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[RobsPages]

Yesterday, driving to the office from lunch I started to hear this high pitched rattle/squeak/chirp, like a cricket (around 175 miles on the odo). On the way home from work, once the car warmed up, it was back with a vengeance. I had to run some errands after dinner and now its constant and loud.

It doesn't vary with engine or ground speed and is sometimes even there when idling at a stop light. I went so far as to turn the engine off on a hill and it was still there. It doesn't change with the use of any of the pedals, and is still there in neutral (6spd).

I'm calling the dealer to get it looked at tonight - but i have to think someone else has been through this and can give me some ideas as to whats going on with my V.

Thanks, Rob

[MinisterofDOOM]

Is the sound perhaps affected by HVAC fan speed?

[RobsPages]

I tried turning off the fan and A/C and the sound was still there.

[keanucosmo]

Try turning off the radio to see if the noise is RF.

[RobsPages]

Nope - Radio was off the whole time (powered off, not just volume down). It definitely has a belt-like noise quality to it. Maybe even a heat shield. But I'm still baffled. I was hoping someone would have gone through a few rounds with the dealer on something similar so I'd know what to expect.
Modified by RobsPages at 6:08 AM 7/10/2008

[DejaWiz]

Wow, that's weird if it's constant, even with varying speeds or at a stand still. Because my first thoughts were either a pulley or a wheel bearing.

Maybe it is a slight vibration rattle in a heat shield or a panel somewhere, then.

[brainguyus]

It doesn't vary with engine or ground speed and is sometimes even there when idling at a stop light.

Are you at a complete stop while this is happening or is the car coasting a little?

This sounds similar to what you get when a stone gets between the rotor and splash shield, but if the car is at a dead stop and you hear the noise it's something else.

[RobsPages]

Are you at a complete stop while this is happening or is the car coasting a little?

This sounds similar to what you get when a stone gets between the rotor and splash shield, but if the car is at a dead stop and you hear the noise it's something else.

Is there an easy way to check that without having to take the wheels off? Otherwise, I'll make better note of that on my commute home.

[ITasteLightBulbs]

does the sound seem to come more from one side of your car?

[RobsPages]

does the sound seem to come more from one side of your car?

It sounds like its coming from somewhere in front of the driver, towards the middle of the vehicle. I was going nuts trying to find a loose bit of dash board, closing vents, making sure it wasn't my keys, etc. I sat in the passenger's seat for about a half hour while my wife drove, and it still seemed to be more in the middle of the car near the base of the windshield, but that's a really un-scientific assessment.

The dealer i bought it from is 2 hours from my office and only open until 5pm. So i'll need to bring tomorrow morning for them to look at. The service manager also mentioned the rotor plate but only after I pressed him.

[brainguyus]

Is there an easy way to check that without having to take the wheels off? Otherwise, I'll make better note of that on my commute home.

Have someone stand outside the car while you move it back and forth slightly. If it's a stone behind the rotor it's easy to pinpoint.

My 2000 Frontier was always getting rocks caught behind the rotor. I'd just pull the wheel off and pry at the backing plate LIGHTLY (you don't want to bend it) with a large screwdriver until the debris fell out. Sometimes you need to fish around a bit but it'll usually fall out on its own.

[ITasteLightBulbs]

well one way to rule out any problems with rocks in your wheel well is to simply turn your car off and coast in neutral if there is no noise then there is no problem there... One bit of advice, record whatever the people at the dealer say they think the problem is. Make sure to get their names and positions. Nissan is notorious for not wanting to fix a problem unless they can find it in the first 5 minutes. Or simply fixing the easiest candidate for the problem, whether or not it will actually fix the car. So make sure you have records to give to Nissan''s HQ just in case they try to pull that crap.

[DejaWiz]

Any car dealer is notorious for not wanting to fix a problem unless they can find it in the first 5 minutes. Or simply fixing the easiest candidate for the problem, whether or not it will actually fix the car.

Fixed.

[RobsPages]

My 2000 Frontier was always getting rocks caught behind the rotor. I'd just pull the wheel off and pry at the backing plate LIGHTLY (you don't want to bend it) with a large screwdriver until the debris fell out. Sometimes you need to fish around a bit but it'll usually fall out on its own.

I've never heard of this problem before - is it a Nissan thing? My last 3 or 4 cars have all had disc brakes - never had anything behind the rotor that made a noise or caused any damage.

is notorious for not wanting to fix a problem unless they can find it in the first 5 minutes. Or simply fixing the easiest candidate for the problem, whether or not it will actually fix the car. So make sure you have records to give to Nissan''s HQ just in case they try to pull that crap.

I think that's most dealerships. This is why I wanted to gather as much info before getting there.

[RobsPages]

I confirmed on the ride home that the noise continues at a dead stop. Of course when I pulled into my driveway to pop the hood and listen it went away.

We'll see what happens at the dealer tomorrow.

[brainguyus]

I've never heard of this problem before - is it a Nissan thing? My last 3 or 4 cars have all had disc brakes - never had anything behind the rotor that made a noise or caused any damage.

I don't think it's just a Nissan thing. I've heard of this happening quite a few times with other makes.

For some reason the Frontier I had was prone to this. Maybe it had to do with the shape of the plate? I didn't do much off road driving and the plate wasn't deformed?? Debris would get caught near the hub away from the rotor surface so although it sounded horrible no damage was being done.

Keep us posted....I'm curious as to what they find.

[RobsPages]

Ok, back from the dealer.

Aside from their dismal waiting area (I got spoiled with my Subaru I guess) I and my car were treated with respect. The manager came to update me 3 times, once when they drove the car and heard the noise, once when they isolated the source and finally when the guys working on it returned from a test drive to make sure they nailed it.

The culprit seems to have been a pair of loose bolts in a metal plate (much like a heat shield) that is at the base of the dash board where it meets the body.

It's 45 miles from the dealer to my house and the V was whisper quiet all the way home, so I think they got it.

It sucks to have to deal with that on a car I've had a total of 4 days, but after reading around this board (looking at you EV) it could have been much worse.

Thanks for the info and for reading this.

[DejaWiz]

Glad to hear they got it sorted out. Good deal.

[ITasteLightBulbs]

Fixed.

Good Call