"Ringing" Engine Noise Anyone?

[echo999]

I can't believe it but my EX also started making this sound after about 500miles. During the test drive and for the first few weeks I heard nothing.

My only contibution to the thread is that I find the intensity of the tone is worse with the climate control ON. The radio makes no difference.

On a side note I've also started noticing a lot of rattles on the passenger side and under heavy acceleartion it sounds like the exhaust is about to fall off. I hope I didn't buy a total lemon.

I'm taking it in for service so we'll see if the Canadian Infiniti dealerships have worse or better hearing than our USA cousins.
Modified by echo999 at 5:01 PM 5/22/2009

[dividedhighw]

Hahaha ... a big Canadian Welcome to NICO, echo999!!

Good luck - keep us posted!

Cheers,David

[cjre1]

echo999,

When did you buy your EX and what model do you have? AWD I take it???

I think that I am finding a link here between some items that I am doing much research on.

[echo999]

I bought it a month ago for my wife. (the FX was to big for her). It's a 2008 AWD with the NAVI and Luxury packages. If it wasn't for the amazing price I got for a 2008 in 2009 model year I wouldn't have have even considered it.

Has anyone noticed that if you put the car in the ON position and go around to the passanger front side there is a really high pitched sound similar to what you hear inside the car. I can only hear it in the ON position not when the car is running and no sound in the ACC position.

[cjre1]

Usually a high pitch sound is from the alternator. I have heard this on many other cars. I do not think that an Infiniti will be built like this.

Please let us all know what the dealer finds out.

[sg77]

Has anyone noticed that if you put the car in the ON position and go around to the passanger front side there is a really high pitched sound similar to what you hear inside the car. I can only hear it in the ON position not when the car is running and no sound in the ACC position.

I hadn't heard that before, but I just tried it and I hear it too (on the driver's side too); I only hear it outside the car, not inside. But I think this is a different, and lower-pitched maybe, noise than the one we hear inside when pressing the gas pedal.

Something else I noticed when walking around the car outside is that when the camera is on and the sonar is beeping, you can hear it outside. It seems like there's actually speakers on the outside of the car, I guess to warn people that you might back up soon.

[cjre1]

Maybe this is true with the sound. I think that you need to have the tech package in order to get the beeping.

I am thinking that since the system is drive by wire, it might make some noise in that area. I am not sure. I did not research this yet. I can this weekend.

[RollerEx35]

ok well with the weather getting warmer in chicago I have noticed that this noise is going away, except for the days when the temp is around 50F then i can hear the noise again...i dont know what this means but maybe someone else might???

ThanksRon

[cjre1]

ok well with the weather getting warmer in chicago I have noticed that this noise is going away, except for the days when the temp is around 50F then i can hear the noise again...i dont know what this means but maybe someone else might???

ThanksRon

Thanks Ron. Well that blows my theory out of the water with the temp change. The drive by wire system, should have no bearing on the weather. I am not sure what noise you are refering to. I need to think about this one. Maybe someone else will know. Anyone???

[sg77]

with the weather getting warmer in chicago I have noticed that this noise is going away, except for the days when the temp is around 50F then i can hear the noise again

The noise I hear doesn't seem to depend on temperature. I hear it at 90F as well as 50F. (There might be multiple noises that different people are talking about though.)

[aft981]

ok well with the weather getting warmer in chicago I have noticed that this noise is going away, except for the days when the temp is around 50F then i can hear the noise again...i dont know what this means but maybe someone else might???

ThanksRon

I think it means you have your windows down and the music up, hence you can't hear it anymore?!

[echo999]

I finally got my car in for service on Friday and sure enough technican heard nothing. So the service manager test drove the car with me in the backseat. I can hear it but he can't. But then again he was like 55 and I'm only 30 something.

So I took those sample wav files posted earlier and I played back the 15,000Khz wav file converted to mp3 from the CF Card and he can hear that even at the lowest volume setting. So why in heck he can't hear the real sound is beyond me since I think they sound nearly the same.

