'Gurgling' dashboard noises '03 Camry

[maynardrf]

2003 Camry started making what seems to be gurgling/sloshing/water-like noises especially on accelleration from stopped position. Any ideas what could be causing the noises?

[CharmCityES]

vaccum related noises?
people describing a noise is a complete failure. you want help, give a more accurate description or sound clip.

if its a water sloshing noise, you had your coolant drained and filled and not flushed and there is air in the lines...the coolant will need to be flushed to get the air out of the lines.

if its a squeaking noise, its plastic/plastic contact, there is a TSB anout some clips in the dash that need a coating of foam applied to keep plastic parts from contacting and sqeaking.

this is the best i can do without hearing the noise.

[maynardrf]

I would hear a 'water sloshing' noise in my dash area if I had air in my coolant system?

[CharmCityES]

yes you would. its a very prevalent noise if you have it...ive worked on a few cars like this at the dealer i work for before and its a starnge noise...its related to air bubbles that fill up the coolant lines which run throughout the engine bay and lead to the block and radiator...coolant runs from the radiator and is pumped through these lines into water jackets surronding the cylinders to cool the block...many of these lines run behind the block under the intake manifold and are close enough to the firewall that you can hear the sloshing as the firewall is right behind the dash
if it gets bad enough coolant can flood your floorpan as well...there was a guy who posted up about this a while back where coolant actually flooded his drivers side footwell floorpan and messed up his carpet.
because of the coolant line design on gen 5 camrys you CANNOT drain and fill coolant...it must be flushed by machiene
and always stick with oem toyota long life red or super long life pink coolant...its designed to keep your engine from rusting internally.

[maynardrf]

Very interesting.....thanks much. I've just checked and found that the coolant reservoir was nearly empty. This car has never had the coolant changed (2003 model), and I'm wondering if you think that the system could get air into the lines with the reservoir being empty.
Anyway, I plan to have the coolant changed tomorrow based on your advise! Much appreciated.

[white3ch0c0late]

Originally Posted by CorCamrySE

because of the coolant line design on gen 5 camrys you CANNOT drain and fill coolant...it must be flushed by machiene

Actually, thats incorrect.

I blew my radiator a couple of weeks ago, and took it to my shop. They drained the old radiator from the bottom, took it out, put the new one in, and put in new coolant. The process would've been the same if I was just doing a simple drain and fill.

Besides, even the Haynes Manual gives directions on doing a drain and fill on your own.

[maynardrf]

Thanks very much for your contribution to this thread.

Now that I have conflicting input I'm left with the inevitable task of more research into the 'correct' process for changing coolant.

[CharmCityES]

Originally Posted by white3ch0c0late

Actually, thats incorrect.

I blew my radiator a couple of weeks ago, and took it to my shop. They drained the old radiator from the bottom, took it out, put the new one in, and put in new coolant. The process would've been the same if I was just doing a simple drain and fill.

Besides, even the Haynes Manual gives directions on doing a drain and fill on your own.

i say to flush the system because at the toyota dealer i work for were not supposed to drain and fill the cooling system on the 02-06 camrys as per toyota dealer procedures

and who is to say a haynes manual is always correct? some of the info is from a standardized standpoint. its good for minor stuff and i have one myself but i trust my techinfo toyota techstream account or my service manuals alot more.

as for your statement, you are partially correct and so am i....the system can be drain and filled, but the whole system must be properly bled and most places and people neglect this and the issue prevails. this is why id recomend a flush. im sure the shop you use white3chocolate is a reputable place that does high quality work...ifdone correctly a drain and fill is fine.

just make sure you go to a good shop or dealer and use the red coolant or pink coolant. ur camry will thank you.

[maynardrf]

Originally Posted by CorCamrySE

...ifdone correctly a drain and fill is fine.

Does anybody know what a 'correctly' done drain and fill entails?

[white3ch0c0late]

Originally Posted by maynardrf

Does anybody know what a 'correctly' done drain and fill entails?

Basically, you just want to make sure that all the coolant lines are bled of air, and the same thing for when you refill. Just gotta make sure there's no air.

[abeZart]

Sorry to butt into this thread, but i have a water gurgling noise and can feel the bubbling coolant in my reservoir and the hose that connects to my thermostat...and how do you properly bleed the air out the system.

I replaced a coolant temperature sensor and had to drain and refill it at 1 point. I have a 1993 Toyota Pickup 4 cyl EFI. I have the Haynes manual and I have squeezed the h#ll out of the hose that connects to the thermostat (as the manual describes) to bleed the line, but so far I can't seem to properly bleed the system and I am wondering if there is something I am missing. Also, is this really bad for the truck?

[abeZart]

Oh...and I did already replace the radiator cap.

[fondoo]

i sometimes hear that sound too in my 2003 camry. but its not coming from the dashboard, its coming from the engine. i hear it sometimes when i accelerate in the highway and the noise is bouncing off the highway median walls.

[gdanaher]

The key question first to ask is why is there air in the cooling system? If the system has recently been opened, well, that's why. If the system has not been opened and you now experience the bubbling, there is a reason, and it could be a leaking hose, heater core, bad radiator cap, or even a leaking radiator. Checking the dip stick would give you a clue if the water is leaking internally through a broken seal, gasket, or cracked block.
In any event, allow the engine to cool, remove the radiator cap and check that the radiator is full. Fill the overflow tank to about half full. Even in filling the radiator there could still be air in the system, so seal it up, warm it up and allow to cool again. Recheck the system. If the radiator cap isn't holding pressure it will overflow in the overflow tank and the level will increase or spill out. If when cool the tank level goes down it is telling you that coolant is being sucked back into the system. I do hope this helps a little.

[JohnGD]

Check the head gasket on the firewall side:

Coolant Loss on 2002-2006 Toyota 2.4L, 2AZFE engines

The following information concerns the loss of coolant on some 2002-2006 Toyota 2.4L, 2AZFE engines. The location of this condition has been noted at the rear of the engine where the cylinder head bolts to the cylinder block.
It has been reported that stripped head bolt threads have been found on some of these engines during tear down. When the two rear head bolts lose their clamping ability they allow coolant to seep out at the rear of the cylinder head.

To repair this condition, engine builders report using thread repair tooling used for various GM engines. Specifically, Cadillac 4.6L engines use the same threaded head bolts (Figure 1). The head bolts for this Toyota engine may be reused if they are not damaged and meet the following length specification.

Using a vernier caliper, measure the length of the head bolts from the seat to the end.

Specified bolt length: 6.350˝ to 6.465˝ (161.3 mm to 164.2 mm). If the length is greater than the maximum, replace the bolt.

This information was provided by the Engine Builders Association (AERA).