Previa Idle Noise - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

sjtrent · 08-12-2004, 02:45 AM

Hello...
I own a 1993 Previa that has started making a very loud noise at idle when the engine is under a load (i.e., primarily when air conditioner is running or sometimes when engine is in drive w/ brakes on). The noise is difficult to describe, but it sounds a little like an old VW bug when its reving from 1st to 2nd gear... The noise is loud enough that it competes with the actual noise of the running engine. The noise immediately goes away when the van accelerates out of idle. The van has about 192,000 miles on it and seems to be running fine notwithstanding this awful noise it makes.

Any ideas on what could be making this noise would be greately appreciated...

es250nut · 09-08-2004, 09:02 PM

They call it a SAD shaft... There is essentially a Secondary Accesory Drive shaft that runs from the front of the engine to your A/C pump/Alternator/Power Steering pump and radiator fan. What you describe sounds like what happens when they go bad.

sjtrent · 09-08-2004, 11:16 PM

You are (were) exactly right... Unfortunately in a 93 previa you have to replace the whole shaft, which cost us about $1100. 94 - 97 previas were designed with a kit that allows for repair of the same problem for only about $450...

Oh well... thanks for responding....

es250nut · 09-08-2004, 11:51 PM

What a bummer! I wish I'd seen your thread earlier... I'm too cheap to spend $1100 on a SAD shaft as my Previa is a 92. There are some less wallet draining alternatives.

A1 Cardone Part # 65-9842 Driveshaft Assembly $187.53 + $53.90 Core Charge From www.autopartsgiant.com

Where in Washington are you? I bought my Previa out of Spokane.

sjtrent · 09-09-2004, 08:36 PM

We live in the Tri-Cities.... Unfortunately my wife had scheduled a trip to Utah and we didn't have time to really shop around... is the part mentioned below new or used? We toyed w/ the idea of trying to find a used part at a local junk yard but decided to go new. Our mechanic that replaced ours seemed to think that the shaft had already been replaced, and that the replacement part was a used part (not sure how he could have determined that...).

Do you know anything about the Sienna? My wife want to eventually replace the Previa w/ a Sienna, but I haven't heard much about longevity or problems w/ it.

Regards,

Steve

es250nut · 09-10-2004, 12:38 AM

That is a remanufactured unit... There is either a limited lifetime warranty or a 1 year on it, can't remember...

As for your mechanic being able to tell about your shaft, I would guess it probably had a wrecking yard mark on it. Most wrecking yards put a bright colored mark on the parts they sell. That way if you bring it back they can ID it as having been the part they sold you.

The only thing I've heard on the Siennas was there were a few issues with the tranny in the early models. I think if I were to replace the Previa, I might go with a Sienna or a Honda Oddesy. Although the missus wants an RX330.

Passaturbo · 10-19-2004, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by es250nut
They call it a SAD shaft... There is essentially a Secondary Accesory Drive shaft that runs from the front of the engine to your A/C pump/Alternator/Power Steering pump and radiator fan. What you describe sounds like what happens when they go bad.

I have the same issue, the Q is why would the noise go away while accelerating.

I was thinking about altering my Idle, cause it seems that my van idles low......when I press on the gas a little bit, the noise stops.

I also noticed the whole belt area shaking MAD.....same goes for the engine.

Im guessing its the brackets that hold that assembly maybe? On my car they are rusty as hell.....

On top of that the shaft on my car looks brand new

I just dont see how it would make noise at idle, and not when you rev it....just doesnt make sense.

previa92le · 10-19-2004, 04:18 PM

You know how if your tires are not balanced properly and the steering wheel shimmies only at a certain speed? Same concept for the SAD noise. Low RPMs (shaft rotation) and sudden changes that load the bushings (such as A/C cycling on/off) will give you the noise.

With the Previa engine off and all appropriate safety precautions taken (parking brake on, wheels choked, etc.), slide under the van and grasp the SAD shaft. If the bushings are good, you should only be able to turn the shaft about 5 degrees. Also, with the original bushings there are dog bone shaped openings on either side of the place where the mounting bolts go through. Look closely at these bushings/dog bone areas. Twist the shaft a bit and see if these dog bones open up revealing failure of the rubber portion of the bushing.

Passaturbo · 10-20-2004, 07:53 AM

I will do that whenever it stops raining. But Im starting to think this might be the issue.

As the accessories go on and off it does effect the sound.

I was also told by Mike from PreviaParts.com (btw, a great guy, very helpful and knowledgable!!!) that if you put all the fans/AC on while the car is standing still.....and turn the wheel all the way to the right or left, the noise should get worst. He said it does it in some cases.....but its a good way to see if those bushings are bad without going under the car.

Thank god Im a hands on guy......I saved about 5-6k on the labor on my Passat (turbo, suspension, brakes, maintnance etc etc). I already saved over 800 doing my own labor on this vehicle too.

We really need a previa forum...cause it seems like there isnt any....besides here and Yahoo.