I'm not sure if it's just me experiencing it, but i noticed that the engine is a lot louder than when i first got the car.

Not annoyingly loud but definitely not as silent as before.

Just curious.

p.s. and i still get this strangely low-pitched yet loud whirring sound coming from the engine bay the moment i turn on the A/C after a cold start-up, any ideas as to what this might be?

 

check the tensioner. you did not mention it but i had an udp put on and got a whirrling/clicking noise and my tensioner just needed to tightened up. as far a quiet engine goes, i cant even remember what one sounds like with the berk/franken intake and y pipe. thats why im sticking with the stock muffler.

 

My 99 4th gen does the same thing. My buddies 98 I30 does it as well. So does another friends 95 4th gen. It's just the nature of the beast. The beast being your A/C compressor. When you turn on your A/C's at home for the first time, doesn't the compressor make a pretty loud start up noise? It's because there is no head pressure built up yet. Same theory is true in cars A/C systems as well.

 

Mine is still nice and quiet... EXCEPT for the annoying timing chain noise at start-up!!

 

I have a similar whining noise almost like an alternator whine that only happends on cold starts. Yea, my ac is also loud

 

my AC is loud as well. plus, i have a whining noise coming from the tranny bearings when i accelerate (which the dealer won't do anything about). as for the engine loudness itself, after about 7500 miles, my car is definitely louder than it was during its first 1000. i don't really mind as long as it doesn't get too loud. nissans, while on the quiet side, don't really compare to toyotas, imo, when it comes to smoothness and quietness. but i'd definitely trade a little engine noise for added power

 

Just curious as always, but since our max engines are All Aluminum same as accord 6's, with light pistons, less reciprocating weight etc, why do the accords (camrys too) idle so much quieter than max's engines of all gens? Anyone else notice this? Does it mean something about their friction (or lack thereof)?

 

It's because they are weaker!!!

 

is that what that noise is? When ever i start up my maxima after it has been sitting awhile i get a 2 second weird grinding noise. I never knew what that was. Are you sure that it's the timing chain? Is that a bad thing? Does anyone else have this happening?

 

That's the consensus around here. Check here ... There are some other threads about it.
I just switched to Mobil 1 but it didn't do much for that noise in my Max, like some people have reported.

 

Good one! hehe

 

I don't think that noise is normal. If all Maxes were making it, I can understand that, but since only a fraction of cars make noise, that's not normal. If something's making a noise, there's apparently significant friction between parts, and friction means premature wear. If the timing chain is banging against the cover, how is that going to last as long as a normally operated one? The cause is not well established but it seems that lower quality oil and oil filters, as well as insufficient maintenance are contributors to the problem.

 

I get the same crap too. I get that start up grind noise and my engine sounds like a truck. I am almost at 15,000 miles on my 2k2 SE.

 

Same here and I'm almost at 13k miles.

 

I don't think this would apply in my case and most likely the other 2002 Max drivers experiencing it. I do my own oil changes at 3000 miles with name brand 5w30 oil (just switched to Mobil 1 at 5k) and OEM Nissan filters. My 2002 has now 5500 miles.
The noise it's been there since day one.

 

I think I started to experience the problems after break in period.

 

It could be VQ35-related problem then, I am on my second VQ30 (first one went over 100k) and have never heard it on my cars. You have a bigger engine but with smaller oil filters and smaller oil capacity, right? BTW, I am also using Mobil1 5W30 or 10W30 with OEM filters.

 

Yup, I have the same thing with my 2k2 auto. I had the grinding noise on my '99 also but that was when the car had been sitting for a couple days. Every morning with my 2k2, I get a nasty sound at start-up. I only have 13,000km on it too.

 

That's Nissan Performance

 

Are you sure we don't have truck engines? People are always assume I have V8 or something or I need a NEW engine, cause its loud.

 

I have also noticed that my engine is now louder after break-in, than when I first picked up the car.