I've noticed a slight tapping on startup after the vehicle has been sitting overnight and starts in the morning. It's parked in a garage so not exposed to very cold temps. It sounds like oil starvation on the crank or lower end. The tapping noise goes away after a few seconds.

There is no noise if it's been sitting only for a couple hours. Noise seems to happen when it's been sitting for 10-12 hours.

It's a 2022 GX with 3600 miles on it. I never really paid attention when I first got the car so I can't say how long it's been doing this. Maybe it's normal?

Any ideas?

 

Had the same issue with my previous 2018 4Runner Limited, it never got less noticeable but overtime i just stopped paying it attention. The GX does not do seem to have that noise since ive owned it, it might be a new engine just wearing in with such little miles.

 

May be a valve lash compensator that is bleeding down slowly. Not a problem. That the sound goes away after a few seconds is likely oil pressure getting to the compensator and pumping it up. There are 32 of the little buggers. And it's likely not one particular compensator making the noise. When the engine is turned off, a few compensators are always are always under a cam lobe at full lift which puts a pretty good "squeeze" on those particular compensators.

 

You'd have to post a video of the noise, and move around a bit in the engine bay and below the vehicle to try and pinpoint the source, to get better assistance with this.

 

Here is a video of the vehicle starting and the tapping noise that fades away after a few seconds.

 

I don't hear anything I'd be concerned with in that video. Normal cold start noises.

 

Any idea what is causing that tapping noise?

 

Do YOU hear a tapping in the video you posted, or is your video maybe not picking the sound up?

All I hear in your video is normal exhaust on a cold start noises, before everything has warmed up and expanded.

 

Yes the noise is in the video. It's a tapping noise that fades away after a few seconds from engine start. It can get drowned out from the cooling fan and exhaust, but it's there. Tapping noise starts at the 3 second mark and fades by the 5 second mark.

 

Ya, that just sounds like cold manifolds to me...nothing I'd be concerned about. It's not a "ticking" like a manifold leak.

 

Thanks. I thought it was related to not enough oil between moving parts causing the tapping noise of metal on metal and as oil pressure builds, the noise goes away.

 

I hear the sound and agree it's not quite normal IMO, otherwise we would all be hearing it. I'll try to listen for it next time I start mine up.

 

Update.... at the last oil change (700 miles ago) I used the Amsoil Engine Flush. The tapping noise is now gone, but every now and then (on startup) I hear a click when the engine initially fires up. I'm wondering if there was some debris that got into the oil filter canister during the previous oil change and was pushed into the engine and got caught in an oil passage. The flush helped clear it or move it but some of it still remains. I'll do another flush at the next oil change.

I know this sounds like a crazy theory, but I'm trying to piece together what may have happened.

 

Sounds totally normal for me on a cold start.

 

2023 here .. same exact thing .. ..
im very confused !! because i could swear i didn't hear it with the Original Factory oil ! !! but i could be wrong
at 2100 miles i dumped FF oil !! swithced to Pennzoil Ultra P
!! i heared it immediately!!! it's tapping .. u can hear it almost coming from driver side !!
1k miles Later !! dumped a prefectly fine oil and put
AMSOIL SS hoping it gets better
but was Louder right out of the shop then MAYBE it got better after that ( not really sure) ..
generally starts right at cold start .. high rpm .. kinda slows down bit more .. goes away when car is nice and warm enough!!!