What causes that fluttering sound on acceleration? I replaced my Y-pipe on the hopes it would fix the problem. It sounds like a lifter is bad, but when the car idles its very quiet. I checked the hoses for leaks, none.

 

broken head-to-manifold studs
i had 2 broken. didn't get to finish the job though. I'll finish it on monday.

 

Ok cool thanks.

 

I may have the same problem. You can hear the fluttering sound my engine makes here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNX3-56yI-s
Is this the same sound your engine is making? This is only at idle, but I hear this sound when the engine hasn't been running for about 30 mins or more (even if it's still warm) and I start it up. It lasts for a few minutes and goes away. It'll make that fluttering sound when I'm at low rpms, once I get above 2500 rpm or so, it dissapears, and then after I shift and go back to lower rpms I hear it again. I tried to pinpoint where it was coming from and I think I can hear it near the back of the engine towards the passenger side, I could be wrong though. It's hard to catch becasue it doesn't always make the fluttering sound at idle.

Is my problem the same?

thanks!

 

Your issue sounds internal,either vtc clack/timing chain slap due to worn chain guides/or lifter tick,but IMHO it sounds EXACTLY like vtc clack.

FYI,i realize you have you have posted this problem several times before.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=400536

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=375970

^^^
And you said.

^^^^

Well,i'm sorry to say but a different filter and/or synthetic oil is not going to fix clacking vtc's,the internal spring in the vtc's eventually loose their spring tension/then the spring starts "slapping" against the internal parts of the vtc housing(hence the clacking noise you hear)..

Also,at the first onset of vtc clack,simple things like a antidrainback filter and better oil will "quiet" the spring for a while,but after the spring weakens even further over time,the oil/filter/and grounding them out will no longer quiet the progressively wearing springs,in the end replacement of the worn springs is the only solution to end the noise.No oil or special filter will fix a broken part.


Keep in mind that if you decide to replace the vtc's springs,be sure to replace the timing chain guide/tensioners while you are in there,as they may also be the part of your clacking issue.

 

Hm, I'm pretty sure I know the vtc sound and it isn't this fluttering sound my engine is making. I'll take better video of it tonight, though, while driving in gear and then maybe I can get a better diagnosis.

My vtc's seem only to be noisy when the engine is cold (not just after 30 mins of sitting like when the fluttering sound kicks in). Also, the vtc's are a diesel engine sound and much deeper in tone and harsher. But again, I could be totally wrong, just about everyone on here knows more about my car than I do! I'll post video tonight.

 

Here's some more details:

I hear the fluttering sound almost every time I start driving the car even if the engine is relatively warm. The sound follows the rpms, so when the rpms are low the fluttering sound is slower and lower pitched and when the rpms climb higher the sound becomes higher pitched and whistles faster. I THINK the sound is coming from the passenger side of the engine somewhere near the back of the engine closer to the firewall.

I'll hear the sound usually for 4 or 5 minutes after starting up the car. I hear it when I am in gear and at low rpms. As the rpms climb to about 2000 the sound will dissapear. Then I'll shift at 2500 or so and I'll hear the sound again in the new gear as the rpms move up until I get to 2000 rpms again and it dissapears again. I hear it at idle sometimes also, soon after starting up the car (like in the video above).

What could it be?

Here's video of the fluttering sound while driving, I'll post a better one tommorrow, it's kind of quiet.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=82BOlDZUVMA

You can hear it best when I'm going towards the road, when I'm turning right onto the road and pushing the gas a few times while I go into first gear, and when I'm in second gear on the road.

 

any pics of the head-to-manifold studs?
where would iot be located?
cause this noise is getting louder...

 

 

umm... i have a 93 SE

 

the metal grinding noise
is not really coming from the manifold though
its on the side under the power steering fulids are
any ideas?

 

Ummm..The manifolds and the studs are located in the same place on the VE30DE engine..

 

my exhaust leak resonates across the whole passenger side of the car. Just the hissing itself, sounds like it comes from the door but it's the studs. Also you may have bad bearings in some accessory like PS pump or something. Mine sounds kinda rough at high 2000sRPM but i already know i need a new PS pump

 

could the PS pump go wrong in a year?
cause i have just gotten it replaced last year and it was $300+???

 

um. dunno about that. maybe an off-brand POS could. are you using the proper fluid? regular "PS fluid" isn't what our cars use. but then again it could be any of a few other bearings. could be a wheel bearing if the sound is NOT present when engine revs in neutral.

 

what kind of power steering fluid am i suppose to be using? (details thanks)
well the sound is there when it is idling, acceleration n neutral

 

since were talkin about manifolds....
im thinking of gettin a real cheap parts 92 red GXE. It needs a manifold i dont which one and i think an axle ( no biggie). Since the manifold repair (labor of course) is so high the ppl are gettin rid of it for cheap and since i know them even cheaper. I have a garage no one uses to store it in and what not and i was thinking, wat if i took my sweet time, like over the course of a month working a couple hours every other day or so and replacing the manifold? The car would be fine and then i could sell it...

Im sorta mechanically inclined. How hard is this job? How much for a new manifold as opposed to a JY one?

 

shouldn't need hours over the course of a month to put on a new manifold. Whether front exhaust, rear exhaust, or intake. i took off and put back on my front exhaust manifold but it didn't take that long. Plus i was doing 2 other tasks on the car.

 

well i mean i work slow and only have like 2 days off or work a week plus hs everyday my times limited. Im on the org alot during breaks or skoo though which is nice...

But the manifolds are not easily accesed right? what needs to come off to get to them?

 

first of all, which manifold? there is 1 intake and 2 exhaust manifolds.

 

one of the exhaust ones i dont know which though...

 

front will be easier. basically remove air intake up to TB which you can leave on, radiator, egr pipe, ac compressor (unbelt, unbolt, and tie it to something further left. DO NOT remove the whole compressor unless you really feel like dealing with the freon), and unbolt the ypipe from both manifolds, then remove the 6 manifold bolts which are now in easy access and voila. replace however many broken studs are up there, using quality tools (I didn't, thus I could not complete the job.. so i still have 2 broken studs) and restud it and slap on a new gasket and reassemble it. using antiseize on the head side and threadlocker on the nut-side of the studs.

 

I highly doubt the manifold is broken, its probably broken exhaust manifold studs. I'm sure every 3rd gen has suffered from the broken studs, just like greenys pic shows.

~Alex

 

if you leave the studs broken long enough you will warp the manifolds

 

well then i guess i'll have to be worrying about this for time to come. Will the warped-ness be basically fixed when you torque down the manifold after finally replacing the studs? or is it always going to be warped no matter what? I suppose if I absoluely have to I can just custom-weld some turbo manifolds and install one of those turbo thingies. JK i can't do that yet but maybe some day. I am a major candidate of warping because my broken studs are the 2 on the outside.

 

they can warp beyond the ability of torquing down the manifold and gasket being able to fill.

 

sheeyit. Mine is probably on its way there. Especially since mine's like this



red is broken, green is intact

 

You can just get the surface machined flat again. Thats what I'm going to do.

~Alex

 

assuming they aren't that badly warped.
they must be a big problem if the aftermarket makes them brand new.