Fan Clutch

Admittedly, I removed the fan clutch and fan from my previous SUV and installed e-fans years ago, so the only noise I ever hear from that truck is when Im in the drive-thru or stuck in stop and go traffic on hot summer days, when the e-fans both kick on high speed. I do not ever remember having a truck with a clutch fan that is THIS loud.

Is it normal for the fan clutch to be really noisy almost all of the time, or do I have a bad one? When I start up the first time of the day, its ridiculously noisy. Today I was driving home from work, engine fully warmed up going about 55mph, went to accelerate to get in front of someone, and the thing sounded like a jet engine taking off. It's not like it was still in the start-up warm up period either.....

I know the 4Runner engine is tried and true, and been around since the Dinosaurs roamed the earth, but is this really normal?

 

Yes. Normal.

 

I noticed it in my ‘23 as well and it reminded me of the truck we had when I was a kid, a mid 80’s Chevy pickup. In fact it sounds more like a V8 with that fan and does the same when I rev it.

 

Yes, it’s loud and moves lots of air when you start it up. Growing up mostly with little imports, this made me feel like I was driving an old crown vic cop car lol. The first time I heard it, it made me grin more than anything else. It feels so unapologetically analogue, I have a hard time faulting it haha.

I cant say I’ve ever noticed it past the 20 or so seconds it’s turning fast right after startup. Once it settles down, I haven’t been able to separate its sound from anything else. But maybe that’s because I don’t floor it very much.

 

It’s perfect.

 

2018 here, totally normal

 

It is a Toyota thing. My Taco's were loud and the 4Runner even louder. I always know when my remote start works without having to look out the window lol

 

It should only be loud at startup when the viscous fluid is cold or if the temp is really high but it shouldn't be morning loud all the time. You can test by seeing if you can spin the fan by hand. It won't freewheel but you should be able to turn it.

 

Yes it's normal. When you stepped on the gas, the transmission probably downshifted and raised the rpms, so the fan speed increased.

The new trucks and SUVs on the TNGA-F platform still have clutch fans. We're stuck with it until combustion engines are outlawed in 6-11 years.

Clutch fans are better for water crossings. An electric fan will typically shatter if the fan blades get submerged.