. I live in Australia so I think there’s nothing to do with the weather as our winter here is comparable to your spring or fall. But I also noticed the noise is gone after the car is driven for 15 or 30 minutes. I hope this is normal characteristic of this engine and not an initial problem down the track. Thanks for sharing the information guys.
Just bought a 2021 Corolla (total of 158 miles on it) with the 1.8. Makes a very similar clattering noise upon startup (and even after warming up) and judging from what I've read about the 2ZR-FAE (FE) with "Valvematic" timing, this sound is totally unsurprising and doesn't alarm me at all. You're talking a high pressure, inline 4, DOHC 16 valve system with constant self-adjusting valve lift. It's bound to yammer a little.
