Hi,

I hope someone can help me with an engine noise that I am concerned about on
a 1996 Camry LE 4cyl car that I want to buy for my wife.

Car background:
96 Camry LE with 76,000 miles (4 cyl automatic)
Car drives great, acceleration is as expected
Engine is very quiet at just above idle to 5000 rpm

Symptoms:
1. Start the car and at idle I hear a light rattly sound coming from the top
of the 4 cyl engine. Possibly from under the valve cover, but not sure.

2. Sound is like light metal rattling at engine vibration freq., similar but
not quite like valve train rattle on a chevy V8.
3. When I roll the throttle up slightly (~1000 rpm), the rattle disappears.

First thing I thought of was maybe the exhaust heat shield is rattling
because many years ago I had heard this was an issue on certain 4 cyl
Toyotas, but the sound seems to come from closer to the valve cover than the
heat shield.


Questions
1. My fear is that it is an oiling issue with the top-end on the Toyota 2.2
4 cyl. Has anyone had experience with this.
2. Did any one else with this engine hear similar noises and what did it
lead to?

Thanks in advance,
Greg in Puyallup

Fuel injectors make a rapid "tiktik-tiktik-tiktik-tiktik-tiktik" sound at
idle and *some* examples can produce a sound volume like slightly loose
valves. Is normal.
--

Philip

"If a long train of abuses, prevarications, and artifices, all tending
the same way, make the design visible to the people . tis not to be
wondered that they should then rouse themselves."
- John Locke (1632-1704)

On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 01:05:24 -0700, "gregk" <GKNews@nospam.comcast.net>
wrote:

My 98 LE (88k miles) makes a rattling noise similar to what you
describe. When the RPM's go above 3k the noise totally disappears. My
mechanic says not to worry about it so I just turn up the radio. I
bought the car used last summer and it runs like a top so I don't worry
about it.

NRJ






"Very funny Scotty..... Now beam down my clothes!"

Thanks to everyone for the help. I decided that whatever the rattle noise
is, I can live with it. I went ahead and bought the car, it really is a
beauty--the wife loves it!



"gregk" <GKNews@nospam.comcast.net> wrote in message
news:HZmcneg8l4Fim4iiU-KYvA@comcast.com...

I agreee with the responder who said water pump.
Been there done that..... and at about the same mileage.
Your Camry is due a timing belt anyway..... Do the pump at the same time
(it's driven off the timing belt). Mine is a 97 and currently at 159K miles
with no other problems ....

T
"gregk" <GKNews@nospam.comcast.net> wrote in message
news:YSednUPEjc75xYuiXTWJkg@comcast.com...

If you do make sure you replace the idlers as well. NAPA sells a timing
kit that is convenient.

T. Wilson wrote:

timing kit sounds like a good idea. water pump too.

thanks, Greg


"John" <john@web.net> wrote in message news:3F197A9C.7050503@web.net...

Don't wait - I have been told that in rare instances that the oil pump can
be damaged and that will be more expensive to repair. I just put the timing
belt and adjusters in with a new water pump on my 97 with 70K miles. It took
me 2 nights of 4 hours.

Scott

"gregk" <GKNews@nospam.comcast.net> wrote in message
news:HZmcneg8l4Fim4iiU-KYvA@comcast.com...