I have a new 2005 Corolla S.
When I put it into reverse, usually from a cold start, I hear a moderately loud mettalic clanking noise coming from the engine area.
It usually happens during a cold start, but also happens when I am done driving and put it back into reverse, before I park it.
Anyone else had this problem? Or any idea what it would be?
It has 250 miles, with no ABS, standard options nothing fancy.
Please reply, as I do not want to take to the dealer.
Depends if it is an auto or manual transmission - sometimes I get a clank from a manual every once and a while, auto trans - I get more of a thud than a clank noise.
Might be worthwhile to have someone shift it around the gears while you take a peek under the to listen where the noise coming from. Look at the motor mounts or for anything making contact like a heatshield on the exhaust manifold or similar. At least in my area - Toyota has a 12 month/12000 mile noise and vibration fix at the dealership. But depends on your area dealers - some are more competent than others.
Good Luck.
Davidkd, question, what is your idling speed just before you put it into reverse?
Since you have a new car, the speed might be a bit high and this does cause "clanking" in the transaxle unit when the transmission shifts violently.... just a thought.... Jim
Idle speed in Corollas can go over 2K in the first minutes after a cold start.
Per my mechanic, it's the nature of the beast.
It's an auto transmission.
It's not just from cold starts either. Sometimes after I have driven it home, and I pull into the garage, I take it from Drive to reverse, and it makes the same noise, but somewhat muffled.
?????
any ideas anyone?
If it's "the nature of the beast," then I have a much different beast. My 2003 Corolla LE (automatic) has never exhibited anything near a "clanking" sound when shifted from Park to Reverse, at any idle speed. However, the reason could be my driving technique. Every time I park the car, I first place the gear selector lever in Neutral, then release the brake and immediately set the parking brake. Only then do I place the gear selector lever in Park. This ensures that there is no "load" on the transmission's parking mechanism and eliminates that sickening "clank" when the parking pawl has to be forcefully released from it's detent.
BTW, I use my parking brake 100% of the time. If you don't use it, you lose it when the cable freezes up on you. I have never had that happen to me.
Davidkd,
I have the exact same symptom. A fairly loud metallic clunk/clank when shifting my autotrans into reverse (or, rarely into Drive if I'm parked "backwards" inthe driveway). It only occurs on the first shift, and only when cold. Occurs at low idle (~900rpm or the high idle speed ~2000rpm).
It's been there since new, and I now have almost 20k miles. I've been unable to pin down the problem but I believe it's left side (meaning, US driver's side). It could be slop in the drivetrain somewhere (e.g. CV joint, wheel bearings, transaxle) but another posibiliity is asticking brake pad that pops loose.
Dunno whether it's related or not, but my front left tire is wearing badly on the outer edge -- either a poor factory alignment something was improperly Assembled at the factory.
--
Jon
Chapel Hill, NC
Every automatic I've ever driven usually makes a light metialic "clank" as the gear mesh when putting the car into reverse. I would normally describe the nise as a "ch-click" kind of sound.
As metioned before, a higher than normal idle speed could make it sound worse.
As long as there isn't a significant amount of hesitation, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Sometimes once you have an idea in your head that there is a problem, then you start to hear it more and more.
Again, if there was a problem, I'd expcet there to either be a long hesitiation before reverse engaged, a lot of noise after it engaged, the tranny jumping out of gear, or the car acting as though it's in neutral.
should i be taking it in to the dealer at all? i still have another 2500 miles to oil change, is it safe to wait until then?
That is up to you - you know how dealerships handle these situations. If you don't see any drivability issues, other than the noise, I'd wait until the next oil service interval to have them check it over.
lol...my 88 toyota corolla fx makes that same noise also and with a sort of kick when i shift in reverse. i think its perfectly norma
My 2003 Corolla CE had the noticable metallic "clank" but it has slowly disappeared. With 7900 miles, I only occaisionally hear it now.
OK, let's try it again. This problem is common in most cars with automatic transmissions and is caused by a load being imposed on the automatic transmission's parking mechanism after the car is parked. It can be virtually eliminated by setting the parking brake while in Neutral prior to placing the shift lever in Park. I've been doing this in every automatic transmission vehicle I've ever driven, and have never had the "clanking" problem at all. Please try this technique before you take the car in to the Service Department. If it still does it in spite of using this technique, then it is obviously something else.
While we're on the subject of tranny problems, my automatic has developed a noticeable delay between when I shift from reverse to drive and when it actually performs the gear change. Would a fluid level problem cause this?
That would be the first thing I would check.
If level is OK and the tranmission hasn't had its fluid change in a while - I'd drain and refill it (you can also drop the pan, if you got time, and clean off all the metal shavings on the bottom of the oil pan).
Fresh fluid usually solves most of the "weird" shifting behavior in these transmission - barring any extreme amount of wear or transmission damage.
Good Luck.
I get a thud when I put my 2004 into reverse on a cold start. I figured it just the nature of the beast.
I rely on that thud when I reverse to know I've hit the car parked behind me and am ready to go forward. 
Just kidding, hope you can get rid of it procedurally or otherwise.
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