When I start my car, the RPMs go up to about 1,300 or so, but then they drop way down to 500, then go back up to about 1,100 or so. Is this normal?

Another thing I've noticed. Whenever I don't start my car for a while (a day), when I do start it it kind of hesitates on ignition and then when it does I can hear this loud noise. It sounds like it's coming from underneath the car, in the middle of the engine. It sounds like something turning/spinning around, and after a few seconds it goes away. My dad said it's the "lifters", but I thought I would ask in here.

 

Well the engine always revs when it first starts, it's what the ECU does to get the engine turned over. As for the 500 RPM, does it linger at 500, or is 500 just the "refractory period" between the time the RPM drops from 1300 and before it rises to 1100 (like one second)? If so it is normal.

 

bump... my car did the same and the oil was changed only a couple weeks ago and when i returned from a weeks vaction and started it the same thing happened..louis

 

When it is cold (ie winter) and my engine is cold my car makes a horribly loud rattling sound for about 2-3 seconds after starting. I was also told this was due to the valve train not being lubricated at startup, I was told to get a nissan oil filter with a check valve, this did not help. ATTN: I was also told that on some engines, the timing chain tensioner is faulty from the factory, causing a loose chain, and noise at startup...If this is the case (and i want to make sure, cause the price to replace would be around $1300) it should definitely be replaced or you could be out of an engine. I am in the same boat you are...I may decide to replace it (chain and tensioner) just in case..

 

Daniel, what do you think? It would be good to have your opinion. Damn I don't even have that much money to spend on my car. And I wanted to sell it...maybe I will anyway. Who knows.

 

Your car should normally startup cold at 1300 or so, then as it warms slowly settle down to its normal idle at 500 or so rpm. The drop and jump you describe is strange.

As for the other sound you describe coming from inside your moter, that sounds like your starter motor. As it gets old, its internal lubrication dries up and its gets noisier. Some guys on this board have actually taken their starter motors apart, greased them up and put them back. After that, they could no longer hear their starter motor. I guess I should do that sometime on my car. I can occaisonally hear the starter motor winding down after my car has started.

DW

 

I would agree with the starter motor theory. Mine has done it for a while. It isn't a grinding noise but it sounds like the starter isn't disengaging quickly enough and gets spun by the motor at a faster RPM once the motor is started. The starters are supposedly notorious for going bad. Mine still starts the car so I don't consider that "bad" yet. Your RPM prob. sounds a little odd. Your car should start up to a certain rpm and maintain that until it warms up. There shouldn't be erractic movement of the rpm needle. Good luck. I am curious about the timing chain tensioner is there a way to test this?

 

As for a test reguarding timing chain tensioner problems..I have yet to find any mechanic that knows much about it. Ive only found a few that even knew a problem existed, aparently on looked up on his automotive computer program that listed this as a potential problem for 95' and 96' maximas, i beleive.

 

Ok I can deal with that. At least it won't cost me 1,000. But yeah you pretty much described my problem, so it must be the starter.

 

Hello Axion:

I agree with Toolrox -- My car makes the same noise if it isn't started for a while --

Sometimes I've noticed oscillations in RPMs -- like jumping very fast from 1500 down to 500 RPMs repeatedly and very quickly upon start up -- I shut the car down and restart it and everything is fine -- IF I inadvertently have my foot on the accerator when starting the car, it will do this --