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Auto Locking Hub Problem?


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Okay guys so Im getting another odd issue here and I think many of you might have the answer. 

 

When the vehicle is started and only after I drive off, I initially get buzz noise that accompanies a vibration. It appears to come from the left driver side of the vehicle. Its not loud but you can hear it on the driver side. It happens about 3 seconds after driving off and never again until engine is started again and I drive off. Think of the sound your phone would make when it would vibrate on a table. Thats about the best way I can explain it lol. 

 

Now if I were to press the brakes hard right before this buzzing and vibration happens, a bang would occur in the driver side wheel. 

 

Someone mentioned to me it could be the auto locking hubs? 

 

Or is it the power steering pump? But I dont think that would explain the bang in the wheel. 

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Your '97 doesn't have automatic locking hubs, unless someone went to a lot of bother to fit them. The R50s all had drive flanges from factory (basically a permalocked hub).

 

I'm not sure what would cause this that would only do it once at the start of each drive cycle. Loose heat shields can rattle, but not generally one-and-done like that. Banging if you hit the brakes makes me suspect something in the brakes or suspension is acting up--maybe trying to seize when it's sitting, then chattering or popping free when you set off?

I would check the brakes first, then have a look at the suspension joints. See if you can make the noise appear under any other conditions. I doubt the steering pump has anything to do with it.

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3 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said:

Your '97 doesn't have automatic locking hubs, unless someone went to a lot of bother to fit them. The R50s all had drive flanges from factory (basically a permalocked hub).

 

I'm not sure what would cause this that would only do it once at the start of each drive cycle. Loose heat shields can rattle, but not generally one-and-done like that. Banging if you hit the brakes makes me suspect something in the brakes or suspension is acting up--maybe trying to seize when it's sitting, then chattering or popping free when you set off?

I would check the brakes first, then have a look at the suspension joints. See if you can make the noise appear under any other conditions. I doubt the steering pump has anything to do with it.

Thanks for clarifying that. 

 

But whats odd is the slight bang would only occur if I happen to press the brakes hard the same time the buzzing vibration occurs. 

 

The buzzing vibration occurs maybe after 3 seconds, so lets say I pull off and decided to brake hard and within that time the buzzing and vibraiton occurs and a bang occurs in the driver side wheel. And once the vehicle is started I can have it idle for however long and it would make the noise until after I drive off and its a one and done.

 

Sorry if I'm being repetitive here but its an odd issue that im trying to explain as best I can. 

 

The only reason I was thinking its under the hood is the fact that it waits until I drive off after every startup. I mean everything in the wheel area is mechanical, why would it only make it once and stop. 

 

I did my brakes over the summer and it was doing this before. I do like your idea of something probably seizing, but seizing so fast? I can drive, shut off and immediately  restart and drive to encounter the noise. 

 

 

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I mean, it could be something seizing still, but maybe its something with the brake boost. maybe something in the booster isn't right? I cant really think of anything other than a caliper seizing up. I'm no professional so maybe someone can chime in on how to check the booster and master cylinder parts, but knowing how they work and that it uses intake vacuum, that's what I think of off the bat.

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I did a little poking around in the service manual and I think I found it. Looks like the ABS runs a self-test after you start the truck, but it waits until you hit 4mph. "A mechanical noise may be heard as the ABS performs this self-test. This is a normal part of the self-test feature" (BR-30, 1997). Naturally it doesn't doesn't elaborate on what this "mechanical noise" is supposed to sound like. The buzz is probably normal. The bang kind of makes sense too--you're pushing fluid through the ABS when it's cycling its solenoids, figures it would make some kind of noise if it held and then dumped that pressure. That said, I have no idea if it's supposed to do that, and an unexplained banging noise under the hood seems like something they would've tried to avoid.


You could check this theory by jacking up the back of the truck, resting your hand on the ABS block, and having someone start it and spin the wheels up to 4 mph to trigger the self-test. If it's vibrating enough to hear in the cab, I bet you'll feel it. Should feel the bang as well if your assistant makes it do that. Or you could just unplug the electrical connector for the ABS block and test-drive it, which should stop the noises entirely, though it looks like you'd have to do a code reset afterwards (instructions for that on BR-47). If the ABS light isn't on already, the computer thinks everything's fine, so, that's something.

