Hey guys, so my maxima finally broke again. At first, it started making slight grinding noises from the timing chain area, but these noises were very quiet and only seemed noticeble between 2400rpm and 3000rpm. When the idle got under 600rpm, the oil light slightly flashed. Later i added oil. One thing i noticed that is that the car was down on power above 5k rpm. Then after 40 more miles, the car started grinding more and more, and simultaneously loosing more and more power. Right now, the grinding is very loud and the car feels like it's running on 50hp. It hardly has enough power to accelerate with traffic, while having it floored. The grinding is VERY loud. The oil light now comes on when i'm under 1000rpm, and goes off when i go over 1000rpm. I added oil to it, and no change. The noise definitely sounds like it's coming form the timing chain cover, so i took the chain tensioner cover off and had a friend crank the car. The tensioner did seem to move the chain quite easily. I'm not sure if i should automatically assume that it's ok or not though, because it used to make the grinding at above 2500rpm. I just don't have money to start throwing parts at the car and hoping that i guess correctly. Also, the oil light seems to come on more as i drive more; as it, it's not on much when the engine is cold, but it comes on every time i'm under 1krpm when the engine is warm.

I don't have an IACV valve in my car because of the 00vi, but the car used to not have any idle issues whatsoever after it warmed up. Now after these grinding noises started, it will NOT idle. The idling was getting worse and worse progressively with the grinding increase, and now it doesnt idle at all.


so...any ideas? this car is my DD and i really can't afford not to have a car.

 

You need a new engine.

 

Can you explain a little further? What happened?

 

Its shot.

 

What do you think happened? Any theories based on what i wrote?

 

The motor should be torn down and inspected. Anything short of this is just guesswork.

 

Sounds like there is poor oil pressure in general and the rattling timing chain is a result of lack of pressure at the tensioner. My guess anyway...

 

Understood. So it can't be anything simple like a bad chain tensioner?

 

Possibly a faulty oil pump? Any way to check that?

 

Hook up an oil pressure gauge and compare it to the values in the FSM.

 

Ok, thanks. Will do that and report back.

 

If you've been driving it around with oil pressure low enough to turn the light on and cause the timing chain to lose tension, then you have definately caused some internal engine damage.

When the low oil pressure light comes on, you should stop driving it immediately and have it diagnosed.

That being said, as nismology just mentioned, check the oil pressure. If it's very low, drop the pan and have a look at the oil pump and the engine bearings. If the pump is clogged and the bearings look good, consider yourself lucky and put an oil pump in. If the bearings are shot, start looking around for a new or used engine.

Next time the oil light comes on, stop driving the car until you can have it looked at.

 

The thing is, the light only came on when the idle dropped very low, the light was never on when the car was driving. I'll check my oil pressure first thing in the morning for sure. You're probably right about causing major damage, the engine grinding doesn't sound pretty.

 

The oil light should never come on regardless of RPM. The light only comes on when there's almost ZERO pressure. Any time you see it while driving it's a bad sign.

 

As I think about it, unless i find out that it's something simple, i might as well just swap for another vq30. Looking at car-part.com, there are a bunch around my area for ~$350. From a qucik search, installing a new oil pump involves removing timing equipmet...that doesn't sound too appealing. I can probably find a cheaper one on here, so if anybody has one, shoot me a PM.


Right now, the car is back to making the 'small' grinding sound when the engine is at 2400rpm-3000rpm...i'm assuming that the fuel pump works for a little while after it hasn't been on in a couple hours, and then it can't keep up after a while, especially at higher RPM.

 

where do you live? i have a spare dek lying around minus all the 00vi stuff. i see that you have a 00vi so it wouldnt be that difficult to swap out the motor.

 

I'm in Cincinnati, Ohio, how far is that from you?

 

Engine swap is started; will be selling off all 00vi stuff and VAFC2 soon. If anybody can point me towards some good swap hints, i'd appreciate it.

 

That was quick.

Swapping out to what? DE, DE-K, or VQ35?

 

haha well why wait? It's a daily driver!

Just going to get a DE and swap that in(found for $300), the car was going to be sold soon anyway. I would swap a 3.5, but i decided it's not worth the hassle since i dont really want to keep the maxima anyway, kind of sick of it, just need a change.

If anybody wants a fully working 00vi, send me a pm, all the VI equipment is already off of the car. I can actually take the VAFC off of the car very soon as well, so that would be good to sell as a package. Will have other stuff too like a Unorthodox Racing Underdrive Pulley.

 

You used the 5th gen LIM/fuel rail/injectors, right? If so, your injector harness connectors will need to be returned back to stock DE.

 

Sorry about the lose man. I am sure the oil was low for sometime and the light came on when there was maybe a quart or two in the engine and you spun your rod bearings and probally did damage to the oil pump and It was low pressured and failing anyways. This can explain the timming chain rattling and the oil light coming on and off and your engine was making the grinding noise. Get a cheap 3.0 and with low mileage and build It strong. Good luck.

 

Yep...thats the part i'm not looking foreward to!