I think a lot of us including myself are confused between timing chain rattle and engine pinging. I'm having this rattle at 2000-3000 rpm and the nissan tech said it was the engine pinging. This rattling sound went away for a while after the oil catch device was installed but now it came back and became more pronounce. My gas milage went down as well from 280 miles a tank to 240 miles a tank. Dealer said it's normal to have a few pings.

 

So does the owners manual.

Spark knock is very metallic.. has a slight echo.

timing chain rattle is similar w/o the echo. Hard to explain

 

I thought the engine pinging was only at low RPM? 2,000 and below

 

Owners manual doesn't specify what RPM, but it does indicate 'light to moderate load'.

 

my max is having some rattling noise coming from the left side of the engine bay sometimes it goes away but lately it's been there all the time so from wha i've been reading around here it's prob the timing chain so the question is if this is a major issue and around how much is stealership going to charge to fix this

 

well going to nissan tomorrow so if anyone wants to know i'll post what they told me

 

Don't go to the dealer

 

open to suggestions

 

Haven't you read the thread? It's not even yours.. you hijacked it But it still applies.

 

I have the same sound as well. The dealership said that it was enging pinging and told me to stop using supreme gas??? If it is the timing chain rattle, how is this fixed and about how much? Would this be something that is covered under the powertrain warranty? I'm at 59400 miles. Thanks guys. This sound has been annoying me forever!

 

well since i can't post my own thread yet i guess i'll post here, do i never took my car to the dealer or anywhere else to get the wierd noise checked out well turn out that my compressor smoked out and the belt that goes to that broke now the question is it safe for me to drive the car with a messed up compressor and no belt, some mechanic guy told me my alternator could get messed up but then again this was the guy that was charging me 800 bucks to change the compressor, any input would be highly apriciated

 

how about wait till you can create posts b4 whoring others.

 

I hope that you are using Supreme gas! But if your still car pings, try switching to a different brand of gas. Different dealers in the same area may have different additive or blends.

 

so um let me see im suppose to go around posting useless sh|t like you just did to get a higher posting level, Shogunsc4 didn't post anything after he made the thread and this thread was dead as is so unless your out to help ppl out ****off

 

yo....can somebody answer the question towards that annoying rattlr crap too?????
i went to the dealership 2 weeks ago and they told me that's normal and many customers came the dealership with the same problem but no solution til nissan figure out what to do. they also said its not going to effect your engine or tranny but i don't really believe that so dudes up here in the org??????WHATS THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM??????

 

Hey man, it wouldn't be no problem to run no belt but that belt also runs the alternator. you could run the car with no belt but then you will just be using the battery for the other stuff instad of the alternator. and u cant mess up the alternator because it is not gonna be used if there is no belt to run it--what will probly end up happining --is that you will go through a lot of batteries cause the alternaot is not charging the battery. and i dont know if u could get a belt for just the alternator.


and I also had the pinging noise--i performed a fuel injector flush on my car and the noise hasnt come back yet. I dont know if that is going to help u guys---but if there was a timing chain noise it would seem to me that it would be present at idle--I have heard timing chains make noise on the 4 cylinder altimas(96-00) and usually u can hear it at idle(found that the timing chain guides will make noise not the chain ) but havent really heard a maxima make noise yet

 

thanx for your reply Bensmax00, at first i though the ratling noise on my max had to do with the timing chain but after the compressor went out i don't hear it at all anymore so i guess that noise had to do something with that well atleast thats what im hoping

 

i have a "popping" metal noise. almost like when you pop your joints on your wrist, but with metal. does this sound like engine ping?
Bensmax: did you buy the AutoZone fuel injector cleaner and add it to a tank of gas, or did you do seafoam, or soemthing special?

 

Engine pinging has been a problem (and a much discussed topic on the org) with Maximas for many years. It is caused by many things like; cheap gas, low octane gas, carbon build up (see "catch can" threads), bad ignition coils, bad knock sensors. There are just as many tested/untested/theoretical solutions like buy good 93 gas, have stealership give the car a good check up, get out on a long streach of road and romp on it to blow out the carbon, try a catch can. As the owners manual says... it's normal to a degree. Excessive pinging isn't good but that is up to you to determine.

Timing chain rattle is at start up only, (there is a TSB out there for this) if your timing chain is making noise after start up I'd go to the dealer ASAP and have it checked out.

I've had both since I bought my car and as usual it comes and goes with no specific pattern. It has frustrated the he11 out of me some times and not others. Bottom line... if you think that you have a problem with your car go to the dealer (some suck some don't) and have it checked out. It may cost you some money but at least you'll have a professional answer... again (some suck some don't). My .02 for what it's worth.

 

I had the same problem, I think?... The stealership said that it was the cheap gas... (and no it wasn't me it was my wife's doing) So I believed them... This was a few years back, but there was a problem and I got it repaired under warranty... Unfortunately, I don't recall what was repaired. I remember that it only happened under acceleration on a slight incline (is that also true for you?) and I believe that it had to do with a part in the transmission. I'll have a look for the receipt... Please let me know if your noise happens under acceleration?

 

i only notice it between 1 - 3 rpm then stops when still increasing speed...this is very weird?!

 

Happens a lot. Check your oil level. You might be low and a victom of oil consumption. The only other thing it would be is the timing chain tensioner. There are TSB's for both so don't let the dealer screw you. Contact NNA if you have to and get them to speak with the dealer if he doesn't know the TSB's for it.

 

well i get the rattle or whatever and i'm not losing oil....it's been almost 3k miles since my last oil change too...