I am a new owner of a 97 maxima gxe with 95k miles on it and had this car for about a week. When the car has been sitting for an hour or more, the engine makes a knocking sound on startup for a couple seconds, and at the same time, the low oil pressure light blinks about 2 times then turns off. The engine then runs perfectly ok. This problem does not occur when the engine is restarted right after it has been running. The oil level is fine, and the car is not due for another oil change until 96,5xx miles.

Thanks in advance.

 

The knocking for a few seconds at startup is likely the timing chain tensioner. Do a search on that for more info.

oil pressure light blinking concerns me, I've never seen that. Your oil pressure idiot light sender senses oil pressures and lights when the oil pressure is less than 10 psi.

Hopefully, someone else has some ideas like trying the inexpensive replacement of the oil pressure sender, maybe.

White96MaxSE

 

Having a really low idle speed will cause this, too.

Cold start circuit (i forget the actual name) may not be working correctly...

 

Just a thought, but I am thinking that maybe your oil filter maybe all sludged up or could just be a poor oil filter. Especially since it makes this noise on rather cold starts. Some oil filters that are made do not circulate oil very well on cold starts(*cough* Fram) and basically you are starting the car with the oil residue on the engine, it takes a little while for the oil in the bottom of the pan to be circulated. I used Fram oil filters(which used to be good but they have gone to crap) and I had the same noise that you are describing on cold starts. Some oil filters have some type of resivoir that helps circulate oil through the engine on cold starts. I went back to the Nissan oil filters and the problem went away.

 

You need to go back using OEM nissan oil filters. Whatever you are using right now has no anti drain back valve, so your are killing your engine at start up.

 

I'm using a Bosch filter and it happens to me.

 

I think your oil level is low. How do u know u got enough oil? did you check the dipstick after the car's been sitting for an hour? When you get an oil change at places like walmart or billy bob's gas station, sometimes they WILL NOT put enough oil. I know this from experience.

 

the timing chain rattle almost sounds like a chainsaw with a loose chain....its a very fast course sound......very different than a knock....compare making a sound by rolling your tongue to saying the word knock....its that kind of different.

worst case, and it is a knock, its a big end rod bearing....your car could run just fine like this for a long time....it would be odd for a maxima to have a bottom end problem anywhere shy of 200K...perhaps the previous owner neglected it...? If it starts to knock while dirving...you better think about getting it looked at by SOMEONE YOU TRUST not to screw you.

As for the light not going off immediately, it will take a second or two....and a quality filter will improve that. I know on the honda's i owned the manual said the light might stay on for 5 seconds, and that was acceptable....it troubled me. My Max now, the light flickers off over the first two seconds at the most, with no noise what-so-ever.

in any case, there is little you can do about it wihtout tearing into things....taking the upper oil pan off (not a quick and easy task) would allow an up close view of the bottom end.

 

You need to change your oil