My sister has a 95 Maxima and the motor sounds like it has a clanking sound. (knocking sound) Does this motor have a timing chain? The noise seems like it's coming from the top of the motor, next to the time belt or chain. What could this be? I also noticed a sudden loss of power. I have searched for previous post, but i'm not sure. She has always used 87 octane and the car has 77,000 miles. it is a 95 maxima SE. any help would be appreciated.

 

Yes. All '95-up Maximas use a timing chain.

This could be big trouble! It is important to identify the source of the noise. A four-foot length of small diameter rubber vacuum hose will help you do this. You can buy the hose in any auto parts store. They typically sell it in bulk for about US$0.50 per foot. Start the engine and let it idle. Put one end of the hose in your ear and the other end near any suspected source of noise. The engine compartment presents a cacophony of sound. The benefit of the hose is that it isolates the sound from one specific area. Work safely! Avoid contact with any moving parts!

You may find it interesting to explore the sounds of your engine with this inexpensive tool. Each moving part has its own characteristic sound. For example, listen to the muted clicking of the fuel injectors. They should all sound alike. If you find one with a different sound (or no sound at all) you have found a problem.

The dealer's service department is equipped with high-tech diagnostic instruments. These are wonderful devices but they are expensive and the dealer has to recover his cost by charging you for diagnostic time. Sometimes the home mechanic can do legitimate diagnostic work with nothing more than a rubber tube.

When you have identified the source of the sound you will have a good idea of what repairs are required. Please attend to this promptly, as it could be a serious problem, one which could worsen quickly.

 

it could be the valves knocking and tell her to start using better gas, the max runs on premium gas.