Engine Noise 2002 Nissan Altima 38k

[Rod]

I have a 2002 Nissan Altima with 38k miles. The engine makes a noise which is noticeable inside the car. Here is a video so you can hear the sound like inside and outside with the hood open. What can the problem be?

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[Andrew Phillips]

When you rev the engine does the noise increase? decrease? stop? change pitch with speed?

It may be coming from a pulley bearing or belt tensioner. You could remove the drive belt and then run the engine for a minute or so to see if the noise disappears. If so, it is something belt or pulley related.

[Rod]

While driving, once the car gets over ~1500rpm the noise is not noticeable, in addition when you stop and drive off you here like a scratching noise which also goes away at 1500rpm(the noise is kinda like when your car is already on and you turn the key again to start it (scratching)); not sure if its bearing related noise. Other than the front stabilizer link needing change the car runs great. Hopefully this information will help you to help me out a little better. I will try to get a videos with the noise when it’s being driven. Cold start idle is like 1000rpm hot idle 500rpm.

[Rod]

here’s another video …

[Andrew Phillips]

Ok, the next step is to remove the drive belt and crank up the car.

If the noise goes away completely, then it is definitely coming from something belt driven. In which case you now go and turn every pulley by hand (except crankshaft pulley, of course), including idler and tensioner pulleys. If any feel like they are binding or seizing, gritty, or make a noise when you turn it, that is a failed pulley bearing and whatever component that is needs to be replaced (sometimes the bearing itself can just be replaced). If all the pulleys feel glassy smooth when turned and are silent, then the drive belt itself could be causing the noise. If the drive belt is more than 2-3 years old it should be replaced anyway.

[Rod]

I noticed the passenger side strut is leaking(stabilizer link needs to be change to)… should I buy dealer parts or autozone/advanced auto/arch auto parts parts? The dealer parts are 3times more also they have “supersede” parts which are updated. If I were to buy from the dealer which should i get original or supersede?

[Andrew Phillips]

[quote=”headlessblade” post=138673]I noticed the passenger side strut is leaking(stabilizer link needs to be change to)… should I buy dealer parts or autozone/advanced auto/arch auto parts parts? The dealer parts are 3times more also they have “supersede” parts which are updated. If I were to buy from the dealer which should i get original or supersede?[/quote]
That can be a controversial question with a debatable answer. There are a lot of really good aftermarket suspension components out there. There is also a lot of junk. Quality aftermarket parts can actually be more expensive than OEM, and with good reason–they are better (better design, better specifications, better materials, better craftsmanship). As for dealer parts, there are various reasons a part gets superseded. One of those reasons is to correct a design flaw in the original part. Another reason can be parts inventory reduction due to interchangeability of several nearly identical parts.

There are many consumers who are knowledgeable about suspensions and want a certain performance from their car that can only be obtained with aftermarket parts. Others who are fine with the stock performance should stick with OE parts or a quality aftermarket part with the same specifications.

[Rod]

Ok that didn’t make my choice any easier… The only reason I considering OEM is because I bought some Autozone links for another car and struts and they get worn out rather fast but they have lifetime warranty… annoying to keep swapping parts… If I get time tomorrow I might remove the belt and check it out… It’s not really visible in that video but to me it seems like the crankshaft pulley has some wobble or is warped…

[Andrew Phillips]

[quote=”headlessblade” post=138675]Ok that didn’t make my choice any easier… [/quote]
Sorry about that. I’m not sure there really is a definitive answer, though. Some folks will tell you OEM, others will swear by aftermarket. I will say that you can rarely go wrong with OEM, though.

The only reason I considering OEM is because I bought some Autozone links for another car and struts and they get worn out rather fast but they have lifetime warranty… annoying to keep swapping parts…

Yes, hence why I referred to junk in my previous reply.

It’s not really visible in that video but to me it seems like the crankshaft pulley has some wobble or is warped…

I didn’t notice any unusual wobble that caught my eye when I watched the video before. I’ll watch the video again and focus attention on the crank pulley. EDIT: I just watched again, the crank pulley looks perfectly acceptable to me.

[Rod]

Ok thanks, I have to carry the car for inspection, so I’ll see what the mechanic has to say in regards to the noises. The more information I can get will only help me. Thank you for your help.

