Front Driveline Problem-'02

[Orangetang]

This vehicle is turning out to be a real nightmare. I'm almost ready to cut my losses and trade it in for a civic or something.

 

I experience a slight vibration when travelling at speeds over 80km/h in 2H. The vibration is more obvious when accelerating. If I engage 4Hi or Lo at any speed and accelerate, the sound and vibration is much more pronounced and rougher feeling. At first I suspected this was a worn drive-joint or shaft in the front wheel drive area, perhaps the passenger side CV-Axle Boot or something....

 

So I take it to Nissan for a diagnosis (I'm covered by the 100,000km powertrain warranty still). They just called me after a 1.5 Hour diagnosis @ $95/hr saying that they have no idea what the problem is right now, and whether or not it would be covered by warranty at all. So I can let them continue and start pulling drive components off, and replacing them, test-driving and seeing if the noise goes away, or call it off and pay them the $150 plus whatever the problem is with my suspension ($600 or so), on top of that. At $95 an hour, i'm frightened that they will call me in 4 hours saying they havn't found the problem and to come pick up the vehicle at my cost. However if they DO find the problem and it's covered by warranty, I pay for nothing...

 

What the hell? I suppose this is normal to you all, but I just bought this newer vehicle in an effort to get something more reliable and cheaper to maintain. I wish I still had the car I sold for $600 bucks... Especially with the $429/month insurance in this dumb province...

 

 

Any ideas what this problem is? I guess in reality it could be anything.

[94extreme]

flanges?

[Orangetang]

SO your guess is as good as the mechanics... Trial and error. Replace a part hoping it fixes the problem. Replace another, and so on. So maybe I'll rack up 8 hours of labour and some new parts that havn't done anything for me, and the problem is still there. It just seems kinda stupid to me... Especially since they can't even tell me if it's going to be covered or not. It sounds to me like I'll be leaving with a $1200+ bill whether or not the truck is fixed...

 

The vibration is a grumble, not a rattle, it doesn't have the sharp cracking or whining sound of gears or joints falling apart. My best guess is an unbalanced cv axle, or shaft or loose joint. The vibration increases with speed, not RPM, feels and sounds like knobby tires on the freeway. Whiirrrrrrr....

 

I don't really have the money to spend on this is it isn't covered. By the symptoms I described, do you think that by leaving it, the problemw ill escalate and become more costly over the next moth or two? I just drive around town mostly.

Edited April 20, 2006 by Orangetang

[94extreme]

search the forums for flanges. that a pretty common thing on r50s.. not sure if the symptoms you describe are the flange problem as i drive wd21 but they do sound familiar and i think last time a read this kind of thing was on the flanges threads.. it wasn't discussed long ago.. maybe 3 or 4mo.. maybe less.

 

maybe some other owners of r50s will step in tonight.

 

more costly? could be because then you may mess up the cvs, and other steering components.. plus safety can definitely be compromised..

 

start by looking at the tires.. maybe you lost a weight or two.. maybe broke some belts in the tire.. start small then work up to it.. lift the truck and shake stuff, better yet, have someone do it while you look.

[FLApathy]

my truck does the same thing, but mine is a WD21, my front end needs to be rebuildt, jack up ur truck and just start grabbing stuff and wiggleing whatever u grabbed, if its loose or has play, find out what it is and does

 

my driver side cv boot is gone, upper and lower BJ's are gone, who knows what else

[94extreme]

^^^ CL

[FLApathy]

^^^ CL

yeah that too, everything needs to be replaced though

 

i think the only that doesnt is a UCA and a LCA, lol