slava

Has anyone else experienced this? At low speeds, around 1000 rpm, something under the hood is rotating with a whiny noise. And when the car comes to a stop, there's a whiny spool-down. It's not a blatant indicator that something is damaged, but I don't think the car sounded like this before. I was going to wait for my next oil change to get it checked out, but I don't know how serious it is.

Ed Hanson

If you go under the hood you will really hear it. It is the electro-hydraulic power steering pump. I mentioned this to my Nissan dealer I get my car serviced at a few months ago and they let me know what it was. It's normal and isn't a problem. I assume this is what you are talking about in your post. If not.... nevermind.

slava

Thank you. I thought the power steering pump whine only happens when turning the wheel, but if not, then this is probably it.

R1600Turbo

Its normal.

ac max 92

iTrader: (13)

When your spending that kind of money on a new car a whining power steering pump shouldn't sound like it's "normal". Bad design perhaps but checking your fluid level might help. Low fluid would cause a whine like that too. They sure don't make em like the 3rd gens any more lol. Though the new max's do look pretty sweet.

Ed Hanson

I'm not defending anything here, but it would be good if you would consult your dealer about it so you know. It's the type of pump on this Maxima and is normal. Assumption does nothing to help anyone. I did bring it up to my dealer once I noticed it and they explained it clearly for me. Anyone that owns a Maxima today can pop their hood while the car is running and hear the pump. It's not over bearing and harms nothing. As a matter of fact, you can barely hear it until you stick your nose under the hood. It is not a 100% hydraulic pump. We can say "it shouldn't" be that way, but the reality is we aren't the manufacturer. This is the way this pump sounds and it isn't harming anything. Anyone that owns a Maxima, if they are being honest, can't say it's a problem and the noise is overbearing. I never noticed it on my 2016 until miles down the road once I stuck my head under the hood while the car was running. I did think that something was wrong initially, hence the reason I brought it up to the dealer. I'm always a proponent of checking with the dealer first before coming to a forum like this and getting a bunch of different opinions. If there are owners that have had first hand experience and can intelligently speak into a scenario and help a fellow owner, then that's what these forums should be about. And yes, we can all have our opinions about what something "should" be like based on all the circumstances that orbit the issue and your personal feelings, but that opinion is still just an opinion and doesn't represent a reality. It can be our reality if we choose to make it that. That type of logic is called "group think". Because people say something I'm going to think that, too. I would always recommend research so you can come to these forums and help others without laying down an opinion. Facts matter. "Bad design" is your opinion, unless you checked on that and have facts to back that statement up. My fluid level was perfectly fine according to spec and it still made this sound. It is a new power steering pump for the new Maxima and doesn't represent your 3rd Gen Maxima in any way. Your opinion about this is something you're free to offer, but is not representative necessarily of the poster's situation.

I'm not trying to be rude with you or disrespectful. I just want to be clear that, because you feel a certain way about something, doesn't mean the poster should base their conclusions in their own mind on that feeling. I, too, "feel" that the pump shouldn't sound like it does, but that doesn't equal bad design. I would encourage you to go to your local Nissan dealership and mention this, then have them crank one up for you so you can listen to it. After you've done that, please come back here and post your findings. I respect your right to your opinion, but I may not respect the opinion itself.

Again, I am not flaming on you, rather asking that anyone posting in these forums to mix opinion and fact so we can all get a better idea of who you are and not take you as just another hater of something different than what you may have. I say this to myself, too. I never want to be that guy that simply posts opinions all the time (not that you are that guy all the time). I would like to bring something of value if possible. Please feel free to hold me accountable just as we all should hold each other equally accountable. At the end of the day, we all want to be aligned with each other and speaking the same language.

ac max 92

iTrader: (13)

Wow.. That's a long post. I was simply just trying to help by suggesting to check the fluid level being that in my experience on any vehicle a "whining" sound can be heard from the pump when the fluid is low and start from there. It was stated in the title and original post it was heard at low speed or at "parking lot speed" so maybe I was mistaken to think the op heard this while in the cabin and yes we are all entitled to our own "opinions" which do get shared on many forums. Just to clarify i also wasn't trying to start any debate on which generation of maxima is better than the other. I also didn't state that the pump was a bad design I said it "perhaps" may have been one. Out of the 8th gens ive seen driving around ive never heard that sound. I just thought it may have been louder than what it actually was being I was gathering from the original post the o.p heard the whining while driving the car suggesting it may have not been "normal" or was louder than it actually was.

R1600Turbo

It's the electric assist on the pump. Certain things can make it louder like low fluid or if it's grounded out on something. I had one once where the overflow bottle wasn't installed correctly and was touching it, amplifying the sound. Simple fix.