[Mike]

Honestly, I’ve watched both videos several times, and I’m not hearing anything that would be cause for alarm on a 13 year-old vehicle. If there’s an unusual sound there, it’s beyond the capability of the speakers I’m listening to. In the first video, I wasn’t even aware the car was running until you opened the door.

In the second video, your crankshaft pulley seems fine. The pulley rim is running true, it’s the belt itself that’s wiggling side-to-side, making it look like pulley wobble. The ribs on the drive side of the belt are probably cracked and you are likely missing segments of rib here and there, allowing the belt to shimmey around a bit. Congratulations! It’s time for a belt change.

[J]

Have you ever checked whether the exhaust system is leaking? I have an Altima around the same age (2001) and it’s had a lot of exhaust leaks that sounded similar to what you hear in the first video. In our case the joint between the last pipe and the catalytic converter under the middle of the car was totally rusted out. We’ve had the muffler and the pipe between the cat and muffler go also.

If it’s an exhaust leak you would probably be able to smell it too.

As for the parts you can check places like RockAuto. Sometimes they’ll tell you whether a part is the same part that Nissan sources but without the Nissan name. I did my shocks for another car, I went with OEM on the front but on the rears I didn’t want to pay 100 a piece so I went with KYB since they’re a Japanese company, made in Japan shocks seemed to be a better fit for a Japanese car (the original shocks were made in Japan by Showa also). They’ve held up great since day one, never had a single issue. Easy installation too.

[Rod]

Today I had the 2 front struts replace with KYB Excel-G and the two drive belts replaced @ Nobie’s Auto Repair in Brooklyn, NY. Service was great and fast at a good price; the mechanic is very knowledgeable and answered all my questions. There was a loose heat shield that was loose(making the rattling/scratching noise). All of the pulleys and tensioners were said to be in good condition.

I still hear the noise inside the car, but wasn’t able to check for any exhaust leaks (I saw that the pipes are rusted though), I’ll see if I can test it at home somehow.

The front wind screen is totally scratched up. I might try to “buff” it out if that is even possible, else need a new front wind screen.

The car rides great though, just that noise you hear inside the car in the first video. Way better than my 1996 Toyota Corolla lol which runs good except for the engine vibration at red lights 😛

Thanks for all the help. I will check the exhaust 🙂 when possible.

[J]

You probably won’t be able to buff out scratches from the windshield. Glass is too hard of a material compared to something like clear coat.

If you do try make sure you keep it cool to avoid cracking or distorting it. Be cognizant of the fact that you could create optical artifacts if you mess with it and that there’s a layer of plastic sandwiched in there. Have a spray bottle of water handy. The problem is in order to do any scratch removal you need to cut the glass as in physically remove the surrounding material in order to level it with the lowest point of the scratch. Cutting the glass is going to require a lot of friction since it’s so hard and that’s going to generate heat which will crack it if you don’t handle that.

Probably get some glass polishing compound and use something with bite to it like terry towel and not something soft like foam or microfiber. It’s probably going to kill your arms though unless you do machine polishing. For machine polishing a dual action is probably not going to work because the main advantage of it (it’s safe, forgiving, doesn’t heat up the surface) means it’s not going to make any progress against harder glass as opposed to softer clear coat and paint. A rotary has more cutting power but the trade off is obviously it’s less forgiving so watch it, it will generate a lot more heat fast.

[EricTheCarGuy]

Sounds like you’re making progress, at least on the suspension front anyway. I agree with the group, I don’t think you’ll buff the scratches out of the windshield. Replacement may be the only fix there. As for the noise, I didn’t really hear much but I have written this article about solving noises that may help you.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/diagnosing-noises-in-your-car

Thanks for using the forum and keep us updated on any new developments.

[Rod]

I saw the video of using a screw driver to find the noise… but I don’t want to test it out (scared)… I tried to find an exhaust leak but there are shields on everything so I gave up… I’m beginning to think its just the muffler sound even, but it goes away when your driving so I don’t know.

I saw some youtube videos with a paste/compound they use to take light scratches out… the scratches on the windshield are light you can’t even feel it with your nails but highly visible.

I’ll update when I fix it or have it replaced.

[Author]

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