For a while I heard squeaking and clunking coming from the front of my car when I went over bumps. I wasn't sure if it was my suspension or what. Then today when I shut my door I heard the same squeak...What the heck, I'm not even driving, I thought to myself. I opened and shut the door again, and I heard the noise coming from the hood. I opened the hood and noticed my rubber seal/weather stripping was very worn. Went to the hardwear store and picked up some 1/2 inch thick foam weatherstriping with the sticky back. Replaced my old rubber seal with the thicker foam stripping, and the front is now squeak and rattle free. No more rattling hood. I realise this may be old news, but I thought it might help some people out. Very easy and cheap fix for an annoying problem.

 

Thanks a lot for confirming that this could be the noise I am hearing. For some reason it sounded to me like it was coming from the hood, but everyone was leaning towards the sound being something with the suspension. I will definitely check that out. If that is the problem you just saved me alot of time and money. Thanks again for the post.

 

i got some rubber seals from homedepot and will be putting them on tomorrow....foam striping is only a temp (and unsafe) fix. It will deplete and rot over time and water will seep inside the engine bay whenever it rains...
get rubber seals and put some on top of the headlights if you haven't done so. THat's where most of the turbulence comes from

 

Thanks Denny I will go with the rubber then.

 

hahah i had the same thing but it wasnt the seal. I put some bearing grease on the hood latch and bar that holds the hood down and all gone. All these annoying squeks are aggrevating

 

Cool Jeff I will do that to.

 

Didn't think of that. I'll keep an eye on the foam weatherstriping I used, and replace it with the rubber when it gets bad. Thanx.

 

I have the same noise and its been driving me bananas for quite some time. I could never find it.....i checked the exhaust, motor mounts, suspension, but could never get it to do it besides driving over bumps and closing my door...

It was only in the past week or two that I gave a little push on the hood and there it was. It was the worst when I would push it kind of side to side.

There is a hood bumper and some headlamp packs referenced in this TSB that may work to fix this. http://maxima.theowensfamily.com/tsb/NTB02-005.pdf

They can be ordered here I believe:
http://www.courtesyparts.com/bumper-hoo-p-389687.html
http://www.courtesyparts.com/pack-rim-p-309529.html
http://www.courtesyparts.com/pack-rim-p-309940.html


jr schultz, in case people want to DIY, can you take some pictures of where you put the weather stripping?

Denny, can you take a picture or post a link to the rubber seals you bought?

Thanks for the info guys.

 

i'm keeping the existing ones. I'm gonna place the new ones on top of them or place them on the hood. They're semi circle tubular seals with adhesive on the flat side...i hope they do the trick for me

 

You guys realize the existing bumpers are adjustable, right? Just turn them to raise/lower them.

 

yes....i tried that but it didnt work. Its only adjustable by so much.

I see your from Lunenburg. I used to go to whalom park all the time as a kid. That place was great until they let it get run down.

 

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...in/hood002.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...in/hood001.jpg
There's pics. I just replaced the crappy rubber seal with the thick foam one that spans the whole hood.