Rattling noise from engine

[rjrankin83]

First off i'm not very mechanically inclined. My girlfriends MO started making a ratteling noise not to long ago that has recently gotten louder. It only happens in low rpm's both in drive and in park. I took it to a local shop and they tried telling me it was the timing chain. I find this hard to believe after reading post on here about this situation. It was brought to my attention this evening that she hasn't have the oil changed in almost 10k miles! Now i'm sure this should have something to do with it.

Anybody have any ideas? It's a rattle not a ping and it happens between 1200-2000 rpms in drive and park. I've heard everything from heat shield (at quick glance i couldn't find any), PCV valve, to even having the wrong oil filter.

Please anybody wanna take a shot at it before i get a second opinion tomorrow?

[zebelkhan]

How many miles are there on your Girlfriend's MO? It is highly unlikely, but not impossible, that the chain itself is to blame. Unless it gets really low on oil the rattle should not have anything to do with it, even after 10k miles. As the first step you would want to change the oil and the filter. Then get a stethoscope from a parts store and see if you can pinpoint the source of the rattle. If it turns out it is from the chain area, then it could be the chain guides that are worn out. I would also check the idler pulley bracket to see if it broken. That could cause the rattle as well.

[nitely]

Check your motor oil level first before changing oil and filter. Very low level could make that rattling sound.

[Warhammer]

Maybe it's valve/rod clatter. If the upper part of the engine is starving for oil, the relationship between the valve rods and cams will make a clattering noise. I would top off with new oil, flush the engine with K&W, drain the oil, then refill.

Only after that, I would monitor the motor and diagnose from there. Hopefully the motor itself is fine.

[njjoe]

How about.... loose heat shields, defective fuel dampener, or your mechanic's choice, a bad timing chain? Actually, I would lean toward one of the first two, since the VQ's timing chains (the MO has three) have proved to be relatively trouble-free.

I like zebelkhan's idea. The stethoscope should help you pinpoint the source of the noise.

-njjoe

[rjrankin83]

okay so i took it to a local mechanic and after taking it apart he said the chain and guides looked fine.
with that said he said he thinks it may be the oil pump??
does this sound right to anyone?

also her MO has 90k miles

to update they said the tensioners are oil lubricated and weren't getting sufficient oil pressure from the pump which caused the slack which led to the noise. again this is a foreign language to me. to reassure me he said in Jan 08 there was a bulletin in relation to this problem. please someone tell me this makes sense. all i know is the noise did sound like a loose chain but my reference point is hearing a loose chain noise from a motorcycle

[bob1]

First time I am seeing this problem on this forum. I think there is a bunch of shoulder shrugging around the board right now but maybe someone else had this happen?

[Pilgrim]

If an assembly requires oil pressure and doesn't get it, of course it will not operate properly. Was the motor LOW on oil? That could be a cause.

Also, if she was using regular oil (not synthetic), at 10,000 miles it wsa NOT operating or lubricating the way it should. Oil loses volatile elements and gets thicker as it ages.

I suspect a good diet of the correct weight synthetic oil (5-30, check the owner's manual) and regular changes will prevent it from happening again.

[njjoe]

Originally Posted by rjrankin83

again this is a foreign language to me. to reassure me he said in Jan 08 there was a bulletin in relation to this problem.

There appears to be 65 Service Bulletins issued for the 2007 MO. I just scanned the title of each and none reference your problem. That is not to say the problem is not documented for another Nissan product, it is just not seen as a problem on the MO.

-njjoe

[nafddur]

Originally Posted by njjoe

There appears to be 65 Service Bulletins issued for the 2007 MO. I just scanned the title of each and none reference your problem. That is not to say the problem is not documented for another Nissan product, it is just not seen as a problem on the MO.

I agree that this is an exceptional case, quite likely caused by poor maintenance. 10K miles is WAY too long to go on oil, even (IMHO) full synthetic.

Our VQ engines with identical timing chains and lubrication systems for those chains have been used for many years - not just in Muranos but in other Nissan cars as well. Not to say there haven't been other isolated cases such as this, but I also have yet to hear of common lubrication problems with the VQ's.

[rjrankin83]

Originally Posted by nafddur

I agree that this is an exceptional case, quite likely caused by poor maintenance. 10K miles is WAY too long to go on oil, even (IMHO) full synthetic.

Our VQ engines with identical timing chains and lubrication systems for those chains have been used for many years - not just in Muranos but in other Nissan cars as well. Not to say there haven't been other isolated cases such as this, but I also have yet to hear of common lubrication problems with the VQ's.

I've found forum post of this happening to Altimas in the past. Also where would i look up this service bulletin? The bulletin number is 06-079A issued Jan 08. Also this is an 04 MO. I guess where my confusion is: I thought oil pumps either worked or didn't, I was unaware there was an inbetween

[njjoe]

Originally Posted by rjrankin83

Also where would i look up this service bulletin? The bulletin number is 06-079A issued Jan 08.

Knowledgebase - 2004 Murano - Nissanhelp.com Forums

-njjoe

[rjrankin83]

Originally Posted by njjoe

Knowledgebase - 2004 Murano - Nissanhelp.com Forums

-njjoe

Thank you guys, you're very helpful.
Anyone care to translate this for me?
1996-2009 NISSAN MODELS WITH ENGINES: VQ35, QR25, QG18, GA16, VQ40, VK56, MR18, MR20; DTC FOR VARIABLE VALVE TIMING CONTROL FUNCTION
The MIL is on with any of the following DTCs stored:
P0011, P0014, P0021, P0024, P1110, P1135,
NOTE: The engine may also have Camshaft Sprocket rattle noise and/or other engine noise.

[njjoe]

Originally Posted by rjrankin83

Thank you guys, you're very helpful.
Anyone care to translate this for me?
1996-2009 NISSAN MODELS WITH ENGINES: VQ35, QR25, QG18, GA16, VQ40, VK56, MR18, MR20; DTC FOR VARIABLE VALVE TIMING CONTROL FUNCTION
The MIL is on with any of the following DTCs stored:
P0011, P0014, P0021, P0024, P1110, P1135,
NOTE: The engine may also have Camshaft Sprocket rattle noise and/or other engine noise.

Translate??

You have the VQ35 engine.

The MIL is the Malfunction Indicator Lamp, also known as your Check Engine light.

DTC is the Diagnostic Trouble Code. These codes are stored in your car's computer, and usually trigger the MIL.

Is you Check Engine light on? If not then this service bulletin does not pertain to your problem.

-njjoe

[WrenchGremlin]

I just had my timing chain tensioners replaced (@200,000 miles), they had some wear but the chain was still in perfect condition. I had this done when I had the head gasket replaced. To replace your chain and tensioner the mechanic would have to remove the engine from the MO, which takes days to pull and put back in. The labor alone would be almost $2000 for this. Now the reason I bring this up is that the only reason I had a shop replace the head gasket is the clearances on the engine to the body are so tight that you cannot get access to the timing chain without dropping the engine from the car. I'm just wondering how your guy was able to inspect everything without dropping your engine (or did he?) Also, the only time I had a rattle at low RPM's (especially on the falling rev's when in park), was when I had a bad catalytic converter that had its insides partially blown out due to a bad spark plug allowing unburned fuel to cook the cat. I replaced it for $300 with an aftermarket cat and all was well.

WG