bigbadboss101

I got the following from a yahoo maxima member. Also saw the first point on 5thgenmaximas. Have you heard from your dealer?

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1. There is a recall for the accelerator pedal stopper. Seems if
you floor it, you may screw up the throttle sensor.

2. There is a TSP for buzzing coming from the Bose subwoofer. The
fix takes about 2 hours.

3. Many may have notice a metal clank coming from the engine at cold
start. Nissan is aware and says it is the timing chain before the
tensioner takes up slack and before the upper 1/2 of the assembly
becomes lubricated. They say it causes no harm.....I don't believe
them. They have already offered to extend my powertrain warranty
sight unseen. This is an interesting situation b/c this engine is
used on the new 3.5 altima, the I-35, QX4, and Pathfinder. Nissan
could have a problem with this engine.

nice95GLE

Yeah!!

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=102957

and

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=103268

jun

i just talked to my nissan dealer yesterday..they said that recall leters would start comming in this month and i asked them what was the recal..he said it's the stoper for the gas pedal and something about the odometer. i scheduled for appointment this comming wednesday, he said it will only gonna take 30 min to fix the problem (i hope so)

Hayes_26

I just noticed the metal clank this morning!! I'm glad to know that it's not just my car.

SptBiz

As far as I know ALL 2002 Maximas have this problem. Those owners that claim not to hear it need to have someone else start the car while they stand in front on the car. But, if you have your stereo and A/C turned off you can usually hear it from the driver's seat. You don't need to park the car overnite either. You'll hear the noise ( to a lesser degree )even after it has been parked for only a couple of hours. IMO if Nissan can't fix it owners should be compensated. Ironically, the Altima new car brochure advertises that the timing chain is " designed to be nearly silent ".

mike-777

Sounds like trouble. Glad I have the lower hp 2000, Maxima. Even this car makes a lot of mechanical noises when standing outside the car and it is idleing. dual overhead cams and a timeing chain I figure add to this clammer.

I had a V-12 Ferrari years ago and if it sat overnight, when you started it the dry chains sounded really nasty untill oil pressure built up.

volmax

Yes, my 2002 SE has this problem. I have noticed it on numerous occasions and this really bothers me. Absolutely unacceptable for a $30K car IMHO. Wonder what Infiniti owners think about their I35s and QX4s making this kind of noise?

What should 2002 Maxima owners do at this point? Has anyone complained to their dealers yet? What was the response? What about complaining to Nissan?

SptBiz

What has really bothered me about this cold start noise is that this is a prominent noise. Not one of those little clicks that customers hear but nobody else does. Yet, in over 1 month of inquiries not a single Nissan person ( service or management ) was aware of the noise. IMO if such a prominent noise was " normal " it should have been easily identifiable once described to these individuals but it wasn't.

GregP

I never noticed any noise when starting my 2K2. I will listen a little more intently next time....

So far, I love this car. Not a single complaint or problem mechanically, although I have quite a few ergonomic design complaints.

fornimage

I've heard this noise from my 2002 Maxima as well.
It does bother me a bit but no mechanical from here
YET! Hopefully Nissan will address this possible
problem.

Maxmann

No noise at all with mine. None. It's a 2k2 with 4500 miles.srm

SptBiz

Aggie Jurist posted a good message on this start up clank. And, he's absolutely correct. The noise sounds just like the noise that a motorcycle makes as it shifts from neutral into first gear. Metal against metal is bound to lead to mechanical failure sooner or later. Those that hear the noise now can take defensive action while the car is still new and under warranty. It's most likely not fixable for this year model so it will probably come down to a case by case situation. Once the warranty runs out you are on your own. Someone else posted that other Nissan models and Infinitis should be effected as well. I know that some Pathfinder owners with the same engine are hearing the noise.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

I've only experienced it once with my 2K SE. I heard what sounded like my engine tearing itself apart after I had let it set for about 10 days in cold weather (or as cold as it ever gets in Southern California in the winter time). When I explained the symptom to my Service Writer, he said it sounded like the timing chain. Fortunately, I haven't heard it again.

Sorry that some of you guys with 2K2s are experiencing the problem. The sound is DEFINITELY unpleasant.

plockton

I hear the (what is apparently) timing chain noise for about 1/2 second every morning I start the car. Yeah, it doesn't sound "right" but whether it is truly a problem or not I don't know.

SptBiz

I've gotten a couple of e-mails from MAX owners asking me for a further description of the cold start noise that my MAX makes. It's a SINGLE ratchetty sound that occurs a second or 2 after the engine starts. As I previously posted it sounds like the noise that a motorcycle makes as it shifts from neutral into first gear.IMO those MAX owners that are claiming to hear a regular type click sound coming from over the top of the engine or a repetitious sound are hearing something else. In my case this cold start clank isn't a repetitious noise, just a single clank. The harder (louder) ones can be heard from the driver's seat. You probably need to be standing near the front of the car to hear the softer ones. The noise doesn't occur at every cold start but it occurs a majority of the time to some degree. The noise can range from a loud hard clank down to a very faint click. Unpredictable in this regard but the general rule is the colder the start the louder the noise.

jvitale

I have a 3.5 Alti and have heard the timing chain noise. The technical term for this noise is called "timing chain rattle". The timing chain has 2 tensioners that are hydraulically operated with engine oil. On start-up it takes a second for the oil pressure to build up in the chain tensioners. It is during this pressurizing mode that the chain rattles. This is normal and does not cause any harm to the engine. In fact it is discussed in the service manual and to quote the manual it says "The engine may produce a rattling noise. This indicates that air still remains in the tensioner chamber and is not a matter of concern". I also have an Escort GT with hyraulic valve adjusters and it has been doing the same thing for 147,000 miles now.

SptBiz

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jvitale
[B]I have a 3.5 Alti and have heard the timing chain noise. The technical term for this noise is called "timing chain rattle". The timing chain has 2 tensioners that are hydraulically operated with engine oil. On start-up it takes a second for the oil pressure to build up in the chain tensioners. It is during this pressurizing mode that the chain rattles. ( end )


If you own a 3.5 Altima making this much timing chain noise I'd recommend getting it into service ASAP. Not only is the Altima timing chain suppose to be quiet but Nissan even goes so far as to profile the timing chain in the 2002 Altima new car brochure with a photo and statement that reads " And Altima's timing chain goes a step further : it's designed to be nearly silent ". RE: the " rattle " theory I don't agree. The noise sounds like the chain hitting metal. Furthermore, on 3/5/02 Aggie Jurist posted an explanation provided by the Nissan technical team in CA which states that " The noise is indeed the timing chain striking the upper metal chain guide as the tensioner (which is oil pressurized) starts to take up the slack."

Maxmann

I have no idea if this makes a difference, but I always let my car "ding" 4 times before I turn it over. I never have once heard the rattle you guys are describing. Could it be that by giving my engines electronics a few seconds to "wake up" before I turn it over, that my oil pump or whatever that is responsible for nourishing the timing chain gets the lubrication in place before I start it??

Just a thought, but it's just a common practice I got into.

srm

bigbadboss101

Interesting. I hear the sound all the time but thought it had to do with the fan/AC kicking in.

SptBiz

Even though it's being referred to as a cold start noise you can usually hear it on a warm restart as well after the car has been sitting a short while. The noise is low by comparison to the cold start noise. But, if you put your ear up next to the grill you can usually hear a click sound on a warm start up.