Hi guys, wanted to get your opinion on an issue with a 97 GXE, about 177K miles.

It's an extra noise/vibration only when the car is in DRIVE and idle.

The private mechanic thinks it's coming from the timing chain area of the engine and is asking for a $1,000 to replace all of it, but I'm not so sure - I noticed that the issue started after getting some work done on my car at a Sears auto center in October of 2013.

The work done was replacement of:

- harmonic balancer
- power steering belt
- alternator belt

I have a feeling that this issue is related to the harmonic balancer and maybe something is loose and needs to be tightened/aligned.

If it was actually a timing chain issue, I'd think the problem would occur ALL the time when the engine is on, not ONLY when the car is in drive or reverse and idling (the noise is gone when the car is in park or neutral and in idle).

Any thoughts?

Thinking of taking it into a Sears auto center later today to ask them to take a look at the harmonic balancer to see.

 

All my experiences with Sears Auto for anything but tires or batteries have been worse than BAD.

Can you post a short video of the car in drive or reverse with the emergency brake on?

It may be as simple as motor mounts, a misfire, or rough idle from a failing Mass Air Flow, or other vital sensor.

If it is harmonic balancer related, remember the Maxima crankshaft pulley is a two piece unit that contains a rubber buffer area to connect the pulley and the crankshaft balancer components. Over time the rubber buffer area will deteriorate and the pulley will spin and wobble on the the inner crankshaft (the part with the spokes) assembly. I've been able to replace a worn out crankshaft pulley for less than $150 by doing it myself. If the crankshaft pulley was replaced, can you let us know where the part was purchased? Unfortunately, there are some cheap ones out there that may not be properly balanced.

Are you the DIY type? At first glance it doesn't sound like an expensive problem to fix if you have some tools and and are willing to DIY.

We like to see our members save $$$ so they can properly care for their cars with good maintenance over the long haul.

 

Thanks for the reply CS_AR. I'm definitely not a DIYer, but I know enough about the car to say that I'm pretty sure it isn't a misfire or rough idle or anything (engine RPM is fine, and the vibration seems to be directly linked to shifting it into drive). The other big hint was that it started after that last repair where they replaced the harmonic balancer, and I should've taken it back then, but for some reason, I thought it was just the car making its normal wear/tear, only later did I realize it only happened on idle when the car was in drive/reverse).

We will be taking it into our local Sears auto center (the one where I got the work done was in another state) and asking them to take a look, especially since they have the record of the work that was last done.

And yup lol, my parents said the same thing about Sears Auto - said they used to take one of the cars they had there, but it always came back with more issues than when they went there.

As far as I know, the crankshaft pulley was not replaced. It was just the harmonic balancer (there used to be a really high pitched squeal which was eliminated once the balancer was replaced). All the parts from that previous repair (balancer, alternator/power steering pulley) were all bought by Sears from their local supplier I'm assuming.

My suspicion/hope is that the harmonic balancer just needs to be tightened or something....will post further details after taking it to the local Sears store. They said it was 6 months or 6,000 mile warranty...the work was done on 10/19, so it looks like the 6 month warranty period is over, but I believe I'm definitely under the 6,000 miles, so hopefully they will honor it....

 

Had the same, put the car in drive idle is low at 500 rpm but fine at 700 rpm and nobody on the forum knew anything about it. Some people said it was fine or normal but I know it wasn't and automatics trans are supposed to idle at 650 to 700 rpm in drive. I looked at my Ecu and found a screw that adjusts the idle in drive and I turned it a little bit and it fixed my low idle in drive. I posted a video of how to do that on YouTube here's the link.

 

Got ya.. It is always good to be an proactive consultant than a reactive victim when dealing with car repairs.

Here's what I know about VQ30DE crankshaft pulleys and harmonic balancers.

In this picture, you can see the crankshaft pulley with the holes drilled in the outer ring. The holes are drilled as part of a balancing process. If the holes are not in the correct location, the wheel will be out of balance. When I replaced this part on my I30, I looked for a quality part that I believed would be correctly balanced. I got lucky because the replacement has worked great.



Here's a picture of the crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer on the car.




As you can see in the picture the pulley is connected to the inner spoke wheel by a rubber buffer area. I believe the rubber area is used to reduce vibration to/from the crankshaft and act as a shear pin type device in the event the A/C compressor clutch bearing or alternator bearings were to lock up any belt movement.

Since the Maxima water pump is driven from the timing chain, a major A/C clutch failure that locks up the main serpentine belt may not result in the car being rendered undriveable for a short distance. The engine will continue to turn the WATER and Power Steering pumps (via timing chain and a 2nd belt) even if the main belt is locked up with a failed compressor and alternator bearing. Unlike other cars, a Maxima can be driven some short distance without engine damage occurring in this situation. I like this crankshaft pulley setup better than any other I've seen to date.

Now if the rubber buffer area becomes worn over time (in my case it was 225,000 miles) by a failing alternator bearing or is exposed to excessive amounts of oil that causes rubber deterioration, the outer ring that drives the main serpentine belt, will separate from the inner wheel.

Here's a picture of the outer wheel from my I30 after it separated below.

Once the outer area separated from the inner wheel, you can bet all harmonic balancing was lost. If this happens the outer ring will start rubbing against the Power Steering belt and the noise will sound very severe.




Since I can't see the car or a video or it running, all I can do is reflect on my own experience with the VQ30DE crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer. I hope this information helps.

Please let us know how it turns out. Our members do care and I see them following up on member posts to learn the outcomes. Also, it helps us build Maxima.org's Service Knowledge Management System (e.g. this site is a searchable SKMS) to provide better answers and help more owners like you in the future.

 

I once had a Camry that the compressor locked up. But, it turned it off automatically, before any damage could be done. You could hear it weighing down the engine for a few seconds, until the A/C button would blink and turn it off. Otherwise, I was able to get it back home (over 900 miles) without any trouble.

The same place that got sued a few years ago?

That's why I always decline the under-hood 'courtesy check' at any tire or brake place. Or, let them look at it, but don't agree to work til you look at it yourself or get a 2nd opinion. I courtesy check my vehicle everytime I change the oil myself (power steering belts rarely ever need changing, BTW) People need to understand the guys at these places may not be bad mechanics, but I think it boils down to the fact that you have different people working on so many different cars, running around from 1 to the next, nothing gets done right. Not to mention, the labor (aka, advertising, a/c, cable tv while you wait in the waiting room) rates are ridiculous.

I had a situation few months ago where my car's alternator died...500 miles from home. I knew it was the alternator. Because it went bad 2 years ago, it gave the same warning: brake and battery light on at the same time. Well, at 1st they tried to sell me a battery and I went along with it. I didn't want to debate with them. Well, I drive around for a bit, and nothing is fixed, lights are still on. I take it right back, before it got the chance to die again. They 're-test' it, and alternator is faulty. I'm like, duh! I already knew that.

In the OP's case, I do suggest he take it back to the place where they did the work. Call it, customer loyalty. They want you back

 

Ok guys, problem is fixed. Turned out to be some loose bolts near the alternator and ac compressor. Noise gone....they charged me about half labor rate, so it ended up being about $85 total cause they had to take out a bunch of stuff to get to the problem area.

Thanks for the help and suggestions guys. I'm also glad I didn't listen to the first mechanic and get the whole time chain assembly replaced for a $1000 lol

 

Glad you found the fix, but I'm even happier you reported back as to what is was.
Too many members abandon threads.

 

I second Fakies' statement. Too many people do not report back in when a problem has been solved. Please let us know which solution worked for you. That is how we all learn.