I've accepted this sound will never be fixed since only 0.1% percent of the entire human population has hearing good enough to hear it so why would Infiniti invest time and money to fix a problem that only a handle full of owners can even hear. I'm now wearing an earplug in my right ear whenever I drive my car. It works and its about as cheap of a solution as I can find (short of ripping the dashboard apart and finding the sound myself).

One thing I have noticed is that if I sit in the passenger seat and have someone else drive the sound is 2-3 times louder if you listen into the glove box vs the foot compartment. I'm certain this sound is coming from somewhere behind the dashboard and not the door speaker; or any speaker for that matter.

[echo999]

Warmer weather means more use of A/C (espically if use the auto climate controls) and that may help drown out the sound.

[RollerEx35]

echo999: i also sat in the passenger seat and heard it much louder coming from the glove box area, but maybe i will try your idea and get the ear plug lol

maybe i'll just move to somewhere warmer then

thanks guys but when the weather was much cooler i heard the noise much louder even with the radio on and the heat on....

[cjre1]

echo999: i also sat in the passenger seat and heard it much louder coming from the glove box area, but maybe i will try your idea and get the ear plug lol

maybe i'll just move to somewhere warmer then

thanks guys but when the weather was much cooler i heard the noise much louder even with the radio on and the heat on....

There is not much behind the glove box. Maybe the heater core, fan blower motor or even the Expansion Valve valve is making this noise. I had a Lexus that the EVAP valve was making this noise. Once changed, the noise was all gone. I can't think of anything else that would make a noise back there.

Good luck. Let us know what the dealer finds, if you take it there.

EDIT: Expansion Valve not EVAP.
Modified by cjre1 at 10:05 AM 6/10/2009

[RollerEx35]

cjre1: Thanks, I've taken it to the dealer twice already for this noise and they can't even hear what I hear. Can you shed some light...what is the EVAP?

ThanksRon

[cjre1]

First off, I am sorry, I was posting on another thread about the EVAP which deals with the fuel and emissions.

I meant to tell you about the Expansion Valve, is a valve that controls the AC compressor in simple terms. It is a complicated process. It is the EV or the Orifice Tube that makes the noise.

I have my valve replaced and the noise went away, however, your car is too new to be this, unless if dirt is in the line or the vavle is bad. I have seen this if the Freon is low, this valve will also make a noise as you described.

[RollerEx35]

ok well thanks for the info anyways. last time i took my car in they called in a case to infiniti so i guess we will just see what happens.

thanks again

[cjre1]

ok well thanks for the info anyways. last time i took my car in they called in a case to infiniti so i guess we will just see what happens.

thanks again

Let me know what they find out. It can be a simple problem or a complex problem. They might not even duplicate the problem. Those are the dealer famous words, ask anyone. "Can not duplicate customer concern". I love to see those on the service records.

[echo999]

Warmer weather means more use of A/C (espically if use the auto climate controls) and that may help drown out the sound.

[SteveTheTech]

I have a significant feeling that everyone is talking about different things here.

If the noise is determined to be coming from the ECM and you can hear that and the G37 is even worse. I am at a loss as to which part of the IC within the ECM is causing the noise. Since you have driven a completely different car and it exhibited the same concern to you. I would love to hear your EX, to see just what you are hearing. Are you positive that the noise you are hearing is in the 15kHz range? That seems pretty low for the amount of people that have listened to it.

A Lexus may be the way to go if a silent numb ride is what you were looking for.

Although the interior squeak and rattle wise is pretty quite there are engine noises and depending on the road surface some transference of road noise through the sport inspired steering rack and suspension setup. There are a few <5 noises that have been prevalent noises that have warranted the attention of a technical service bulletin.

While your case is rare and one of the first I have seen escalate to this point I would again like to stress that a noise that cannot be heard by the majority of diagnosticians and managers involved in your case, will not cause your EX to burn or fail. You may say that that statement cannot be proven but at this point it is speculation in either case. I understand your frustration and throwing in some key words should get you the shock value you were going for. While I appreciate you sharing your negative experiences with us and I feel for the unique set of circumstances you are dealing with I want to stress to the other owners that your EX is not going to spontaneously combust or have a wheel fall off.

