I climbed into the car Sunday morning, started the car, and heard an awful engine knock. I was thinking what the hell!!! The car has 2,800 miles on it. It sounded like a diesel for 15~20 seconds.

The car sat most of the weekend from Friday around 6 PM. I did start it Saturday for about 20 seconds since I had to move from parking space A to parking space B. Sunday around 2 PM was when I started it again and heard the noises.

I've done no engine work. I have new oil filter in hand, but I haven't done the first oil change yet. I know, I know: I should have done it by now. The oil dipstick registers adequate oil. The temperate outside did not dip below 60 degrees all weekend (including nights).

I was thinking the oil may have settled in the engine.?.? After the 15~20 seconds it seems to be fine.

Thoughts? Experiences?

 

I've had the same experience in both my 90 and 96 in very specific circumstances as follows: normally my car is garaged at night all times when I am home. Some times if I am out during the day and expect to go out at night, I'll leave the car in the driveway. Plans change where I won't be going out and I'll pull the car into the garage. The next morning, the car will make a terrible noise for a short time and then be fine. It seems that only when the car is driven, the engine cools to cold, the car is then on for the few seconds that it takes to pull into the garage from the driveway, sits idle overnight, it might occur the next morning.

My experience...can't explain though...

 

The car is driven (rather hard daily during the week. This friday/saturday my 2kSE sat in the garage for about 24hours, I pulled it out and washed/rain-x'd it, pulled it back into the garage. It sat all day sunday, this morning I start it up and it makes this huge clattering noise (valves? pre-ignition?) for 20-25 seconds.

I'm going to make an appointment for my car at the dealer I guess.

 

I have had this happen a number of times with my '95 Maxima. Always the same thing...after washing the car and then moving it back into the garage, or just moving it a few feet and not driving it until the next day, when I start it the next day it will run like a diesel for 20 sec.

I think it is a "normal" thing with this engine, and it has never resulted in a trouble code.


On another forum this was discussed and the conclusion was that it occurs because if you start the car and don't drive it until the next day the plugs sit in excessive fuel and then miss-fire when you start it the next day.


What it comes down to is that the Maxima is a car to be driven and not a car to just move a few feet, and if you start it, the car expects to be driven, and driven hard!

STEVE

 

My 93 may do that too on occasion but for a different reason. It seems that as the cars get older the hydrolic(self adjusting valves) get sticky. If I run the car hard(hot hot engine) then park it in a buffalo snowstorm. All the hot oil drips to the pan. However upon startup the next morn *sometimes* (read: Once in 100 morinings) the car will go "tap tap tap" but for like 3 seconds.

Just a thought. Guys...really..have no fear....you have an AWSOME V6!!!!!!!!!! I would seriously just take its quirks and ignore em. That VQ is a 200K + motor!

Mike S.

 

hey Mike, You are not kidding. I had an 89 that did this on a few occasions after sitting for a couple of days. Never had probelms with the engine and she always purred like a kitten, or growled like a tiger when pushed. No rebuild and the car drove like new until her untimely death in August due to the back end of a truck. She had 228K showing and a years worth not showing (approx 25K miles due to broken cable)

Long live that Nissan V-6. Damn what a car she was and her replacement is!