Please Help: Need Some Automobile Mechanic Advice ASAP Today!

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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 10:19 AM
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F150 Duke's Avatar
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From: In a van down by the river
Please Help: Need Some Automobile Mechanic Advice ASAP Today!

Hey Guys,

So my old car before this truck was a 1999 Infiniti QX4 which my family has now and it has 118,000 miles on it.

Just yesterday the engine started making this horrid noise on start-up, but goes away when you start driving it or the RPMs go up substantially.

It’s hard to describe the sound so I won’t try, but it does it every time you start the car, regardless of how long it’s been sitting.

Do you have any advice of what it could be? I’m going to take it to the dealer later this week and would at least like to know what to expect to hear. This way I don’t get a “It’s your muffler bearings story and it’ll be $1 trillion dollars to fix” type story.

The manual says the timing belt needs to be replaced at 105,000 miles. This was never done because the engine needs to be partially torn down to do it and that is a $400 service visit. Could it be the timing belt or is it another belt or what else?

Thanks again,

Duke
 

Last edited by F150 Duke; Jun 13, 2006 at 10:25 AM.
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 10:24 AM
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Maybe it's over heating with the $118,000 covering it. Are those $100 bills?
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 10:26 AM
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F150 Duke's Avatar
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From: In a van down by the river
Originally Posted by UrbanCowboy
Maybe it's over heating with the $118,000 covering it. Are those $100 bills?
lol, edited the post....didn't mean to have the dollar sign in there.

Duke
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 11:58 AM
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F150 Duke's Avatar
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From: In a van down by the river
If the timing belt was to be the problem, I don't think you could really hear a timing belt could you?

Also, if a timing belt was to break (since it's inside the engine) would that total the engine or cause significant engine damange? Or would it just be something to replace (ie. just the belt?)

Duke
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by F150 Duke
If the timing belt was to be the problem, I don't think you could really hear a timing belt could you?

Also, if a timing belt was to break (since it's inside the engine) would that total the engine or cause significant engine damange? Or would it just be something to replace (ie. just the belt?)

Duke

yes, a broken timing belt will F up your engine.

This is the downside to Japanese vehicles. And guess what? A Timing belt is considered a wear item. If one prematurely snapped on your Toyota, you couldn't report it to JD Powers as an issue.
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 04:06 PM
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F150 Duke's Avatar
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From: In a van down by the river
Originally Posted by J-150
yes, a broken timing belt will F up your engine.

This is the downside to Japanese vehicles. And guess what? A Timing belt is considered a wear item. If one prematurely snapped on your Toyota, you couldn't report it to JD Powers as an issue.
You're saying, Ford doesn't have timing belts?

So it probably should be fixed...


However, I highly doubt you could hear a timing belt getting ready to give way.

Duke
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 04:22 PM
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I'm going to guess valvetrain. Since the noise goes away when it heats up. Has the oil been changed regularly and kept full? If any belt were to make noise I wouldn't expect the noise to go away as it warms up...
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 04:31 PM
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From: In a van down by the river
Originally Posted by closer9
I'm going to guess valvetrain. Since the noise goes away when it heats up. Has the oil been changed regularly and kept full? If any belt were to make noise I wouldn't expect the noise to go away as it warms up...
Well I stopped by during lunch to check it out today again. It didn't make the noise as bad as I heard it before.

Oil changes every 3,000 miles and oil level is fine...no leaks either.

It's going to the dealer this week or next for a check of what the heck is going on and I'll let you guys know.

I've done engine work before but only on old cars (60s models). I look at this thing and get a little dizzy.

Duke
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by F150 Duke
You're saying, Ford doesn't have timing belts?

So it probably should be fixed...


However, I highly doubt you could hear a timing belt getting ready to give way.

Duke

Ford and GM like timing chains which do not need replacement... but are very noisy compared to a belt.

I'm not sure how many Ford models use belts (maybe the Focus?)
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 06:42 PM
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From: Lost some where in the middle of the Ozark Mountains!
Take you monitor outside and sit it on top of the radiator support then start it up so I can have a listen....

Cant make a call on an undescribed sound.
Hard to make an accurate call off a described sound over the internet.

It could be anything from stuck injector, to spark knock, to wore rod bearings, to wore main bearings, it could be the tensioner on the timing belt gets stuck and allows the cam or cams to be out of time and your hearing valve slap till the oil gets to it. It could be the oil pump going out and your hearing a dry engine till it gets primed and going again. It does only take 10 lbs of oil pressure to run an engine. ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC...
The possibilties are endless and range from $50 - $5K just for the parts alone. Just take it to a dealer or mechanic that you trust and find out.
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 07:09 PM
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agree with pss mag take to a mechanic you trust.
as for Ford not using timing belts, i can name a few models focus contour escort tempo ranger i'm sure there's more
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 07:27 PM
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From: Georgia on my mind...
Originally Posted by PSS-Mag
Take you monitor outside and sit it on top of the radiator support then start it up so I can have a listen....
That's my line...

Nissan is goofy like that. The VG33 in that thing is an interference motor. Pretty much the same engine is used in a Mercury Villager, and that one is a freewheeling engine.

I'm not a Nissan guy, but working on Villagers I know a little about the VG series V6s. I've seen a lot of clogged up oil pump pickup tubes, causing valvetrain noise, although this usually results from lack of maintenance. I've seen a few timing belt tensioner pulley bearings wear out and raise all kinds of hell from underneath the timing cover too. It's difficult to call without hearing it. I suppose if you were so inclined, start with removing all the drive belts and running it to see if your noise is still there. Although the way you describe it, it sounds like a base engine noise, like valvetrain or lower end maybe.
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 07:55 PM
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From: Lost some where in the middle of the Ozark Mountains!
Originally Posted by Quintin
That's my line...
No you want the keyboard... I want the monitor so I can see it too.
 
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 11:19 PM
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From: In a van down by the river
LOL. I didn't stop by the house tonight so I couldn't record the sound. Maybe tomorrow though. I'll keep you guys posted.

Duke
 
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