If there were a way I could personally change your perception of this car I would do it. I fear that you have already gone beyond the point of no return.

To address noises in general. As a group, and with a few exceptions, we try to fix all types of noises whether they are originating from the engine or interior. There is no training or advise that can really be given to teach someone how to trace down a noise. This is really a matter of individual perception and not a learned skill. There have been times where I have had to spend a few hours with an owner hunting for noises, we try one thing, road test, try something else road testing, and that is being able to hear the noise. If the investigating bodies cannot hear the noise and do not have access to the appropriate acoustic research devices. It is really humbling to people like me who are used to getting noises in the first two tries. Noises are the single most difficult thing to describe adequately to another person in enough detail that the third party can write down well enough for a technician to decipher. Given the extended game of telephone that takes place in the chain of communication within any dealerships' service department the odds are not so good that a unique noise may be resolved the first time.

[Poyzinous]

A Lexus may be the way to go if a silent numb ride is what you were looking for.

While I appreciate you sharing your negative experiences with us and I feel for the unique set of circumstances you are dealing with I want to stress to the other owners that your EX is not going to spontaneously combust or have a wheel fall off.

If there were a way I could personally change your perception of this car I would do it. I fear that you have already gone beyond the point of no return.

[tazdevl]

Steve... the ECM isn't the issue. I appreciate your help though. It's the local dealer's sad attempt to throw something out there to mask their incompetence. I took it as far as I could with my lawyer since it was documented and I wanted compensation for the risk driving the vehicle, time I wasted owning the car and taking it in for service. If the source of a problem hasn't been identified but the problem is not a normal operating condition, that represents an inherent risk for Infiniti if a failure did occur.

You have to remember... this isn't a pet project where it's OK for customers to have to keep going back to the dealer to have issues identified and resolved. It's a car and while it isn't at a high price point, if Infiniti is saying it's #1 in satisfaction in its class on the site and my car is an outlier, I'm going to call them on it and make them fix the issue until the law provides me with another alternative.

My guess all the people here are hearing the same issue and yes... it's a higher pitch/freq which means the noise is directional and explains why it cannot be heard if someone is sitting in the passenger seat. It isn't the fuel pump. It's something electrical in nature...the fuel pump delivers the same amount of fuel regardless of engine speed so that wouldn't be affected if the car was accelerating. This has more to do and sounds like an electrical circuit is loading when the car is accelerating.

The other reason why I took it upon myself to sue Infiniti was due to the lack of response from them for an issue that's being reported across multiple platforms. This could be something as simple as the speakers (dealer didn't want to try replacing because they didn't want to take the door panels off) or more complex like a grounding issue... which I had with a 2004 FX45. Lot of folks bought grounding kits back in the day for the FX due to a similar issue. So maybe this is more of a design flaw with Infiniti's in general.

In the end... I wish I didn't have the problems I did... I wanted to like this car but it's been a complete pain in the a** to own.

Numb ride etc... are typical fanboi responses and you should be above it. I buy good cars, I hoped this was one and for me it wasn't. Lexus builds a great car and plenty of info out there supporting that statement.

BTW I'm balancing my Lexus' numb ride with a 2009 M3 Sedan (since I need the back seat space for an infant seat which the EX clearly didn't have).

[sg77]

A lot of people are reporting this problem on the G37: Edited by moderator, no links to that place.

Someone posted there 7/10/2009 "tech line says that they (Inf) have received multiple calls about the issue, and that it is a noise introduced by the ECM and that they ARE working on a fix, and that it should be out within 3 weeks."

He later said that there's a temp fix... "They will apparently wrap the ECU in some sort of noise-deadening insulation", but the TSB with a better fix isn't out yet.

I also saw reports of a whistling sound on Muranos: zerothread/334667 that they say was fixed by TSB NTB08104 related to the "throttle control actuator". I'm not sure if that's the same noise we're hearing though.

[echo999]

A lot of people are reporting this problem on the G37: Edited by moderator, no links to that place.

