hoonami

i have been noticing louder engine noise from my 02 ES300 since last week.
i currently have 107k miles on them and had timingbelt, waterpump, drive belts, coolant replace around 100k miles at local toyota dealer. the sound is coming from near engin but not exactly sure where and whats causing it. it sounds like small scratching sound. it's not really that loud but it's noticeable. before i had real quite engine at idle but now it's gotten alot louder. don't know what is it. does anyone have any idea? it's making this noise at all times at warmup, in drive, and while in motion. any input would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,
Tae

GEORGE_JET

If it is making the noise in park, I would suggest removing belt. That will eliminate all of the accessories.

hoonami

removing belt?? which belts?? well i am not good at all with these. any other options?

GEORGE_JET

If you have not removed the accessory drive belt before, it may not be a good idea to try on a transverse engine. It can sometimes be difficult to re-install them. With the engine shut off, check the belt tension. You want to press on the belt with your finger, half-way between two pullies. With two fingers, you should not be able to get much more than a 1/2 inch deflection. Also check for glazing, cracking and frying on the belts.

hoonami

belts were replaced less than 5000 miles agom, could this be pulley, tensioner issue?