Does anybody know what this may be so at least I know something before I get a load of crap or the usual, 'cannot duplicate the problem'.

I have a 2k SE with 26000 miles. Since yesterday, my car will make a clunking on the left hand side with the sound ranging from the door to the front wheel area. It doesn't happen when the car is moving at a steady speed, but as soon as I slow down (with the brake), I hear it. Then when I release the brake, I hear it again. But, then, just when I think it is only affected by the brake pedal, if I take a sharp curve at a slow speed (foot not on the brake), the shifting of the weight of the car makes the sound. It is very strange and a new phenomenon. I'm sure I have to take it to the dealer, but I was hoping there might be some ideas floating around.

Thanks.

 

could it be the brake calipers on that side

 

This is such a coincidence it's weird. I had a similar phenomenon three days ago.
Is it a heavy clunking sound or a lighter rattling sound?
Has the temp been below freezing in St. Louis?

I heard a rattling sound from the left side just behind the driver's door when I came to a stop. It sounded like a plastic bottle stuck underneath the car or in the wheelwell, so I looked everywhere but there was nothing. In my driveway, I drove forward and back a few feet, braking hard, and the sound was reproduced both ways. I nearly went crazy looking for something loose.
My best guess is that some ice had formed in the left rear passenger door or the left side skirt and it had broken loose. It was moving around when stopping. The phenomenon stopped the next day.

 

Sounds like half shaft bearing to me.
Remember you get what you pay for in terms of advice.

 

What's weird is that it is inbetween a heavy clunking and a light rattling - neither term really describes the exact sound.

I'll check this phenomenon as the tenperatures have been below freezing for the past few days, but today they will get up to 55 degrees so if your theory is correct, it should stop today.

Thanks for the information.

 

I do know I get what I pay for, but I am the most un-knowledgeable person when it comes to service and they can easily take advantage of me. So, I like to get some information to arm myself with.

Thanks for your input. I don't know what a half shaft bearing is so I''ll do some research, but I do appreciate your comment.

Thanks again.

 

lol

Mother Nature...

 

SAME thing has been happening here, but on my passenger side. The noise comes and goes. When the car is cold, it doesn't do it, only when the car has warmed up. It was driving me crazy. Every time I started moving or let off the gas I heard a clunking. I thought it was something under the front seat, so I cleaned out the car (there was a bunch of junk there). That didn't solve it and I realized it was coming from outside/under the car. I looked around for a 1/2 hour and couldn'd find anything.

I came to the conclusion that something was between my side skirt and the car itself...I thought it was a screw that had come loose. I never thought about ice. I had just washed the car the day it started and sprayed the skirts really well to get the salt out, that has to be it!

 

Sounds like it could be the CV (constant velocity) joint to me. I think that's on the half shaft already mentioned. I've had to replace a couple (or at least the CV boots) on my '92 Max, & quite a few on a '88 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. Pretty normal occurrence on front wheel drive cars, I've been told. Rear wheel drive cars don't have 'em, I guess.
Typical indication of problem is a clunking sound when you go around corners - on right turn the sound will occur in the left front, & vice versa.
Please note that this is all based on past experience & hearsay, as I'm not a mechanic or gearhead either.

Bill T

 

I know mine isn't the CV...I've replaced plenty of those in the past 14 years. It starts with a clicking sound when making hard turns. My clunking is intermittent and happens on straight starts. If the CV clicks when starting in a straight line, that CV is really, really bad and ready to kill you.

Anyway, my sound is definitely coming from behind me on the passenger side. After having someone drive while I was in the back seat, it seems to be coming from under the rear passsenger door and it sounds like something sliding and then hitting (clunking) to a stop. Then it repeats on the other direction. I'm hoping it's ice, it's too cold out to be tearing the body kit off to see if something is trapped in there.

 

do you have kids? I bet one of the little precious wonders dropped something (marble, gum ball, fishing lure) and it's lodged under a seat or in the seat track. Or somehow (don't ask how, but a kid could do it) the child managed to get something inside the rear door panel... good luck finding it, whatever it is.

 

No kids, but good point to check. My car has been sitting in the sun in 50 degree weather today, I drove it and still have the same noise. So, no ice either. Oh, well - I have a dealer appointment tomorrow so I'll prepare to get screwed.

Thank you all for your good points and thoughts.

 

Are you in STL??

 

By the way, if you are from STL, which dealer did you buy yours from?

 

The loaner Altima I picked up yesterday from the dealership made a horrible shhh-clunk noise everytime I hit the brakes hard. A quick search under the car found nothing. This morning (in the light) I found a jar of dried lentils (split peas?) under the front seat. I also found some pennies in the rear door handle well that would rattle at the most annoying times.

 

 

Huh?

 

Sorry - Trev - if you look in the post above, I put my post in the quote section so it looked like a part of the previous post, but I asked if you were from St. Louis?

 

Yup. I live in the foothills of this great city...Whatever the heck that means Anyway, I think I'm going to try Bommarito...Suntrup's prices seem to be higher and I don't care for their sales staff. (Although the guy who let me take out an SE-R Spec V was pretty cool )

Good to meet someone from my area!

 

I sent you an e-mail. Bommarito has the best selection and prices like I said, but the sales guy I dealt with was slimier than the norm, but still probably your best bet. Good to meet another midwesterner - if we only add 800 more, we will rival the left and right coasts and maybe get a national maxima meet here!!!!!

 

Haha! Yes...Maybe we should organize a Maxima meet here in STL...Oh, wait...I don't have one yet...

all in time, grasshopper...

 

hey blackY2Kmax, if this happend just remember to your dealer that you are the customer and you can give the business to someone else. For the noisy problem it sound strange ! there must be something loose down there ???

P.S: dont take $hit from your dealer your the boss.


Cheers

DoubleA

 

Odd. You took your car to the Nissan dealer and you have a turbo?? Have any pics of that turbo?? The one you said some theives almost took? Thanks

 

Sorry if I confused you! The car that was stripped was a '92 Daytona IROC R/T with the Turbo III and Ninja wheels. The car taken to the Nissan dealership was my new '02 Max 6spd (needed repainting). Now that I'm remarried the new "family" has more vehicles than garage stalls. It used to be that the Daytona, Altima and my Silverado were parked outside and my wife's Maxima and my bike were in the garage.

I've since sold the Daytona and the '00 Altima to get the new Maxima and now both Max's and my bike are parked in the garage during the winter. Only the truck is left outside (which had it's spare tire stolen in the last year as well!).

 

Your problem EXACTLY describes the sound and conditions I had with the CV joint in my old Mercury Sable. This was a constant problem w/ that car and I had it replaced probably about 3-4 times until the car was totaled last year (and made room in the garage for the maxima!)

I bet you that's your exact problem!

 

Check the lower control arm bushings.