Someone posted there 7/10/2009 "tech line says that they (Inf) have received multiple calls about the issue, and that it is a noise introduced by the ECM and that they ARE working on a fix, and that it should be out within 3 weeks."

He later said that there's a temp fix... "They will apparently wrap the ECU in some sort of noise-deadening insulation", but the TSB with a better fix isn't out yet.

I also saw reports of a whistling sound on Muranos: zerothread/334667 that they say was fixed by TSB NTB08104 related to the "throttle control actuator". I'm not sure if that's the same noise we're hearing though.

Any news on a TSB yet from Infiniti. I'm taking my car in for routine service and my dealer keeps asking me to bring whatever news I hear about this forum.

[sinbinner]

Everyone,I've specifically joined NICO to find an answer to this very situation! I'm eight months into driving an '09 G37 sedan and I've about had it with the noise. Originally I thought it was from the center stack as it first reminded me of a bad hard drive whine, but then discovered (as most of you here) that it is more mechanical. Having just taken the car in for routine servicing and been told "none of us can hear anything," I am more determined than ever to find a cure (and/or at least make Infiniti pay to fix it!)

For the record: I hear the noise coming from the front passenger side, virtually at all times, regardless of what may be turned on or off (a/c, stereo, cruise, etc.). I can hear it when revving the engine in neutral, and I can hear it even when coasting without touching the accellerator. When the engine is warm, the sound mostly goes away when the car is at rest (I originally thought I only heard it while the car was in motion, leading me to think it was mechanically related to the front passenger wheel); at first start-up in the morning, however, it is quite loud when revving in neutral.

Fortunately, I leave the sound system on most of the time, so I can't hear it, but sometimes I want silence and this is worse than finger nails on a chalkboard!

Hopefully we get relief soon -- anyone?

[SteveTheTech]

I'm with you. As one of the only people I think that can hear this frequency I would love to help find a fix but I lack the acoustic measuring equipment and resources to do anything about. Once a fix is announced I will be sure to pass it along to you guys.

[sg77]

For the record: I hear the noise coming from the front passenger side, virtually at all times, regardless of what may be turned on or off (a/c, stereo, cruise, etc.). I can hear it when revving the engine in neutral, and I can hear it even when coasting without touching the accellerator. When the engine is warm, the sound mostly goes away when the car is at rest (I originally thought I only heard it while the car was in motion, leading me to think it was mechanically related to the front passenger wheel); at first start-up in the morning, however, it is quite loud when revving in neutral.

That all sounds exactly like my experience in the EX (though I can't tell whether it's coming from the passenger side or elsewhere), including the fact that it's more noticeable before the car is warmed up (I think because of the revving of the engine that the car does automatically to warm up)... except for the "even when coasting" part; in my case, if I'm driving and take my foot off the gas, the noise stops immediately (though if cruise control is on and accelerates by itself, the noise is heard).

[CuthGood130]

Does the noise sound like this?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories...shtml

or http://www.noiseaddicts.com/20...nager/

My girlfriend just got a 2009 EX AWD with nav/bose and it's driving her crazy; she says it sounds like the tone on these links. She can hear it in my 09 G37 too. I can't hear it in either car but can hear these tones.

The dealer has the car now and can't hear a thing. While I'm not optimistic, I appreciate everyone's comments on these threads and will be sure to follow up with any progress.

[sg77]

Does the noise sound like this?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories...shtml

or http://www.noiseaddicts.com/20...nager/

My girlfriend just got a 2009 EX AWD with nav/bose and it's driving her crazy; she says it sounds like the tone on these links. She can hear it in my 09 G37 too. I can't hear it in either car but can hear these tones.

The dealer has the car now and can't hear a thing. While I'm not optimistic, I appreciate everyone's comments on these threads and will be sure to follow up with any progress.

Yup, that's what it sounds like. I'm not sure if the pitch is exactly the same, but it's pretty close. On page 2 of this thread someone else mentioned the Mosquito tone that you're talking about. This site has examples of a few different frequencies: http://saunderslog.com/2006/06/12/