Gearbox input shaft bearing noisy

[komichal]

Hi folks,
I have 2007 Yaris with manual transmission, 140k miles.

I have noticed that when I start the car that sits in the driveway, it all runs smooth and quiet (as long as my foot is fully pressing clutch pedal), but when I keep the gearbox stick in neutral and step off the clutch (so that I can go outside and lock the garage while the car is still idling) there is a noise suddenly coming out of the engine bay the moment I release the clutch pedal.

I suppose this is some sort of bearing on the gearbox input shaft. At least it does sound like worn-out bearing.

Any experience changing that? I am a bit afraid that this is not a driveway job I could handle. I did some strut changes etc. and simple jobs like oil changes so I am not completely lost, but for example the clutch change was something I left for the shop to do.

Anyway, do I need to worry? I can hear this noise only when idling but when I drive, it is gone. Maybe it is just masked by the revving engine but it is not annoying me anyhow...

Thanks and sorry for the clumsy English.

[MUSKOKA800]

It’s likely the clutch throw-out bearing which is an in-expensive part requiring much labour to replace. And likely not a driveway job for a novice wrench. You would need to drop the trans-axle to access it.
Good luck! Address it soon.

[Brynmor]

I had a similar issue with my old car. It sounds like a bearing issue, probably the input shaft bearing. If it's just making noise while idling and not causing problems when you drive, it might not be urgent, but I'd still suggest getting it checked out by a pro. I've tackled strut replacements and oil changes myself, but gearbox stuff is a whole different level. Better to have a mechanic handle it to avoid making things worse.