what the heck? Where's this water noise coming from???

My 4 runner has started making some really strange water noises.

It sounds like water is sloshing around towards the engine compartment.

I can really only hear it when I stop at a stop sign, and press on the accelerator.....or when I make a tight turn. Sounds like there is a bucket of water under my hood.....and it's driving me crazy. Just started happening a few days ago, totally out of nowhere.

Anyone found a fix for this?

I've read some of the postings, and I think I'm gonna try the heater suggestion (running it for a while)

No water leakage anywhere, all the fluids look fine......but this sound is going to send me to the nuthouse.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Should I just trash the car and buy a new one?
*lol*

For now, I'm taking the JAG XJR

can't answer that one for you....but i'm curious to find out also because i have the same noise. no fluid leaking, but it does sound like something is gurgling behind my dash. i figure as long as nothing goes wrong, i can just turn my stereo up louder to cover it up.

2 things and a slight possibility of a 3rd would cause such....
1:At bottom of windsheild where wiper linkage is there is a chamber that sometimes retains water when drain holes are plugged up...remove cowl cover and clean out and check with water hose to see if it is draining and re-install cowling.
2:Heater/ A/C Condensor core box under dash has plugged drainage hole and since it is cold months now..may have a leaking heater core as well....find drain hose on firewall and clear it.
3:The door drainage holes sometimes(rarely)plug up and hold water in door...can see drainage holes by looking closely at inside bottom of door...poke to clear....

I had the same problem on my Oldsmobile Bravada. You wont believe this but it was the radiator cap.
Yes the radiator cap. Pull off your old cap, top off the coolant and install a new cap. I would not have believed it myself if my freind at the dealership had not told me about it. but it worked
Hope this works for you!!!!
Kukukbird

If you hear water running through your dash(if this is what you hear), it is probably just the water running through your heater core. I remember when I first heard this and if sounded very strange. This may only happen when the vehicle is low on coolant due to draining when turned off and refilling when started back up. Hope this is helpful.

well i figured out the water noise is def. associated with the heater. my husband was driving it last and had the cold air on for some reason. i was about 5 min away from my house when i realised it and when i switched it to heat, the water sound came rushing in. i'm not low on coolant though...checked that too. so i'm just writing it off as a toyota noise.

Hi there

I have the same noise on my '90 4runner. I took it to my car dealer because of some other reasons. by the way i asked him about the sound. he told me, that the hoses for the heating element are on a hiher level than the radiator cap, which makes it nearly impossible to get all air out of the cooling system. this is a construction error of toyota. you can only hear the sound when heating is turned on, as you already figured out. this is no problem at all, its only the sound..

greetings from switzerland
Lukas

Hi there

I have the same noise on my '90 4runner. I took it to my car dealer because of some other reasons. by the way i asked him about the sound. he told me, that the hoses for the heating element are on a hiher level than the radiator cap, which makes it nearly impossible to get all air out of the cooling system. this is a construction error of toyota. you can only hear the sound when heating is turned on, as you already figured out. this is no problem at all, its only the sound..

greetings from switzerland
Lukas

Just need to take it to a radiator/coolant system specialist shop and get your cooling system *burped*...
Or....with patience and caution you may be able to get most of the air out yourself....
Purchase a new radiator cap with a pressure release lever.. park with front facing uphill or jack up front end(need top of radiator higher than heater core and engine) BE SAFE AND USE JACKSTANDS AND/OR BLOCKS!!!...fill radiator,leave radiator cap off and let it get up to operating temp and fill radiator to top again...replace cap with pressure release closed and squeeze and release top radiator hose....repeat these steps a few times releasing pressure on cap and removing and adding a bit more water as nessasary.....

Last step is to replace cap after topping off one last time....fill coolant resevoir/bottle to hot mark and drive it around a bit...when you ready to park it awhile.Then... slowly release pressure in radiator by flipping lever on cap (DO NOT REMOVE CAP)...once pressure is released(DO NOT REMOVE CAP),just make sure bottle is to hot mark or better.Next flip lever back over on radiator cap and let it cool...recheck level of coolant in bottle..is it lower now that it cooled off?If so it is because your radiator created a vacum as it cooled it's contects and pulled more water in (molecules expand when hot and contract when cooled)..if not..repeat steps except release pressure after drive and remove cap this time and get a piece of rubber to seal top of radiator without sealing off overflow tube too and cool down water in radiator with garden hose...(hey it could work as it did for me once if patient and last resort lol )If this works..great..if not let me know.

