Timing chain tensioner, take two...

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weaver
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Postby weaver » Thu Feb 13, 2020 10:31 pm

Grm3: I had similar noise last year, was hopeful wasn't T-chains because it would quiet down after warming up, like yours. (136k mi) Then last November it remained noisy and the sound got louder. Then I knew that the borrowed time was about up; timebomb. Tip-toed for about 400 mi like that, avoiding driving it at all unless necessary. Sucked. Got truck back from shop 3 weeks ago, runs great. MAJOR relief ! One secondary tensioner guide was nearly worn through, and the other had been completely chewed through and the chain was cutting through the tensioner piston top. I figure the change in noise/sound/pitch was when the chain finally started hitting metal. Caught it just in time. You could take the serpentine belt off to check that the noise isn't from a driven accessory as the water pump is chain driven internally. (thanks to SMJ for that trick)Might throw some codes,fyi. FWIW the job on mine was $1,950 including water pump, t-stat. would have been more, but the shop ate the additonal cost because the listed kit they quoted me didn't come with all of the necessary parts, including the enigmatic seals.


ssobol
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Location: No. VA

Postby ssobol » Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:04 pm

I have an '08 SE with 150K miles on it. I notice a number of posts in this forum about timing chain tensioners and some noise from the engine that indicates their immanent failure.

My truck does not make any noises that I would consider unusual.

Can someone describe the sound of failed/failing tensioners so I'll know it if it happens to me?

Thanks.

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ShipFixer
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Postby ShipFixer » Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:29 pm

This one sounds pretty close to real life on my work laptop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAdR9XnazCo

It's hard to ignore once it happens. Only one tensioner was gone on my truck this time and I still heard it. Definitely quieter than a full fail of all of them but it wasn't something I could ignore.

Other stuff that sounds similar include failing alternators, failing power steering pumps, failing motor driven fan bearings, and failing a/c compressors or clutches.

weaver
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Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2019 10:21 am
Location: Ohio hole-pit:)

Postby weaver » Fri Feb 14, 2020 9:43 pm

Shipfixer: hope you're outta the woods on this one. Great info with the DataScanII, hope to be able to add live data to my aresenal if the credit card ever cools down, (had to delay suspension AGAIN) That clarified some convoluted/conflicting info I was coming across last fall when I was debating if I was going to do it myself. Your experience is exactly why I HATE anyone working on my stuff. We end up having to deal with others mistakes on our own clock. The shop left a HUGE mess on mine, took days to carefully clean just to check for leaks. I give them it was a big job; going to have mess; but this was crazy. Probably wanted my truck out the door ASAP after all of the fits she gave them! I think they turned the engine over without covering the VVT valve body ports so oil erupted like a volcano. Plus, they over-tightened the oil filter distorting the gasket, which was starting to leak. The oil filter for cryin' out loud! Just like the air cleaner box lid can't ever get put on right!! (Firrst thing I checked, and sure enough...3 tabs 3 slots is really complicated!)Makes ya wonder about the not so simple stuff... I went ahead and did oil change+filter AGAIN. More $ wasted. At this point just glad to have the big one done. It is what it is. Still trying to figure out why pre-repair I averaged 18-19mpg hwy;post repair 23.3 (best EVER, whoo hoo..) then sudden drop to 14-17mpg. Reset MPG on dash screen, giving it some time to see what it does. Going to start crawling over manifold, intake, vac, evap etc. No codes tho. Sorry about long post, just so glad to have this done; I could write a book about it. Keep your powder dry and your p**ker hard, and the world will turn. :D

TooTallMike
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Location: Jblm, Washington

Postby TooTallMike » Sun Mar 01, 2020 1:45 pm

Is it possible for the noise to come back after fixing them after a year and under 30k miles?

What chains are you guys using?

I believe I used CLOYES from rockauto.

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Sun Mar 01, 2020 9:00 pm

It "shouldn't" come back and I hear Cloyes chains are good. That said, I stuck to genuine Nissan timing chain parts in the two I own.

RogerBed
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Postby RogerBed » Sun May 03, 2020 3:40 pm

I have the whining/whirring sound all the time while the car is running. I recently brought it in for another issue and the mechanic said he listened to the car for a moment with no belt on and the sound was still there. He ruled out the belt and alternator (Which was my first guess and sounded exactly like that was the problem). He wasn't sure what it was without digging around all over the place (I needed the car back rather quickly) and I am not certain. I have one year on my warranty, so I think I'll bring it to a Nissan dealer and see what they say. Hopefully they recognize it right away and I'll only have to pay the small deductible. I'll try yo update the post with a video.

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ShipFixer
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Postby ShipFixer » Sun May 03, 2020 6:46 pm

RogerBed wrote:I have the whining/whirring sound all the time while the car is running. I recently brought it in for another issue and the mechanic said he listened to the car for a moment with no belt on and the sound was still there. He ruled out the belt and alternator (Which was my first guess and sounded exactly like that was the problem). He wasn't sure what it was without digging around all over the place (I needed the car back rather quickly) and I am not certain. I have one year on my warranty, so I think I'll bring it to a Nissan dealer and see what they say. Hopefully they recognize it right away and I'll only have to pay the small deductible. I'll try yo update the post with a video.
What year? Yeah, not many other noises it can be after you take the belt off. If it's just one single part that's gone bad (like mine was this time...one tensioner shoe out of all the parts) then it does sound like very loud intake tract whine/induction noise. My dealership did not hear it outside in an open lot the first time I took it in. But it's definitely there. Did not change significantly with temperature, is linearly related to engine RPM, not load, etc.

Aside from taking the belt off, my mechanical stethoscope isolated it to the location of the tensioner shoe (passenger side, top of the V) pretty well in retrospect.

When both tensioner shoes and/or other parts are worn...no mistaking that noise. I can hear a VQ40 making that noise two blocks away in the middle of DC. (And do...frequently.)


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