is this normal?
06-12-2001, 05:17 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
ok, recently i just got a used 97 gxe w/ 60K and i was wondering if some of the things that i noticed about the car were normal so i don't have to worry about them...
on the cylinder bank that is closest to the firewall, there is black sludge built up around the crack where the valve cover attaches to the engine. i'm thinking its a leaking gasket but i'm not sure. it doesn't drip oil on teh garage floor, so i know that it is not a major leak. does anybody else have this?
i dunno about other engine speeds, but when i open the hood when it is idling, i hear a rapid clicking noise. its not very loud...you can't hear it when you're inside the car with teh hood closed. i just need to know whether this is a normal maxima engine noise or if there was something wrong with the engine...valvetrain maybe?
also, when it is cooling down after a drive, it is really loud...it makes loud clicking noises. it does this even for extremely short trips. i know that it is supposed to make those types of noises but i'm not sure if they are supposed to be that loud. my sister's 98 accord and my dad's 97 avalon are both super quiet when cooling down compared to my max. again...is this just normal for a maxima? it also frequently drips water from the AC after it has cooled down...both of the other cars don't spill nearly as much as the max does.
any help at all would be appreciated as well as maybe some other quirks for teh 4th gens that i should look out for...
on the cylinder bank that is closest to the firewall, there is black sludge built up around the crack where the valve cover attaches to the engine. i'm thinking its a leaking gasket but i'm not sure. it doesn't drip oil on teh garage floor, so i know that it is not a major leak. does anybody else have this?
i dunno about other engine speeds, but when i open the hood when it is idling, i hear a rapid clicking noise. its not very loud...you can't hear it when you're inside the car with teh hood closed. i just need to know whether this is a normal maxima engine noise or if there was something wrong with the engine...valvetrain maybe?
also, when it is cooling down after a drive, it is really loud...it makes loud clicking noises. it does this even for extremely short trips. i know that it is supposed to make those types of noises but i'm not sure if they are supposed to be that loud. my sister's 98 accord and my dad's 97 avalon are both super quiet when cooling down compared to my max. again...is this just normal for a maxima? it also frequently drips water from the AC after it has cooled down...both of the other cars don't spill nearly as much as the max does.
any help at all would be appreciated as well as maybe some other quirks for teh 4th gens that i should look out for...
06-12-2001, 05:40 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,601
Underhood clicking sounds
Originally posted by monqy
... i dunno about other engine speeds, but when i open the hood when it is idling, i hear a rapid clicking noise. its not very loud...you can't hear it when you're inside the car with teh hood closed. i just need to know whether this is a normal maxima engine noise or if there was something wrong with the engine...valvetrain maybe? ...
... i dunno about other engine speeds, but when i open the hood when it is idling, i hear a rapid clicking noise. its not very loud...you can't hear it when you're inside the car with teh hood closed. i just need to know whether this is a normal maxima engine noise or if there was something wrong with the engine...valvetrain maybe? ...
A four-foot length of small diameter rubber vacuum hose will help you pinpoint the source of the clicking. You can buy the hose in any auto parts store. They typically sell it in bulk for about US$0.80 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!
Explore the sounds of your engine with this inexpensive tool. Each moving part has its own characteristic sound. Listen to the each 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.
06-12-2001, 06:04 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,857
Re: Underhood clicking sounds
Originally posted by Daniel B. Martin
This sound may be nothing more than the normal sound of the fuel injectors.
A four-foot length of small diameter rubber vacuum hose will help you pinpoint the source of the clicking. You can buy the hose in any auto parts store. They typically sell it in bulk for about US$0.80 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!
Explore the sounds of your engine with this inexpensive tool. Each moving part has its own characteristic sound. Listen to the each 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.
This sound may be nothing more than the normal sound of the fuel injectors.
A four-foot length of small diameter rubber vacuum hose will help you pinpoint the source of the clicking. You can buy the hose in any auto parts store. They typically sell it in bulk for about US$0.80 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!
Explore the sounds of your engine with this inexpensive tool. Each moving part has its own characteristic sound. Listen to the each 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.
06-12-2001, 09:43 PM
#5
Originally posted by monqy
also, when it is cooling down after a drive, it is really loud...it makes loud clicking noises. it does this even for extremely short trips. i know that it is supposed to make those types of noises but i'm not sure if they are supposed to be that loud. my sister's 98 accord and my dad's 97 avalon are both super quiet when cooling down compared to my max. again...is this just normal for a maxima? it also frequently drips water from the AC after it has cooled down...both of the other cars don't spill nearly as much as the max does.
any help at all would be appreciated as well as maybe some other quirks for teh 4th gens that i should look out for...
also, when it is cooling down after a drive, it is really loud...it makes loud clicking noises. it does this even for extremely short trips. i know that it is supposed to make those types of noises but i'm not sure if they are supposed to be that loud. my sister's 98 accord and my dad's 97 avalon are both super quiet when cooling down compared to my max. again...is this just normal for a maxima? it also frequently drips water from the AC after it has cooled down...both of the other cars don't spill nearly as much as the max does.
any help at all would be appreciated as well as maybe some other quirks for teh 4th gens that i should look out for...