How's your brake fluid look? You could try flushing it on the off chance you flush some schmoo out of the ABS and quiet it down. I'd give it a couple panic stops too, see if you can make the ABS cycle properly. Maybe it just needs a little exercise.

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I did a little poking around in the service manual and I think I found it. Looks like the ABS runs a self-test after you start the truck, but it waits until you hit 4mph. "A mechanical noise may be heard as the ABS performs this self-test. This is a normal part of the self-test feature" (BR-30, 1997). Naturally it doesn't doesn't elaborate on what this "mechanical noise" is supposed to sound like. The buzz is probably normal. The bang kind of makes sense too--you're pushing fluid through the ABS when it's cycling its solenoids, figures it would make some kind of noise if it held and then dumped that pressure. That said, I have no idea if it's supposed to do that, and an unexplained banging noise under the hood seems like something they would've tried to avoid.

 

You could check this theory by jacking up the back of the truck, resting your hand on the ABS block, and having someone start it and spin the wheels up to 4 mph to trigger the self-test. If it's vibrating enough to hear in the cab, I bet you'll feel it. Should feel the bang as well if your assistant makes it do that. Or you could just unplug the electrical connector for the ABS block and test-drive it, which should stop the noises entirely, though it looks like you'd have to do a code reset afterwards (instructions for that on BR-47). If the ABS light isn't on already, the computer thinks everything's fine, so, that's something.

 

How's your brake fluid look? You could try flushing it on the off chance you flush some schmoo out of the ABS and quiet it down. I'd give it a couple panic stops too, see if you can make the ABS cycle properly. Maybe it just needs a little exercise.

You beat me to it. I was going to say abs self test too..

 

The noise it makes is a very quiet buzzing that lasts maybe 1 second. No other noise should be heard along with it.

 

 

Sent from my Pathfinder ft

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Yes it is a very brief noise that does last probably a second. Nothing too loud or alarming but could be heard.

That would explain the one and done situation with it only occurring once and every start up driving off as it’s a test.

Now that you mention ABS I don’t think I explained the bang part properly. I would feel it in the brake pedal if I were to have it pressed when the “self test” is occurring along with a sound.

I’ll pay attention to the speed and see if does come around that speed.

No ABS lights on. I’ll try putting it to work and see if it goes away. But I do know it works good, because I made an emergency stop in damp conditions a few months back and I definitely felt the ABS kick in.

As for the brake fluid, I bled them good last spring following the order in the manual.

Is there a separate procedure to bleeding the ABS? Ill take a look in the manual, but has anyone done it?

Thanks for investigating guys!


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Yes it is a very brief noise that does last probably a second. Nothing too loud or alarming but could be heard.

That would explain the one and done situation with it only occurring once and every start up driving off as it’s a test.

Now that you mention ABS I don’t think I explained the bang part properly. I would feel it in the brake pedal if I were to have it pressed when the “self test” is occurring along with a sound.

I’ll pay attention to the speed and see if does come around that speed.

No ABS lights on. I’ll try putting it to work and see if it goes away. But I do know it works good, because I made an emergency stop in damp conditions a few months back and I definitely felt the ABS kick in.

As for the brake fluid, I bled them good last spring following the order in the manual.

Is there a separate procedure to bleeding the ABS? Ill take a look in the manual, but has anyone done it?

Thanks for investigating guys!


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Yes it is a very brief noise that does last probably a second. Nothing too loud or alarming but could be heard.

That would explain the one and done situation with it only occurring once and every start up driving off as it’s a test.

Now that you mention ABS I don’t think I explained the bang part properly. I would feel it in the brake pedal if I were to have it pressed when the “self test” is occurring along with a sound.

I’ll pay attention to the speed and see if does come around that speed.

No ABS lights on. I’ll try putting it to work and see if it goes away. But I do know it works good, because I made an emergency stop in damp conditions a few months back and I definitely felt the ABS kick in.

As for the brake fluid, I bled them good last spring following the order in the manual.

