Camry LE 08 V6 Cold Start engine tapping

[carNewbie]

I had my Camry for only a month, and the engine has already been emitting this audible tapping noise driving right after cold start. As the temperature normalizes between hot and cold, the noise gradually quiets. Is this a problem for any of you 08 Camry V6 owners?

The Toyota service department is telling me that this is "normal". Asking the service guy why this sound never occurred in any past Toyota's, including the Camry's, he replied that the new engine for the Camry 07 and 08 is designed in a way where it will normally emit this tapping noise. This sounds a little too hard to believe. I even drove a Toyota manager's Camry SE 07 V6 and the tapping noise was constant when driving, even after cold start. His car only had 5000 miles. The manager even claims that there is noise from the engine, and he doesn't know why there is. With my mileage at around 2600, I hope I don't develop those problems!

If this is something occurring amongst all the Camry 08s, I would be quite surprised that no one has complained about such noise. I hope some of you can pay close attention to the tapping noise, if there is one.

Thanks, and I hope to hear some responses from you guys.

[squeakyg]

No tapping here. I did change out to Mobil 1 0W-30 at 500 miles though. Can't honestly say thats why, because there was no tapping before either. The engine starts up cold with about a 15-20s different pitch until the oil gets in good. Then the sound smooths out. Smooths out even further after about a full minute.
2008 Camry V6 LE

[jmargel]

Sounds like a valve problem or a bearing. I would go to a different dealership.

My 2004 Mazda6i would do that, in the morning make that noise, then about a month later it got so bad I couldn't drive it. The rod bearing went, a new engine had to be put in. 1,000 miles over warranty no less. Though Mazda still covered it.

This is not normal in any engine, that dealership just doesn't want to be bothered by you. Like I said goto another dealership, or contact Toyota Corporation. I did this with my Mazda.

The reason the dealership doesn't want to deal with you, is if they have to rip that engine apart or put a new one in, they get paid by the Corporation. The Corporation sets the rates at which the dealership can charge. So the dealership is hardly making any money at all by having to fix this huge repair problem.

[BlueFusion6851]

Well, remember that an engine is designed to have tolerances, and they have to take into account expansion and contraction due to heat and cold. But, maybe you are correct and the dealership just doesn't want to deal with the issue, and if that was the problem i would take my business somewhere else.

[akira751]

I think you have posted on almost all the Toyota forums about what you think is a problem To ease your mind go back to your dealership and have them start 4 or 5 V6 Camrys so you can hear the engines. Every 3 or 4 months we have someone who comes in and wants to hear the engines before they buy. Now we get people who want to smell the cars before they buy. Hope that helps.

[kn38ms]

IIRC the V6's have hydraulic lifters.
Should be no cold start up noise from the valvetrain correct?
Toyo' 4bangers can be diesel sounding when cold.

[marc780]

tapping from the top end (area under valve cover) is probably normal like they are telling you. The engines on the camry have solid lifters (not hydraulic lifters like on some other engines). So there is always going to be (and always must be) some clearance between the camshaft and lifters, and this clearance may be a few thousandths of an inch wider when the engine is cold.

If valve noise is what you are hearing, it is really nothing to be alarmed about and will not shorten the engine life - i have owned 8 cars and trucks with 4 cylinder engine/solid lifter combo and every single one of them made the tick-tick-tick valve noise. And it never affected their operation or longevity in the least.
I know the sound may seem a little disturbing but once you understand what it is, you will stop hearing the noise.

[carNewbie]

I appreciate all of your help!

And to reply to marc, does the noise occur when you drive the car? I don't have the tapping sound when you have the car parked. Even if you rev the engine in park won't make any tapping sound.