khakuda

New tires, front struts, strut mounts, strut bearings and bellows, New stabilizer bar links, new lower control arm all followed by an alignment. One-year-old front brake pads and rotors. No change in gas mileage or anything else as far as I can tell, but on snowy gritty salting roads I've started to get a loud squeal like an animal is caught under the tire does not seem to be affected by braking or turning the wheels back and forth. All of a sudden the thing will start screaming and sound like an alarm for about one minute and then immediately stop all by itself. I will then drive hundreds and hundreds of miles with nothing and it will scream for another 30 seconds.

I'm thinking it may be related to the snow salt and dirt getting caught somewhere in the wheel as it is definitely wheel rotation related, but with a bad wheel bearing and 116,000 miles potentially be an issue?

I love this car, and the engine runs smoothly and silently, but every time I go to have it repaired I can't even get home from the mechanic before another problem arises. And I'm being serious I don't actually make it home! I think I have now tested the limits of how long to keep a car in 23 years maybe too long.

ac max 92

iTrader: (13)

The "wah wah wah" sound your describing sounds like it's either tire or wheel bearing related. As for the intermittent squealing are you sure it's not the alternator belt. Is it happening when you accelerate?

khakuda

Thanks. I was thinking it could be the wheel bearing, but will have to check it out. It wasn't a wub, wub, wub...more of a high-pitched siren noise as the rotors turned and screeched. Tires are new and the alignment was just done. The screeching noise only seems to happen when I'm driving through the post snowfall mess of road salt and sand that they spread and didn't start until I left the alignment shop. I drove through CT, MA, NH and Maine this weekend and the roads were wet and full of grit and rock salt and it did it again briefly. I'm thinking it could be stuff getting stuck between the rotor and dust shield.

Since you are up in Canada, you have probably had all the winter car woes. I may have to put you in my will to get the car next. Despite the annoying small issues, it really is in great shape overall.

It's not the belts which are about 12 months old. It is definitely related to the tire turning. You can hear it changing speed with wheel speed as opposed to engine revs.

Hectic

iTrader: (20)

Are you experiencing this noise when Del Shannon isn't playing on the radio?

ac max 92

iTrader: (13)

It just aswell may be the splash sheild rubbing on the rotor or salt or sand getting stuck between the pad and rotor.. Lol.. Yes definitely experienced lots of winter woes but after putting soo much into the car I now park it over the winter. I hear it all the time why didn't I just get a new/used car like a 350z or something with the amount I've invested in the 3rd gen but I like the car and about 80% of what I've done to the car has been more of a want then a need and overall a pretty reliable car and I like the car and the fact that it's quite unique being I'm probably one of the very few left here in Ontario that owns one. I can't even find them in the yards anymore let alone seeing another one on the road. I'd have no complaints here if you'd like to put me in your will as the next owner lol.. What part of the U.S are you from?

khakuda

The roads have been clear and once again absolutely no noises now. I jacked up the front and tried to shake the tire at 9 and 3:00 and at 12 and 6:00 and no movement at all so, hopefully, not the bearings. I think there must be something to the theory of debris getting in there somewhere. If it were a stuck caliper, you would think I would feel it tug to one side. The car seems too quiet to be a wheel bearing and there is no movement. You should see the looks on people's faces when the tires start screaming like any animal is stuck in there or an alarm is sounding. Good thing it only lasted less than a minute the 4 or 5 times it occurred.

I am just north of New York City. The car has been very reliable and I have no complaints. I commute by train into the city, which is why the mileage is low. I laugh when I see people in the train lot with $45,000 cars, just sitting there depreciating. I have the oldest car in the lot, but it doesn't look its age. Last year I was standing to get off the train at night and a guy asked if I drove the white maxima. I said, yup, that's me. He replied, "92?" I was impressed even though it is a '94. He said he had 3 Hondas from the late 80's - early 90s with 300,000 - 600,000 miles on them and knew the Maxima could do the same. He laughed when I told him the original battery lasted 17 years and I had just replaced the radiator hoses which were original, but still in good shape.

That is great that you have done so much to keep it going. They are addictive and it is usually minor stuff. The issue I'm having is that it is my daily driver and there has been a lot of minor stuff the past 5 months after a good 15 months of smooth sailing. The recent noise killed me because I changed the tires in October with the car exhibiting no issues. As I left the tire shop, I heard a rattle (turned out to be the passenger side lower control arm, which looked like a part from the Titanic and had one of the bushing rotted out from the slow drip of hot oil). Before I solved that one, the airflow sensor died the same week. With your help, I fixed that myself. When the shop put in the new lower control arm, I ended up have to go back because a rack and pinion bellows had torn off and I still needed the alignment from the tires, lower control arm, struts and bellows replacement. I got the alignment and as I drove home, the screeching started and it is now February.

khakuda

That is funny. I actually try and play period music from the late 80s and early 90s when driving around. The car seems to enjoy it and so do I since I'm now old, too.