Whining noise on acceleration?
01-04-2005, 05:38 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 16
Whining noise on acceleration?
I own a 97 Maxima SE, I have been experiencing a whining noise when I accelerate. I recently had the idler arm pulley and belts replaced but still can hear the noise. I am getting ready to sell the car due to the purchase of a 2002 Maxima and want to fix this prior to sale. The noise also occurs when the car is in park and you rev the engine. I know that my power steering has a leak in the hoses which I plan to replace, does anyone have instructions on replacing these? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
01-05-2005, 05:38 AM
#6
the only time i hear whining noise, is when i play music with the car off, and then when i turn on the car i hear the alternator. i guess it could be a belt? check your steering fluid level, i know when my friends car was low on it it made noises when he turned the wheel.
01-05-2005, 01:15 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 253
Originally Posted by Kehops
I've always found my max to have a high-pitched whining noise when accelerating in 1st. I kinda like it.
01-06-2005, 08:02 AM
#10
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Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 469
Originally Posted by ChiTown Max
Could be a vacuum or exhaust leak. Check your hoses and the bolts around the headers and intake monifolds to make sure that they're tight.
It's not an exhaust leak, the sound is totally different. Maybe a vacuum hose but I doubt it.
01-06-2005, 08:14 AM
#12
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 648
Do you have an aftermarket intake? If you do, that might be your culprit. When your car is sucking in air, it makes that noise. Typically when you step on the gas right.
Change back to stock intake and tighten everything relating to the intake.
Change back to stock intake and tighten everything relating to the intake.
01-06-2005, 08:16 AM
#13
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Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 469
Originally Posted by adithius
Do you have an aftermarket intake? If you do, that might be your culprit. When your car is sucking in air, it makes that noise. Typically when you step on the gas right.
Change back to stock intake and tighten everything relating to the intake.
Change back to stock intake and tighten everything relating to the intake.
If I'm in 1st gear, just crusin at around 4K, that's when you can really hear it. And it gradually gets louder and more high-pitched if I take it up to 6K slowly, so the intake doesn't drown it out.
01-06-2005, 08:40 AM
#14
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 95
my noise is louder when its going slow and on turns, in idle it makes like a wahhhhh whining noise and turning its like WAHHHH louder noise like a rabbit makes when its dying. i checked all cv boots and nothing is leaking and no cracks
01-06-2005, 11:26 AM
#24
its not in the engine, i have system hooked up and i ge same crap, i notice 4 wires are just hanging around loose in my trunk, i can try grounding those, this guy wasnt to charge me 400 bucks to rewire my system to get the noise out, i hate that whine, its embarassing and goofy sounding when ure music is off and ure talking to someone in the car.....
01-06-2005, 11:42 AM
#27
Is it in all gears? I remember reading that a whining noise in first gear only was pretty normal. I don't know if that is true though. However, it might be your headunit ground wire. Look at my recent thread -- http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=367831 and this thread -- http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=367893 to see if this applies to you.
01-06-2005, 01:43 PM
#28
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well..., if your a 5spd and it only does it in first gear...it's the diff. bearings...
but if you have the mevi...there is a slight "whirring" sound at idle compared to the USIM which is silent...
but if you have the mevi...there is a slight "whirring" sound at idle compared to the USIM which is silent...
01-06-2005, 02:30 PM
#29
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 16
Still whining on automatic.
Thanks for all the positive feedback!
The whining noise I am hearing can really be heard when I put the car in Park (Automatic) and rev the gas. At higher RPM's when I am driving it cannot be heard. I have not aftermarket intake or upgrades to the stock stereo. My wife has a 1996 Maxima and it does not make this noise.
The whining noise I am hearing can really be heard when I put the car in Park (Automatic) and rev the gas. At higher RPM's when I am driving it cannot be heard. I have not aftermarket intake or upgrades to the stock stereo. My wife has a 1996 Maxima and it does not make this noise.
02-01-2005, 11:24 AM
#30
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 68
find out
did you figure this out yet tbad? I'm having the same problem. Whining noise. . .sounds more like when you have a small moter. . .and instead of it ACTUALLY running. . .you turn the gears yourself. . .that kind of noise. . .
it's there at idle. . .there while driving. . .then goes away (fades) around 1300 rpms. . .maybe it just gets too high pitched to hear. . .maybe i just can't hear it over the engine. . .if it's the alternator. . .then that's easy. . .but does anyone know how to correctly diagnose this? will the alternator throw a code if it's failing?
-James
EDIT:
come to think of it. . .my portable dishwasher has been making the same noise. . .sounds like the unit's running, but something's stuck. . .maybe it's a conspiracy!
it's there at idle. . .there while driving. . .then goes away (fades) around 1300 rpms. . .maybe it just gets too high pitched to hear. . .maybe i just can't hear it over the engine. . .if it's the alternator. . .then that's easy. . .but does anyone know how to correctly diagnose this? will the alternator throw a code if it's failing?
-James
EDIT:
come to think of it. . .my portable dishwasher has been making the same noise. . .sounds like the unit's running, but something's stuck. . .maybe it's a conspiracy!
02-01-2005, 04:44 PM
#31
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 16
Whining Noise Fixed!
