I have a 2001 nissan maxima and just recently have had a whining noise coming fro the engine. It gets louder as I accelerate. Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks!

 

subscribed to this one. I have the exact same problem. Thought it was coming from the radio but mine wasn't. Kinda narrowed it down to left side of the engine by the belts which are tight. It sounds to be internal.

 

My 01 does this as well from the passenger side of the engine bay. Thought it was the power steering pump, but replaced that and it's still there. I am going to try adjusting the tensioner and see if the belts are too tight.

 

are you sure it's the engine and not the transmission?

 

Maybe you have a supercharger that you dont know about............

 

Possible idler pulley!!!!???? Or could it be the trans???!!!!

 

I dont think its the tranny because its coming from the left side of the engine right where the belts are. I have read simliar posts and they were thinking it might be the timing chain tensioner.

 

Let me know if that fixes it because since that noise started it sometimes starts squealing as if the belt(s) are loose or too tight.

 

EXHAUST LEAK??????????

 

no doesn't sound like its an exhaust leak.Its really high pitched. its a whining noise from around the pulleys. It cant be the transmission since its on the other side of the engine bay. When I rev the engine and listen closely its coming from that area. It actually sounds like a belt is rubbing on metal and as you rev it, it gets louder, but I checked for anything stuck in there and there wasn't. I'm going to the mechanic on friday and find out exactly what it is.

 

Vaccume leak?

 

perhaps a video could help?

 

Does it get worse if you are accelerating up a hill? If so, it could be the carrier bearing, which is located in the axle on the passenger side IIRC.

 

It appears to be a relatively common issue right now. My '97 Maxima doesn't make the noise, but my 2000 I30 does. I can't accurately pinpoint it, only know it is coming from the belt side of the engine. I can rule out the AC pulley bearing, as I've replaced mine for a different noise. Since mine does it at idle, in park, the axle isn't it (I've also got new axles, anyways). My belts definitely aren't it, either.
I'll keep checking for the source as the weather permits (will be raining rest of the week). If anyone gets any ideas, post them.

 

Well, whining and squeeling are different, haha. Mine whines. A loud squeel, that gets more common in the winter, is definately a belt that needs to be tightened.

Anyways, I loosened up the power steering belt last night. I think it may have helped a smidge at idle, but that may be psychological. I was on limited time schedule as it was getting dark last night and I have to use my buddy's tools/driveway/garage so I didnt mess with the other accessory belt.

It sure is annoying though.

 

try replacing the belt on the ac/alt/ilder pulley..belt could be dry rot,,or brittle...slippage occurs on older dry belts..

 

I would say its a bearing on either the belt tensioner pulley or the the bearing on the a/c compressor pulley. If it was the belt it would tend to be more of a squeak, a bad bearing with give you the whining noise.

I had the exact noise on my '99 and it was the a/c compressor pulley.

 

Well, after a lot of work on my Max, I got my whining to go away.

I first thought it was the power steering pump, so I replaced that, and it was still there. A few days later, I loosened up the power steering belt, which did nothing. This Saturday night, my alternator decided to go out. While replacing that, I found that my A/C belt tensioner was bad in addition to the pulley itself (very stiff when turning it by hand) so I replaced the alternator, tensioner and pulley and now its quiet.

Not 100% sure if they whining was from the alternator or the pulley though, but if you are confident about your alternator, I would see if the pulley is good. They are only about $50 brand new from Nissan.

 

Geez!! I was lucky it was my powersteering fluid that was low!!! LOL its the simple things that get looked over, but now I have a leak doesn't look that bad though. Hopefully that Lucas stuff works.

 

had the same problem, check your a/c compressor. The only thing it could be is the power steering pump, a/c compressor, alternator, and the idle pully and the belt. So it could be any one of those but for my car it was the a/c compressor was bad.