Just need to take it to a radiator/coolant system specialist shop and get your cooling system *burped*...
Or....with patience and caution you may be able to get most of the air out yourself....
Purchase a new radiator cap with a pressure release lever.. park with front facing uphill or jack up front end(need top of radiator higher than heater core and engine) BE SAFE AND USE JACKSTANDS AND/OR BLOCKS!!!...fill radiator,leave radiator cap off and let it get up to operating temp and fill radiator to top again...replace cap with pressure release closed and squeeze and release top radiator hose....repeat these steps a few times releasing pressure on cap and removing and adding a bit more water as nessasary.....

Last step is to replace cap after topping off one last time....fill coolant resevoir/bottle to hot mark and drive it around a bit...when you ready to park it awhile.Then... slowly release pressure in radiator by flipping lever on cap (DO NOT REMOVE CAP)...once pressure is released(DO NOT REMOVE CAP),just make sure bottle is to hot mark or better.Next flip lever back over on radiator cap and let it cool...recheck level of coolant in bottle..is it lower now that it cooled off?If so it is because your radiator created a vacum as it cooled it's contects and pulled more water in (molecules expand when hot and contract when cooled)..if not..repeat steps except release pressure after drive and remove cap this time and get a piece of rubber to seal top of radiator without sealing off overflow tube too and cool down water in radiator with garden hose...(hey it could work as it did for me once if patient and last resort lol )If this works..great..if not let me know.

P.S. There is also a heater core water supply shut-off valve(no need to keep it hot when you want cool a/c on) on many vehicles that open and close dependent upon vacum..not sure if this is one of those but if it does not open or close all the way I could see where it might gurgle for that reason also

Changing the "angle" of the vehicle to "burp" probably wont help in this system as the heater section is way above where gravity would affect a change, in other words the hoses go way below the radiator cap back down to the base of the intake manifold one would almost have to put the vehicle at a pure vert to get the "bubble" to "burp"
think about it.
Best way is to just purchase the small hose clamp break the old off and alow the air to escape and put on the new clamp. YES it needs to have a little pressure in the system this can safely be done with a radiator cap tester adapter.
Good luck

I had a nissan truck w/ the same problem, I ignored it and later(wks) going around corners water poured into the passenger side floor. the heater core box thing filled wioth water because the drain was plugged and couldn;t hole n e more water. unplugger the drain and no problems since...

Delete Your "signature" darogatory reference to Special Olympians!!!!
You OBVIOUSLY have had no experience with anyone with special needs.

Please do not be SO insensitive and shallow.

You are embarrassing all of the other members of this forum by using this as a platform to display hatred towards people you don't even understand.
Please change your "signature"!

I apologize if it offended you. I too have had experience with special needs people... I voluernteer to help out with the special olympics every for the last four years as an escort, what that is is where you lead them around to the various activites. They have a field day event every april I believe. which is held at Mansfield University, the college that I attend.
I think the Special olympics is am excellent program and should continue. In my opinion it is just a quote which kinda explains how stupid street racing is. By the term "ricer" I am refering to those "kids" with cars that sound like pissed off bumble bees, stupid body kits grapghic and those pointless, dumb looking aluminum wings.
Also, how am I "embarrassing" all the members of this platform. I don't hate people because they have a birth defect that they can do absolutely nothing about. I accept them for who they are, a member or society, They are equal to you, I, and everybody else.
To all of you who read this post and are offended by the quote that I have please let me know via pm, e-mail(airdevil85@yahoo.com), posting here, ect and I will remove it...

You know I think highly of the Special Olympics and believe it to be a great program...but there is a bad joke I like that fits here......

Arguing with,and hating people online (and getting mad at them and losing sleep over it) is alot like running the Special Olympics...even if you win...you are still mentally challenged...

Lighten up grumps....and yes the Grump says so lol

Otay