After I posted this my Alternator died on me. After having this replace there is no longer any whining noise! The noise started a while ago (7 months) I am now able to say that it was the bearings in the Alternator making this noise. The alternator cost $189 and $150 for installation, well worth the money to get rid of that aweful noise!
02-01-2005, 08:16 PM
#33
Ok guys, I have this same problem and acually posted a very full discription on the noise in another thread. It comes from the timing chain cover, belts, pullies something in that area on the passenger side. It sounds like a turbo or a supercharger. When i rev no matter if im in motion or netural this noise gets obvious around 1-3k. It dies on idle. I was told that it was my tensioner pully for the alt/powersteering belt. I had that replaced, the guy told me my pully doesnt go down all the way due to a bolt in the back now I dont know if this is a correct statement but w/e. I sprayed some WD on the belts, noise still there. I had my alternator and belts replaced about 4,000 miles ago im pretty sure they arent at fault. This noise is driving me insane. It not the engine it sounds like a vac leak. I had my exhaust checked for leaks and I did have a leak. My y-pipe was missing a bolt connecting to the front headers and both gaskets on the cat needed to be replaced. Again the noise is still there. My power steering pump is leaking but very very slightly. I have put my ear on the power steering fluid container and its just pretty noisey even when I rev up the motor a bit I can hear the noise coming from it. Again im not 100% sure, but this is a problem that other maximas have and I thought at the time it was only me.. Someone told me about the airbox, where is this airbox? The winning noise you hear from your speakers are from distorsion. This noise is coming from the engine bay. I am currently Trying my best to find out whats wrong. I have had a few people look at it and only come up as its a pully. Maybe we can all put our heads together and fig this one out. I can hear it when im driving and it just looks bad when people look at my car and think its a pos because it's making this whinning noise. Hope this helped some of you guys.
(sorry for my grammer and spelling its 11:18 at night and im pretty tired)
(sorry for my grammer and spelling its 11:18 at night and im pretty tired)
02-01-2005, 08:50 PM
#34
Originally Posted by SMX95
Ok guys, I have this same problem and acually posted a very full discription on the noise in another thread. It comes from the timing chain cover, belts, pullies something in that area on the passenger side. It sounds like a turbo or a supercharger. When i rev no matter if im in motion or netural this noise gets obvious around 1-3k. It dies on idle. I was told that it was my tensioner pully for the alt/powersteering belt. I had that replaced, the guy told me my pully doesnt go down all the way due to a bolt in the back now I dont know if this is a correct statement but w/e. I sprayed some WD on the belts, noise still there. I had my alternator and belts replaced about 4,000 miles ago im pretty sure they arent at fault. This noise is driving me insane. It not the engine it sounds like a vac leak. I had my exhaust checked for leaks and I did have a leak. My y-pipe was missing a bolt connecting to the front headers and both gaskets on the cat needed to be replaced. Again the noise is still there. My power steering pump is leaking but very very slightly. I have put my ear on the power steering fluid container and its just pretty noisey even when I rev up the motor a bit I can hear the noise coming from it. Again im not 100% sure, but this is a problem that other maximas have and I thought at the time it was only me.. Someone told me about the airbox, where is this airbox? The winning noise you hear from your speakers are from distorsion. This noise is coming from the engine bay. I am currently Trying my best to find out whats wrong. I have had a few people look at it and only come up as its a pully. Maybe we can all put our heads together and fig this one out. I can hear it when im driving and it just looks bad when people look at my car and think its a pos because it's making this whinning noise. Hope this helped some of you guys.
(sorry for my grammer and spelling its 11:18 at night and im pretty tired)
(sorry for my grammer and spelling its 11:18 at night and im pretty tired)
02-01-2005, 09:56 PM
#35
I do have your sound, i know what you are talking about. it happened right after I changed my oil. I think i may have put too much in, but there have been other times when i think i put too much in and it hasnt started making that whine/grind noise. So, its weird. at first i thought it was transmission gears whining (like in GT3 when you get the full race trans on any car) but it happens just revving the engine while stationary. It might be that the alternator is about to die... but i've got the cold weather package which is supposed to have an upgraded alternator or something electrical like that.
02-02-2005, 01:59 AM
#38
Originally Posted by vortechpower
Maybe it's your radio. Or your maxima is a piece of ****. Im sure that can help 
Ground wire?????
Ground wire?????
02-02-2005, 07:01 AM
#40
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 68
Well after some more testing, i'm almost sure that mine IS my alternator. (keep in mind i couldn't do this before. . .so it's a sign it's gotten worse) I sat in the parking lot at work and warmed her up. (remember. . .this only works when the idle is LOW. . .so i had to wait till she was warm since i didn't want to drive her at this point) I finally got the noise, so i opened the hood. Like before, definately coming from around the alternator. To test the a/c compressor i tried turning on the a/c. Well. . .we in climate controlled cars know you can't just turn on the ac. 65 degrees is as low as it goes. . .and when it's 40 degrees out, that's just heat. The noise DID get a little louder when i turned up the fan though.
NEXT
Flipped on the lights. . .BAM. . .sound gets lower in pitch as if it was straining even more! Must be the alternator right? If so, i'll bring it in TOMORROW to replace it.
-James
NEXT
Flipped on the lights. . .BAM. . .sound gets lower in pitch as if it was straining even more! Must be the alternator right? If so, i'll bring it in TOMORROW to replace it.
-James