Is there a separate procedure to bleeding the ABS? Ill take a look in the manual, but has anyone done it?

Thanks for investigating guys!


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Yes it is a very brief noise that does last probably a second. Nothing too loud or alarming but could be heard.

That would explain the one and done situation with it only occurring once and every start up driving off as it’s a test.

Now that you mention ABS I don’t think I explained the bang part properly. I would feel it in the brake pedal if I were to have it pressed when the “self test” is occurring along with a sound.

I’ll pay attention to the speed and see if does come around that speed.

No ABS lights on. I’ll try putting it to work and see if it goes away. But I do know it works good, because I made an emergency stop in damp conditions a few months back and I definitely felt the ABS kick in.

As for the brake fluid, I bled them good last spring following the order in the manual.

Is there a separate procedure to bleeding the ABS? Ill take a look in the manual, but has anyone done it?

Thanks for investigating guys!


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I’m sorry but I don’t know why that posted so many times. Probably a glitch.


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Tapatalk does this sometimes. No worries. So for bleeding/flushing my brake system, I do LR, RR, LF, RF. Start with farthest from abs pump.


Sent from my Pathfinder
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Tapatalk does this sometimes. No worries. So for bleeding/flushing my brake system, I do LR, RR, LF, RF. Start with farthest from abs pump.


Sent from my Pathfinder

I guess I can bleed back again to see if it’ll ease it up. But it was bled about a year ago maybe less and I followed the order you described. However, I started off with the Load sensing valve then proceeded with the rest.


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12 hours ago, Slartibartfast said:

I did a little poking around in the service manual and I think I found it. Looks like the ABS runs a self-test after you start the truck, but it waits until you hit 4mph. "A mechanical noise may be heard as the ABS performs this self-test. This is a normal part of the self-test feature" (BR-30, 1997). Naturally it doesn't doesn't elaborate on what this "mechanical noise" is supposed to sound like. The buzz is probably normal. The bang kind of makes sense too--you're pushing fluid through the ABS when it's cycling its solenoids, figures it would make some kind of noise if it held and then dumped that pressure. That said, I have no idea if it's supposed to do that, and an unexplained banging noise under the hood seems like something they would've tried to avoid.


You could check this theory by jacking up the back of the truck, resting your hand on the ABS block, and having someone start it and spin the wheels up to 4 mph to trigger the self-test. If it's vibrating enough to hear in the cab, I bet you'll feel it. Should feel the bang as well if your assistant makes it do that. Or you could just unplug the electrical connector for the ABS block and test-drive it, which should stop the noises entirely, though it looks like you'd have to do a code reset afterwards (instructions for that on BR-47). If the ABS light isn't on already, the computer thinks everything's fine, so, that's something.

How's your brake fluid look? You could try flushing it on the off chance you flush some schmoo out of the ABS and quiet it down. I'd give it a couple panic stops too, see if you can make the ABS cycle properly. Maybe it just needs a little exercise.

 

9 hours ago, R50JR said:

You beat me to it. I was going to say abs self test too..

 

The noise it makes is a very quiet buzzing that lasts maybe 1 second. No other noise should be heard along with it.

 

 

Sent from my Pathfinder ft

 

Yep, you guys hit the nail on the head with that noise. It is all over the internet when I look it up, concerning Nissans and their self test on the ABS brakes. 

 

And it does state that if brakes are applied during this self test the noise will be increased and felt through pedal. Funny ive never noticed this in past years, but maybe I wasn't paying attention to it. 

 

Next time anyone drives their Pathfinder see if you notice it, id be interested to know if its as pronounced. Seeing mine is a 97 and you guys have 2003s, maybe it might be different. 

 

12 hours ago, Strato_54 said:

I mean, it could be something seizing still, but maybe its something with the brake boost. maybe something in the booster isn't right? I cant really think of anything other than a caliper seizing up. I'm no professional so maybe someone can chime in on how to check the booster and master cylinder parts, but knowing how they work and that it uses intake vacuum, that's what I think of off the bat.

 

If you can, try and listen for the noise when first driving off after startup. Looks to be normal.

 

 

Thanks!

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