I have a few things to ask about my 97 5spd se maxima. I hear a noise from somewhere in the engine. I thought it might be the clutch. anyway, it's a whine that correlates with the engine speed; I raise the engine and I hear the noise go up in pitch and then it goes down when the engine speed drops. It sounds like it's coming from the left side of the engine (looking at the engine from the front of the car). The clutch is to the right, right? Could it be the altenator? My sub amp isn't pulling all that much current to ruin my altenator after 8 months I don't think. I could be wrong about where the noise is coming from too. It could just sound like that's where it's coming from. There was a sort of chinking sound when I got above eighty mph for a while. I haven't heard it much lately, though. I haven't been on the open road in a while either, though. The next two noises have to do with the wheels and brakes. First, the brakes. I can hear the brakes go whooop whoop with the turn of the wheel for a few feet and then it goes away. Is this some contraction deal when the brakes cool? sounds like it's coming from the back, which is where the brakes will have been engaged everytime I get back into the car. I got new pads a couple of months ago and I started hearing that noise but I haven't done anything about it cause I heard a similar noise months before I got new pads. It was more of a high pitched squeek, though. But it did the same thing, started with the turn of the wheels and stopped after I had driven 40 feet or so. Is this a cause for alarm? The last noise the dealer told me is no big deal. It's the front left tire. He says and I believe it's the seal. He put it on the rack and twisted the tire and we could hear the squeek coming from that wheel seal. he says nissan made them really tight because past pathfinders had gotten water in the section that's sealed.

So, four noises: Some whine correlating to the engine speed, chinking sound I had heard when around 80 mph, the brakes whoop whoop that used to be a squeek squeek, and the seal squeek.

Tell me what you can please!!!

 

Still need more details...

1) Whine - with or without stereo on?

2) Braking while turning?

3) ?

4) wheel seals squeeling? never heard of it...

 

The engine whine sounds like your tranny. You've said thet the whine increases with engine speed. Does it increase up to about 3000 rpm, then get somewhat quieter afterwards? Can you hear it in 1st and 2nd gear? When you hear engine whine, it is usually the indicator that the bearing inside the tranny are going bad. Hate to say it, but it's a bit common with Maximas.

DW

 

Thank you all for responding. The sound is with or without the radio on. The sound is definitely something from under the hood. I don't have to be turning for to hear the noise. I can pull off straight from where I was parked. I simply start the car, release the emergency brake, and pull off and I hear the noise for few meters and then it's gone. Sometimes it doesn't make the noise. I've listened carefully to determine if there is a link with temperature, but as of yet, I have not noticed a correlation. You have a question mark by the third item. I was referring to the brakes noise when I said the whoop whoop that used to be a squeek squeek. And as number four, there is a seal each at each of the ends of the rods that actually turn the front wheels. It's rubber and when it turns it's rubbing against something else somehow. It's been a while since I've seen it so it's hard to remember exactly. I would go jack it up to see but it's raining as I write. Anyway, the dealer says they're really tight seals. So what do you or anyone else looking at this think?

Thanks

 

about #4, do you hear a constant high piched sound after you've driven for a while?

 

I had the EXACT same noise on my ride last week.

Turns out the alternator berings were going. Got a new alternator.

Do you notice any dimming when the bass hits at only moderate volume?

I went out and got a new alternator and an Optima Yellow-Yop Deep Cycle battery...now at full volume with 1100 watts, I get no dimming whatsoever.

Before that, I noticed it had been getting worse and worse, even with 2 1 Farad Caps.

Not sure if you have the same issue, but maybe that will help.

 

Well I may just have to cough up the money for an altenator. I have been meaning to get some capacitors too. The lights do dim some even when the subs are at a somewhat moderate level. But the lights dimmed even before I got subs when the engine would drop to 700 rpm or so when I come to a stop and then when I take it out of gear at the light the engine will come back up to around 750 or 800 rpm or so. That's what it's supposed to do anyway, right?

The sound from the front left wheel is somewhat a high-pitched squeak. I will definitely take another look when it stops raining in a couple of days. I'm wondering if any of these are noises that will be eliminated by a tune up. I've had this car since the first of 2001 and it's basically past time for a tune up, right? You really can't wait for something to go wrong or wait to you hear or see very pronounced noises or malfunctions because all of the computer systems are designed to compensate and compromise when something needs to be adjusted, fixed, or replaced, right? That's what I've read anyway. What do you think?

 

I had a high pitched squeak on my right front wheel. I solved it pretty easily with some grease. If you want instructions just let me know.

 

Im not sure if you said or not.. Does this noise occur if you are parked and rev.. Tranny noises occur usually when moving only..

 

I hear the noise when I'm moving and in neutral or in gear with the clutch up or the clutch down. It's right with the speed of the engine.

 

I say get inside the engine with a can of WD-40 and don't stop till you're out. That should take care of it.

 

If you hear the sound in both neutral and gear (ie indepedent of RPM)... it's probably something after the clutch. But you indicated it's RPM related so maybe it's the alternator like suggested...

#4 - i've never heard of the CV boots (rubber accordian) making squeeling noises!? It may be related to some of the above problems. Bad CV joints will make noise during low speed 'extreme' turning... but it's more of a clunking sound.

Are you sure that no parts of the braking system are rubbing up against the rotor (ie..dust shielding, etc) or debris caught between the pad and rotor or you having low brakepad (low brake pad indicator)

 

If it is coming from the passanger side and happening while not moving you can pretty much rule out the tranny..I would suspect it is a bearing in your alternator, A/C compressor, PS pump or (least likely) your starter is not disengaging right away.. Do you have any problems starting your car if you only turned it on for 5 min.

 

Dumb question - what's a PS pump?

 

I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but just in case,

Power Steering pump.

DW

 

I know it's been a while since I responded to this post but I have more questions. I put on a new alternator a couple of weeks ago. I hope I don't have to do that again. If it goes out again I'm just gonna let the nissan folks do it. But anyway it appears that the alternator was indeed the culprit causing the whine that varied with engine speed. But I still hear that chinkling kinda sound when I get up about eighty. What could that be??!! It's almost driving me crazy. I know I need to replace the oil pressure sending unit. Could that be what's making the noise? By the way, how hard is that to replace? I also still hear the noise in the rubber wheel seal or whatever it is, that little squeak that I hear at low speeds. It varies in pitch with speed. After maybe 35 or 40 I cannot hear it any more. Any ideas come within the last months of inactivity at this post? Also, how hard is it to install the sarona kit? DO you have to have super special high-tech tools to take the bumpers off and stuff? Also, what can I do to add more horsepower without spending over $1000?? Is this possible? A new intake with higher capacity and new exhaust or something?

 

You've got alot of questions

I can answer 1 or 2.

The oil pressure sending unit replacement is an easy job, especially after tackling the alternator. Probably 10 minutes at most. You'll need a special socket, like 1-1/16", often called the sending unit socket. To be certain take your new sending unit to the auto store, and test out some sockets that will fit somewhere along the size I just mentioned. Make sure its a deep socket, too. The sending unit doesn't make any noise, whether its working properly or not.

HTH

DW