Hello everyone,
I own a 2009 Toyota Venza 2.7L 4-cylinder. My vehicle was affected by the TSB: T-SB-0041-13. My Venza just reached 262K. I still haven’t had any major issues with it and I’m proud to report that it’s been very reliable. However, I wanted to ask a question regarding the VVTI system. I know a lot of Toyotas have an issue with the rattle on cold start-ups, but I just wanted to make sure this doesn’t affect the life of the car. I’m trying to get as much feedback as I can on the issue. I’ll try to find a YouTube that describes the issue and link it below. I change the oil every 5k miles 0w-20 full synthetic. The TSB was launched in 2013 and was only covered up until 60K miles. My Venza in 2013 had almost 74K in 2013 so I wasn’t eligible for it at the time, nor did I know that much about it until the TSB was launched after. I just wanted to ask if there is anything I can do to prevent the noise on cold starts and how long does the 4-cylinder typically last in a Venza? I see many Camry’s go past 300K with no issues but I can’t seem to find much information on the 2.7L 4 cylinder (1AR-FE). Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Link : https://youtu.be/FzzboZDObbs?si=IgGSPXGy3xGa3whi
TSB : SB-10061557-2280.pdf (nhtsa.gov)
Well, sometimes if you change out the timing tensioner the noise will go away. But if not, there's nothing you can do about it other than replace parts of the VVTI system
Thank you, Scotty. What happens if I don't change out the components? Will it affect longevity that's my main concern. I believe the issue with my car is the intake gear.
Scotty does not answer follow up questions.
Ah okay. Then by chance do you know what happens if I don't change out the components, I'm curious to know about the longevity of the car.
I don’t know. Hopefully, someone that knows will answer.
What happens if I don't change out the components?
Perhaps nothing. Perhaps good bye the engine.
I heard from some people that it doesn't cause any damage to the gear or anything it just makes a noise on cold starts. But I'm not sure if that was true or not so I wanted to get a second opinion on it. I saw YouTube titles labeled as the "Death Rattle" meaning the engine has reached the end of life. I don't know which way is the right way to go. I don't really mind the noise but if it's something that can be costly in the future I would want to solve it now.
What does the TSB require to do?
Replace the intake and exhaust gear. Timing chain and timing chain tensioner and if necessary the guides. I put the link for the TSB above if you wanted to check it out. If you scroll down slightly it shows the parts list and everything. I did more research and found that majoirty of users said it won't affect the life of the engine long term. It's just a quick cold start rattle. I'm not too worried about it anymore.