I've been enjoying this list as a vistor for a couple of months and would now like to ask for some help. There's a whole lot of expertise here.

I've got a 1989 Toyota Extra Cab Pickup, 22RE, 5-speed, 4wd, with 133,700 miles. I bought it in December from a woman biologist who had it in Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah. The truck is very clean and runs very well. No rust. It's stock with 235/75R15 BFG All-Terrain tires and manual hubs.

I bought the truck for general use. Minimal off-roading. The usual suburban trips to Home Depot, the dump, furniture stores, etc. I'm hoping to do much more camping and mountain biking.

Overall, the truck is great. I've got one really annoying problem with the truck and I am hoping the brains on this list might have some suggestions.

The truck has a rattle. A really annoying rattle. This is a big rattle, more like a deep buzz. Did I mention it is really annoying?

I'm having lots of trouble tracking it down.
As near as I can tell, it:
1. Seems to be coming from under the dash, between the emergency brake and the firewall, and about that height.
2. Happens under acceleration, coasting, in neutral, or in gear.
3. Is much worse as the truck is cold and eventually goes completely away after 20-plus minutes.
4. Is intermittent. Happens for 5-20 seconds, goes away for 15-60 seconds or longer, etc.
5. Happens most under light acceleration. Also under light deceleration, like rolling up to a red light on the highway in gear at 50-30.
6. Is not dependent on engine speed.
7. Is not dependent on gear selected, including neutral.
8. Is not related to vehicle speed, though most prevalent at 15-45.
9. Is not the 5-speed shifter rattling. Don't think it is the 4wd shifter rattling.

I'd say it sounds like metal vibrating. Maybe some sort of under-dash cross brace or bracket that is loose on one or both ends?

I believe it is coming from inside the truck for several reasons, including I drove for two days with the shifter boots off and that hole open to the tranny and it didn't change the noise.

I don't think it is the speedometer cable (which looks like it has been replaced - comes off the right hand-side of the tranny?). In my experience, those make a fast, light slap-slap-slap rotating sound. Also, the needle is steady.

I had the bottom of the dash out to replace the stereo - the whole thing, glovebox to under-steeringwheel. That didn't make the noise better or worse or easier to find.

I don't think it is drivetrain, since it is not related to speed, gear, load.

I'm in Boulder, Colorado. I know there are some members in my area, though most seem to have 4Runners. I know great shops locally for Mazda, Subaru, Honda, etc., but don't know anyone who knows Toyota trucks.

Any suggestions at all would be most appreciated. If you need any more information, please let me know!

 

Rattles like that are the thing that annoy me more than anything else. I would rather pull an engine than try to lacate a rattle. I've had one under the dash for some time now, with no luck locating it. If it does it while you are sitting still, you could put er in neutral and just start grabbing things under the dash until you touch something that makes it stop. A trick I have used is to stuff rags under the dash to at least dampen it. Doesn't work everytime, and you gotta be careful doing that. Well good luck finding that!

 

i have a similar rattle.. haven't quite done as much as you have to diagnose it.. but based off the descriptions i've read on here, im thinking spedo or tach cable.. but then again mine gets REALLY loud when i hit 35mph (in really cold weather). and then when its not cold i get a similar noise, not as loud that seems to be more related to the rpms.. maybe both my cables are bad based on your description, i wouldn't think it to be a loose dash component.. as you have had it completely apart and it still made the noise. i'd say just replace the spedo if they weren't so freaking expensive.

don't the runners and the pickups have similar if not the same dash??

 

I'd assume the dashes are the same, or at least the underlying structure seems like it should be.

Thanks for the encouragement - at least I am not alone.

Diagnosis was easy - I had no stereo for ten days commuting 9 miles so I got to know the noise too well.

Is the tach mechanical? I would have expected something electrical.

How much cost and hassle is involved with replacing the speedo cable?
Can I just replace the inner shaft?

Thanks in advance...

 

Boulder, I have the exact same truck (mines the dlx model), in the same shape, I fixed my 2 rattles:
1. somehow a LED had gotten loose behind the climate control face. Simply pull off the rubber "boots" on the climate control levers and take a screw driver, wrap the tip with rubber tape (to prevent damage) and pop the climate control face off, the element behind it pulls right off and thats where i found the lose LED.

2. My latch on the rear window (while latched) would rattle pretty loud. I put some silicon inside the "front" part and it doesn't rattle any more and still latches. Hope that helps.

 

Not sure if your 89 has it but my center console cup holder (pull out kind) below the top center vent is what rattles in my truck. Stuck a match book cover in it and no more ratttle.