tarun900

Ok so I know the title seems a bit....risque haha. But when I turn on my car and drive it without fully warming it up in around 30-40F weather, I hear this kind of...."moaning" ....or rather better word would be a "whining" sound...anyone have this? is it common? I never heard this earlier when it was warmer...maybe something needs to be lubricated more?

97maximaman

Could be, hard to say. Can you take a video clip of it? Some whining is normal in cold weather due to thick oil and more stress on the engine.

JtzMax

iTrader: (5)

auto or manual trany ??? if your a 5spd owner, it could be worn bearings. need more info - where is the noise coming from (which side of the engine bay) how long been happening, does it go away at all ... what if you warm the car up prior to driving?


MORE INFO

tarun900

Ok I had the noise again today morning. Even after I warmed it up I could hear it. Last week, when I did pop the hood, it seemed to be coming from the left half. (left half when you are looking at the engine from the front of the car with the hood popped). I think I've heard this kind of moaning/screeching before in cars where the fan belt or something was old or needed to be lubricated? Any ideas?...

ROCKART

iTrader: (23)

power steering belt

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Yep, or the main serpentine belt. Check those first.

cweaber1

Ok, I just had the exact same moaning noise happen at 167K. It lasted a day, got worse, went out to start the car again, got smoke, opened the hood and a couple of flames shot up from the alternator. Just ordered a new alternator and I had NEVER had any noise from my MAX before so it may be worth looking at your alternator as the source of this noise BEFORE you run into a problem. Good luck.

Navin R Johnson

I have a 1997 Maxima that I've owned since new. I noticed a muted moaning noise when cold the first year I had it. Noise is still the same after all these years. My guess is a vacuum diaphragm or valve of some sort that is creating a slight harmonic vibration that has to do with cold start up. It sounds like it's coming from the drivers side of the car and I can also feel a slight tingle from the brake peddle when it is moaning. My car now has 182,000 miles and it has never changed or gotten worse over the years.

tarun900

How would I go about checking the power steering belt and the serpentine belts? Also, yeah the sound was there today too...now it is there even after the car is warmed up...

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

In a nutshell, you're checking for belt tension and wear and tear (excessive cracks in the belt(s))

If you can turn your belts more than 90 degrees using your thumb and index finger with moderate force, your belt is too loose. Do this test at the middle point between two pullies. If oose, tighten the belt.

tarun900

Alright, can anyone point me to where the belts are located? When I open my hood and look at the left side (aka where I heard the noise and if you were in the car, it would be the passenger side) and I look down, I do see one black belt moving...is that the serpentine one?

ROCKART

iTrader: (23)

yes, they are kind of on top of each other/right next to each other. i think the serpentine belt is the one closest to the outside of the car (the left most one when you are looking at the engine). also, the serpentine belt is the big one wrapped around several tensioners. the power steering is smaller.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Yes, that the serpentine belt you see. If you don't know where both belts are, I think it's time you invested in a Haynes repair manual and started reading the General Maintenance section. The book is only $18 new at your local parts store or can be had for much cheaper (used) at Amazon.com/ebay.... Hope you figure out your problem.

ROCKART

iTrader: (23)

yea i got chiltons. huge mistake.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

I agree, but not totally. I have all three (Haynes/Chilton/FSM) and there have been times when the Haynes and FSM is vague/unclear and the Chilton shines. Overall though, I find the Haynes to be much better than Chiltons.

There have been times where I needed all three books to make sense of the task at hand.

IMO, a smart novice DIY'er will have all three, and read each one before tackling a specific job. Haynes/Chilton are cheap, and the FSM is a free download.

/babbling....

hermtm2

iTrader: (1)

Hi,

I had a similar problem. After warm up the engine the sound came out. So I checked the belt, replaced idler pully, and alternator but those weren't help me at all. By the way I found a thread which was written as the problem. The guy told me " That should be vaccum problem so just clean the throttle body, IACV, and ERG(?) up first." I did exactly what he said. The sound was gone after that. Even if the method do not fix the problem, it is worth I think. You will need a throttly body cleaner($3~4 at walmart) and some shop towels.

Thanks.

MaximaMark123

Perhaps you need to consider an exorcist?

tarun900

Ok so today....I was able to kind of isolate the noise...it INCREASED whenever I turn the car...

kaneda_77

iTrader: (5)

starters make whining noise too... but yours sounds like power steering.

tarun900

Where is the power steering belt?

kaneda_77

iTrader: (5)

do you mean pump?

heynow

iTrader: (1)

if the whining increases as you turn the steering wheel, then it's the PS pump.

tarun900

Where is the power steering pump? How much would it cost to fix it by myself? how much maybe at a dealership or at a shop?

tarun900

Hey, could anyone point me to where exactly the power steering pump is? Cost for self repair vs. dealer perhaps?

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Sounds like you didn't take the advice given to you in post #13...

No offense, but if you can't find the power steering pump, I doubt you can change it yourself. And w/o a manual, you'll really be lost.

IMO, just take it to a good mechanic and let him diagnose/fix the problem. Hope everything works out for ya.