Is this grinding noise my differential? New transmission needed? 2003 maxima auto
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 44
Is this grinding noise my differential? New transmission needed? 2003 maxima auto
I have owned my 2003 Nissan Maxima for a good 8 years now.
I bought it with 42k, now it is 130k miles.
There is a grinding noise coming from the front of the car. It seems to come and go. It seems to be worse when I accelerate, and sometimes when I gently turn the steering wheel.
The car will not make the noise when on a lift. Only makes the noise when driving it.
My usual mechanic and I put it on his lift. We looked at everything we could look at. We could not visually identify any problem at all.
Then like I mentioned above, my mechanic put the car on the rack. He looked at it again, and used his stethoscope and could not hear anything.
So at this point the guys who work in the shop where I usually get the car worked on are saying the problem is the differential, which is inside the transmission.
So, as far as I understand, in order to address the differential problem, the transmission would need to be taken out and taken apart. So, basically a transmission rebuild or replacement.
is there a sure fire way to diagnose this as a differential issue?
Is there a cheap way to fix it, whether or not it is the differential?
I bought it with 42k, now it is 130k miles.
There is a grinding noise coming from the front of the car. It seems to come and go. It seems to be worse when I accelerate, and sometimes when I gently turn the steering wheel.
The car will not make the noise when on a lift. Only makes the noise when driving it.
My usual mechanic and I put it on his lift. We looked at everything we could look at. We could not visually identify any problem at all.
Then like I mentioned above, my mechanic put the car on the rack. He looked at it again, and used his stethoscope and could not hear anything.
So at this point the guys who work in the shop where I usually get the car worked on are saying the problem is the differential, which is inside the transmission.
So, as far as I understand, in order to address the differential problem, the transmission would need to be taken out and taken apart. So, basically a transmission rebuild or replacement.
is there a sure fire way to diagnose this as a differential issue?
Is there a cheap way to fix it, whether or not it is the differential?
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,446
From: California
The above suggests that one/both of your CV axles might be causing the noise. Just a hypothesis, but as likely (or more likely) as the one suggested by your mechanic.
Well, you may replace your transmission and then find out that the problem is still there.
Using a stethoscope is the best way to diagnose this - but it's hard/impossible while driving the car.
You can't fix it until you diagnose it.So at this point the guys who work in the shop where I usually get the car worked on are saying the problem is the differential, which is inside the transmission.
So, as far as I understand, in order to address the differential problem, the transmission would need to be taken out and taken apart. So, basically a transmission rebuild or replacement.
So, as far as I understand, in order to address the differential problem, the transmission would need to be taken out and taken apart. So, basically a transmission rebuild or replacement.
Using a stethoscope is the best way to diagnose this - but it's hard/impossible while driving the car.
Which side is the noise coming from? Lift the front end, and wiggle the wheel and try to reproduce the noise. You need a helper, so that he wiggles and you listen with the stethoscope.
Sounds like it could be a wheel bearing.
Cruise at a speed where it's grinding and swerve the car back and forth a little. See what the noise does as you put stress on one side then the other. If it changes with the swerving I'd look into the wheel bearing.
Maybe take it to an under body / alignment shop. They'll make a real quick diagnosis of a wheel bearing.
Cruise at a speed where it's grinding and swerve the car back and forth a little. See what the noise does as you put stress on one side then the other. If it changes with the swerving I'd look into the wheel bearing.
Maybe take it to an under body / alignment shop. They'll make a real quick diagnosis of a wheel bearing.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 44
UPDATE:
I brought the car to a transmission shop. A tech drove it quite a bit, a fairly long test ride.
He listened carefully, and was able to consistently replicate the noise at just under 30 MPH, with the steering wheel ever so slightly turned to the right.
Also, he drove the car in a 360 degree circle to the right, as he went in 3 full circles.
He made the determination that the problem was a front left wheel bearing.
So, in hopes that he is correct, I ordered the bearing and the wheel hub.
Part was right at $35 on Ebay. My friend and usual mechanic says the labor will be $140, but he might cut me a break on that amount.
Hope it works. Will keep you posted.
I brought the car to a transmission shop. A tech drove it quite a bit, a fairly long test ride.
He listened carefully, and was able to consistently replicate the noise at just under 30 MPH, with the steering wheel ever so slightly turned to the right.
Also, he drove the car in a 360 degree circle to the right, as he went in 3 full circles.
He made the determination that the problem was a front left wheel bearing.
So, in hopes that he is correct, I ordered the bearing and the wheel hub.
Part was right at $35 on Ebay. My friend and usual mechanic says the labor will be $140, but he might cut me a break on that amount.
Hope it works. Will keep you posted.
Member
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 222
From: Hudson, NH
Not sure this is related but I have a 2003 Maxima with the 17 inch wheels. It needs shocks. It's scraping the plastic wheel well splash guards on certain corners at the pinch weld. Sometimes it does it sometimes it doesn't. I also have another issue where I had a bad passenger side motor mount. What I didn't know what the time is that mount can cause shifting problems when it fails. I guess the drivetrain gets a little off somehow. I also had a driver side wheel bearing go recently. What a fiasco. You can't just replace the Hub you got to pull off the whole knuckle. So that's a great price
Last edited by rodent_infested_03; Aug 2, 2018 at 12:39 PM.
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