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Cyclical Vibration
Coincidentally, I had my 2000 Tundra at the dealer yeaterday for the same problem. I had taken it in during March sometime when I started hearing a regularly repeating growl from the front end.
I have only 16K on the vehicle. The "ACE" mechanic blew me off with the old "its tire noise". I put up with it figuring the tire noise might go away, but it persisted! I finally was able to test for tire noise by switching each tire with the spare. However, the pulsating noise continued. It was there with the engine off and in neutral or when in gear.
So, I took it back for service again about a week ago. I told them about my test and that the noise still continued. So, the mechanic contacted the R&D unit in CA. They told him it was a problem with the front differential/drive shaft, as you described. CA also said it occurred mostly in cold climate states. I am in St. Louis and the dealership had not seen the problem here before.
CA told my dealership to order and install a new front differential. It was installed 7/24. The service writer I was working with called me to let me know I could pickup the truck. I asked him if he had taken an test drive and was the noise gone. He said it was "better" but not gone. I lost it with him! I told him to get a better explanation than that. Just so happened that the Toyota Dist. Service Manager was in the dealership.
The final explanation I got was that the front driveshaft noise is, according to Toyta, "inherrent" in the 2000 4x4 Tundra platform and is a design flaw.
I asked the my Service Writer, "Let's suppose I decide to sell this truck next week and that you saw the ad and came by for a test drive. During the drive you heard the "whump, whump, whump" and asked what that noise was. And I say "Don't worry about that. It's just a driveshaft noise that Toyota says is INHERRENT in the 2000 Tundra. I asked him if he would believe me and he just smiled.
They gave me the following number for Toyota in CA so I can call them about this problem to complain about the "non-fix" and to find out if they are working on fixing the problem. 800-331-4331
I suggest that anyone with this problem should call Toyota and light a fire under them to correct this 3-year-old design flaw.
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