i own a 99 maxima it has about 140,000 miles on it . using mobile 1. Im including a video because i would like to hear from you guys, I wanna know is the ticking sound is normal or is something going wrong ? does this sound like a healthy engine ? i have a small exhaust leak by the muffler but that shouldn't effect this video , Im going for a long trip tonight , would love to take the maxima out ,but dont want to get stranded in PA thx in advance
http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...701_153805.mp4

 

Use a long screwdriver and wedge it on certain parts and listen in from the handle. From the video, all i can say is that my motor doesn't sound anything like that. Fiirst area i would check is the chain cover.

 

Doesn't sound good at all

 

not good

 

time for a tune up

 

Definitely something by the timing cover side...but if you going to PA from NJ, it should make it.

 

chain tensioner maybe shot? Bad pulley bearing?

 

seriously, i hate people guessing on what another orgers problems are. our cars are old and $hit wears out and breaks down. it could be a plethera of problems dude, my engine makes a ton of noises and leaks oil everywhere but i look at it every day and check fluid levels and dont try to kill it driving like a maniac all the time. get a long handled screwdriver or 1 of those tools they make for listening to the block. and search man, nobody seems to know how to do that in here anymore. no offense to op that do.

 

I doesn't sound all that bad. The video is probably exaggerating the sound a bit. I'd drive the car down there, it should be fine.

Is the motor running any different than usual?

 

I agree. This would be my first guess. Sounds like something associated with either a loose tensioner pulley or faulty bearing, which could strand you if its loosens and falls off. Have you had any recent jobs done where they needed to loosen the tensioner? Maybe it wasn't tighten or put back correctly. Happened to me once but didnt sound this bad. Do as synpa suggested. This will help you pin point the problem.

 

Remove the drive belts, check for a bad bearing. Start the car with the belts off, it should sound nice and quiet. Could be the a/c, alty, p.s or even the tensioner.
There's no way anyone on here could know for sure as we'd only be guessing where the sound is actually coming from. You have some easy trouble shooting to do.

 

Thx for all the suggestion , i just looked at the video and the noise does seem to be more scary sounding on there . Im going to take off the belt , just have to look up how to do it. how hard is it to change a pulley ?

 

its pretty easy dude, i mean, if you have a bad one. its in the stickys.

 

Sounds nothing like a bad bearing to me....ive had a few bad pulley bearings before and mine never sounded anything like that, for anyone on the site to "diagnose" this problem youd have to see the car in person, imo sounds like something under the chain cover....just my opinion though, if the car recently started making this noise id have it checked out first ,if its been like this for a while and youve been driving with no problem i wouldnt stress it, i mean my 95 has a nasty oil leak a bad knock sensor and a bad maf sensor and i drive it everyday, it doesnt drive as it should but it goes and i still eat civics all day long LOL.... but routine maintanance should work out for you...

 

The video is exaggerating the noise. As soon as u moved the camera/mic away from the timing case the car sounded more normal.

I say u may have bad tensionser/chain rattle, but its MILD. U will kno when u have a real problem when the noise gets really LOUD. Im talking like helicopter loud.

My old car had chain rattle..it was a 93 max.. and it took 2+ yrs to die. When i got the car the noise was audible but not consistent. Gradually it became more consistent to the point where my car sounded like a helicopter. Then one day it started to bog then later that day pooped out.

U got a 99 so if u want replace the tensioner.