Deep engine growl on Corolla?

Question

I was coming up to a stop sign on an incline. There was snow out so I had set drive to a lower gear (2). I was no more than about 15mph and slowing. I had to push the accelerator to finish my roll to the stop sign. When I did, I heard a very deep growl, what sounded like the engine, not the transmission. When I accelerated to get onto the road, the car sounded completely normal.

What does a deep growl like that generally mean when the car doesn't normally make that kind of sound? It almost sounded like the diesel engine from a pickup but I don't remember seeing or noticing any other cars going past me on the road. I had just come off a highway so could it have been a truck in low gear that I didn't notice?

The Devil · Accepted Answer

Tom and Ray Magliazzi, on their "Click and Clack Cartalk" show just recently discussed something like that; There was a lady with a Corolla who experienced a rough sound when driving in heavy rain, but the sound stops after a short jog. They explained that the front exhaust pipe is double-walled and the difference in temperature between the inner and outer walls when the outer wall gets quenched cause that sound which goes away when both walls come back to equal temperature. That's been mystifying me too on rainy days in my '98 Corolla. My wife's '10 Corolla doesn't do that and neither did her old '86.

phop · Answer

Gabriel is probably correct except he meant to high of gear and the engine was overloaded because of the high gear. everything will be fine

Steve · Answer

I'm betting you were just in too low a gear to accelerate up hill and the engine bogged down a little.  Totally normal.

Anonymous · Answer

ok

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Deep engine growl on Corolla?

4 Answers