06-12-2001, 10:09 PM
#6
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 151
Originally posted by WaarrEagle
I don't know if it is normal but my dad's 97 GLE does the same thing. Is it oil dripping down into the pan or what? My mom's 97 Chrysler minivan also does this. Its worse than the Maxima. And about the water, our Maxima drips after its parked and shut off too. I don't think anything is wrong with that either. I am guessing the A/C is still cold so condensation is still being created and it has to drip out. I dont know the mechanics behind either of your questions but I know that our cars do the same thing.
I don't know if it is normal but my dad's 97 GLE does the same thing. Is it oil dripping down into the pan or what? My mom's 97 Chrysler minivan also does this. Its worse than the Maxima. And about the water, our Maxima drips after its parked and shut off too. I don't think anything is wrong with that either. I am guessing the A/C is still cold so condensation is still being created and it has to drip out. I dont know the mechanics behind either of your questions but I know that our cars do the same thing.
cryslter has worse everything dude... please never compare at any time a crystler to a nissan ... thankyou
dan
06-13-2001, 08:30 AM
#7
Originally posted by monqy
also, when it is cooling down after a drive, it is really loud...it makes loud clicking noises. it does this even for extremely short trips. i know that it is supposed to make those types of noises but i'm not sure if they are supposed to be that loud. my sister's 98 accord and my dad's 97 avalon are both super quiet when cooling down compared to my max. again...is this just normal for a maxima? it also frequently drips water from the AC after it has cooled down...both of the other cars don't spill nearly as much as the max does.
also, when it is cooling down after a drive, it is really loud...it makes loud clicking noises. it does this even for extremely short trips. i know that it is supposed to make those types of noises but i'm not sure if they are supposed to be that loud. my sister's 98 accord and my dad's 97 avalon are both super quiet when cooling down compared to my max. again...is this just normal for a maxima? it also frequently drips water from the AC after it has cooled down...both of the other cars don't spill nearly as much as the max does.
06-13-2001, 10:31 AM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by monqy
ok, recently i just got a used 97 gxe w/ 60K and i was wondering if some of the things that i noticed about the car were normal so i don't have to worry about them...
on the cylinder bank that is closest to the firewall, there is black sludge built up around the crack where the valve cover attaches to the engine. i'm thinking its a leaking gasket but i'm not sure. it doesn't drip oil on teh garage floor, so i know that it is not a major leak. does anybody else have this?
i dunno about other engine speeds, but when i open the hood when it is idling, i hear a rapid clicking noise. its not very loud...you can't hear it when you're inside the car with teh hood closed. i just need to know whether this is a normal maxima engine noise or if there was something wrong with the engine...valvetrain maybe?
also, when it is cooling down after a drive, it is really loud...it makes loud clicking noises. it does this even for extremely short trips. i know that it is supposed to make those types of noises but i'm not sure if they are supposed to be that loud. my sister's 98 accord and my dad's 97 avalon are both super quiet when cooling down compared to my max. again...is this just normal for a maxima? it also frequently drips water from the AC after it has cooled down...both of the other cars don't spill nearly as much as the max does.
any help at all would be appreciated as well as maybe some other quirks for teh 4th gens that i should look out for...
ok, recently i just got a used 97 gxe w/ 60K and i was wondering if some of the things that i noticed about the car were normal so i don't have to worry about them...
on the cylinder bank that is closest to the firewall, there is black sludge built up around the crack where the valve cover attaches to the engine. i'm thinking its a leaking gasket but i'm not sure. it doesn't drip oil on teh garage floor, so i know that it is not a major leak. does anybody else have this?
i dunno about other engine speeds, but when i open the hood when it is idling, i hear a rapid clicking noise. its not very loud...you can't hear it when you're inside the car with teh hood closed. i just need to know whether this is a normal maxima engine noise or if there was something wrong with the engine...valvetrain maybe?
also, when it is cooling down after a drive, it is really loud...it makes loud clicking noises. it does this even for extremely short trips. i know that it is supposed to make those types of noises but i'm not sure if they are supposed to be that loud. my sister's 98 accord and my dad's 97 avalon are both super quiet when cooling down compared to my max. again...is this just normal for a maxima? it also frequently drips water from the AC after it has cooled down...both of the other cars don't spill nearly as much as the max does.
any help at all would be appreciated as well as maybe some other quirks for teh 4th gens that i should look out for...
cooling off with metal clicking noise is common for all cars especially hot aluminum engines. the sound if produced by expanding and shrinking metal parts of the engine. when you shut off the engine it warms up a bit due to the lack of coolant circulation.
06-13-2001, 01:08 PM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
thanks everybody for all the replies. i'm a lot more at ease knowing that other maximas have the same characteristics as mine.
the only thing i'm worried about now is that black sludge thats built up on the far valve cover...anybody else have this? should i take it to get it looked at, or is it not that serious?
the only thing i'm worried about now is that black sludge thats built up on the far valve cover...anybody else have this? should i take it to get it looked at, or is it not that serious?
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