I have a 96 Max and I just had a 60,000 service on it which in addition to that I had every belt replaced.

Anyway, ive noticed that when i hit the gas there is a clicking noise. And also when i release the brake and hit the gas, as a begin to accelerate there is a gridning kind of noise but after about 5 mph the sound is gone.

I live in the Washington DC Metro area and it is very cold right now. Does this have anything to do with this sound?

thanks

 

It is tricky to diagnose sounds from afar because it is so difficult to describe them in words. To make matters worse, sounds tend to "telegraph" from point to point in the vehicle. A sound which seems to come from one place may actually originate in another.

You mention a "clicking noise" when you hit the gas. Is this a single click every time you step on the accelerator? Is it a series of clicks? If a series, are the clicks rhythmic or random? If rhythmic, does the frequency correlate with engine speed or vehicle speed?

Wild guess: the clicking sound is caused by a small exhaust leak. You may be able to pinpoint the source by using a length of small-diameter vacuum hose as a listening device. If your Maxima has an automatic transmission, have an assistant sit behind the wheel, shift to Drive, keep one foot on the brake and gently feed gas to apply load to the engine. This makes an exhaust leak sound louder and therefore easier to locate. Work safely! Stand at the side of the vehicle while using the listening tube.

You mention a "grinding noise". This might be a dragging brake or a wheel bearing on the verge of failure. You could jack the wheel and spin it by hand, listening for unhealthy sounds. Grasp the top of the tire (12 o'clock) and alternately push it toward the engine and pull it toward yourself. There should be no free play.

 

Just took the car for a spin noticed that there is no more clicking when i engage the gas (when i did hear the clicking it was just a single click not a rhythmic clicking) but there is a definite grinding noise when i shift gears...for instance

When i start the car and move the shifter to the Reverse position there is a grinding noise, when i back out of my drive way and move the shifter to Drive, there is a grinding noise and after that its fine.

The noise is like the same grinding noise when you turn the steering wheel really hard when trying to make a sharp move when pulling into a tight parkins space.

I just installed a Front Strut Bar, could any of these problems be attributed to that?

thanks

 

My FSTB does make a little noise at idle due to the fact that it rubs against the hood liner. Maybe that's what you are experiencing. That also explains the transmission shifting noise, since the engine does "shift" a little bit on its mounts when you shift gears.

Remove the FSTB and see if the noise is still there. I did just that recently and turned the bar a little bit to clear the hood better, and now I hear less of that "hum" at idle.

 

I was all set to take my car over to the dealer when i saw Eric's post. I had posted earlier about how my FSTB was arched towards the front of the car instead of towards the hood liner.

I was playing with the bar and re-adjusted it so it is now arched vertically towards the hood liner and clears that little black cap and AC line (I believe)by a mile instead of 1/16th of an inch.

Anyway...the grinding is gone. I didnt think of it being possible that somehow my transmission would be anyway affected by my FSTB.

Thanks Eric and Daniel B.