i have a 03 maxima with like 2800 miles and today for the first time i put the car in reverse and pressed the gas. usually i just let it roll but today i had to pard in reverse. well anyways when i was doing this i heard an awful noise. it sounded like the tranny was going to fall apart like a grinding noise. what is up with this???? has anyone else had this problem.

thanks

 

sounds like manifold hitting your fstb, ck clearance, and do some adjustments

 

Is this a 6spd or an auto, in any case it still should not matter. You have a warranty, let them take care of it.

 

u think its the fstb??? wen i saw the bar when install it was cleared. dang i sould go out and check. did this happen to u? also if it is hitting, then how come its not making that noise when in Drive?????

thanks

 

ok i just checked the strut bar but it clears do i have to check it when i put in reverse???? i dont think the manifold moves or does its????

thanks for the input.
i dont want the dealer to fix it if i could fix it because i think they are going to pull the tranny. and they could f u c k up the car like they did last time the scrached my car so the repainted it.

thanks

 

you can only clear the manifold so much w/o impeding the flow of the window washer spray. some have suggested flattening the manifold bumps, but that's too invasive for me. i still have the knocks but only if step on the gas while in reverse. i baby it when i make a reverse. i think the manifold pushes forward when you shift in reverse, and then you hear the clunking sound of metal-metal contact.

 

this **** happened to my Chrysler (read: POS)

Appearantly too many years of rolling back and not stopping COMPLETELY before putting into D (drive)...

you might think about adding some thicker tranny fluid (read: add some motor oil like 10w30) or just ride it out and sell the maxima for a new Z or new Maxima (read: right now for 7k under MSRP!!!)

Good luck!
Kevin

 

ok i think im going to try to mess with the strut bar. also im going to take it off and try to see if the noise is still there? well thanks for the help

peter

 

found soundmike's fstb install link on my favorites:
http://www.rootaxs.com/max/fstbinstall/

 

link does not work but i think its the front strut bar

can u re post the link
thanks

 

I'm surprised to hear that the FSTB could cause a noise that sounds like "tranny was going to fall apart like a grinding noise". I would be suspicious of something else such as the transmission.

 

Don't worry yourself, it's definitely the FSTB, I had the same problem.

 

He's over exaggerating the sound a bit, unless it's riding up the back edge of the stb. I got some washers from a hardware store and put them under the brackets to raise it just a bit. No probs scince and W/washer works fine.

 

If only they honor the warranty the way its supposed to be.
They are gonna attribute any and all of his mods to this problem - man dealers can link any mod to any problem

 

thanks for the tip i do think its the strut bar going to get washers

what size washers did u get???? its because i want the bar to clear the hood u know i dont what it to touch????

 

I just got some grade 8 washers, they have a brass look to them (zinc yellow), I think they were around 1/2". You want the I.D. to be just a little bigger than the studs in the shock tower, the O.D. doesn't matter as long as it's not huge. They should let you take a few out to the car and check the size. Ther're only like .10-.15 cents each.

 

sorry for stupid question but what is ID and OD????
also did it clear the hood??? and what strut bar r u using
thanks

 

I.D.=Inside diameter
O.D.=Outside diameter


Oh and I have the $tillen bar. It rubs the liner slightly but it's been that way for 9K with no damage.

 

Inner diameter and outer diameter

 

thanks
so what strut bar do u have??? and does it clear the hood???

 

I have a generic one I got a few months ago but have been too lazy to put in yet.

 

I put 3 3/8" washrs on each bolt of the FSTB. It made the noise go completely away. I bought them at Home Depot or Lowes.

 

I got 10mm washers at Lowes (Home Depot sucks for metric hardware). They just fit around the strut bolts and raised it up enough to clear a hose on the passenger side of the engine.

I've got a BOMZ FSTB, 2k3 SE 6-speed. No rubbing or windsheild washer problems.

 

ok how do i know that it will clear the hood? and also what is the windsheild washer problems?? i want to get exact washers i guess 10 mm will do right ????? also is there like one type of 10mm washer???

sorry for all the stupid questions.

thanks you very much for helping me

 

well still got hte noise i know its the strut bar. but i got the 3/8 washers and put the strut bar all the way up and tightned it. and the noise reduced a lot but then when i checked if the hood and the strut bar didnt touch it did. so i moved down the bar a little bit and now i get the noise again in reverse and i still think its touching the hood. is it because i didnt tighten hard enough???? or how can i get it completely get rid of the noise without touching hte hood??

thanks

 

I'm not sure you can raise it enough that the noise stops and not have it touch the hood liner. Like I said I used Grade 8 washers. I used these not only because that are plated zinc yellow which resists corrosion better than zinc alone (it also matches the Stillen brackets) they are also thicker. The only place mine touches the hood liner is on one side where the bar bolts to the bracket.

If you still have a problem or you don't want any contact with the hood liner you'll need to either take a dremel tool or a belt sander to the flange on the top of the intake manifold and reduce the height by about 1/8-1/4". Sorry but those are your only options unless you want to cut a notch out of the bar to give it more clearance.

 

Am I the only one who is totally confused here? Are you people saying that the engine actually moves far enough on its mounts to actually hit the strut tower brace hard enough to make a loud noise? And that it only moves in such a manner when the car is accelerating backward? Somebody please explain this to me because I'm finding it really hard to believe.

 

I got the exact same thing.
Yes the engine moves forward withe quick acceleration and shifts back in reverse (lateral torque I guess).
Here's what I did to fix the reverse grind.

Hope it helps.

 

ok well yea i tested it last night i moved it all the way up with the washers and it clears pretty good but it rubs the hood lining a little bit. i put the car in reverse with the parking break on adn the engine move up so the engine is closer to the strut bar. it doesnt touch but closer. So when i drove in reverse i really didnt hear the problem until i kind of gun it. but i guess i have to baby it in reverse. anywyas who drives in reverse? since hte engine moves down in drive there is no clearnce problem. well thanks for all the help. just once more question can a greater problem occur with the strut bar touching the the manifold?
thanks

 

Yes that is exactly what we're saying. Different bars have different clearance. Shaydz's pics are a good representation. With my $tillen on without washers I have about 3/8-1/2" of room between the STB and the flange on the intake manifold. Yes your engine will move that much and more on its mounts. When the car is under load the engine moves and in reverse it moves up more you have to remember the way the engine/trans is in the car. This is probably a bigger prob with 6spds than autos.
If the bar wasn't connected to the body and the frame the noise wouldn't be as loud, and the bar wouldn't function, but since it is the contact made amplifies the sound through out the car.

 

just wnat to say thanks for all the help and help me at ease i was so scared when i heard that noise. but one more thing no greater problem can occur with it touching right?????