Nissan - Sentra :: Cold Start Noises During Transmission?
Nov 9, 2011
I recently bought my Nissan Sentra from Carmax, and drove it cross-country from Maryland to New Mexico for a job. I noticed along the way that from a cold engine start, whenever I would reverse, shift to drive, and turn the wheel to straighten, I would hear a noise that sounds like pulling the parking brake coming from the tire area. The engine also makes a knocking noise when the accelerator is pressed, but gets better as the engine warms up (which I'm told is a gasket). Finally, when driving from a cold start and the transmission shifts from 1st to 2nd, I hear a metallic clunk that sounds like someone hitting a metal shaft.
Any thoughts/concerns? I've read something about a premature bearing failure, if that's relevant.
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I've been driving my daughter's Nissan for the past week, trying to figure out what's going on.
Car has about 124K miles. Automatic transmission. Two things happening, neither with total consistency:
(1) Sometimes, primarily from a cold start, car will not shift gears. You'll go past the speed and RPMs where you would have expected the gear to shift, but engine whines on. When you let off the gas, it then shifts. Same from 2nd to 3rd. While in this mode, would not seem to stay in 4th - would briefly shift in (for about a second) , then return to 3rd.
(2) Other item - more frequently, primarily from a warm start, but also from a cold start - car shifts gears at proper time, but there is a distinctive "jolt" as it shifts from 1st to 2nd; not really noticeable in higher gears and the "jolt" can vary in intensity. Almost feels like a broken motor mount, but don't think that's it.
Doesn't happen with scenario (1) described above. Also, while in this mode, I noticed, while highway driving, that if I was at the bottom of a long hill, going 60 and floored it, there would be no power surge. It was not downshifting into 3rd like it should. I would have a long and slow acceleration , with the tachometer holding steady at about 2700 RPMs, not climbing as you would expect.
But, if I was going about 50, then you would get normal hill climb acceleration.My mechanic - whom I've dealt with for a long time and trust - had wanted me to drive it awhile and see what was happening before bringing it in. When describing these symptoms to him, his reaction was "Hmmm - doesn't sound good" but without the quick diagnosis I'm accustomed to from him.
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Having issue with snap, crackle, pop noises from all the cheap plastic in the dash of their Nissan Sentra? It seems to occur most when the cabin temperature is between 40 & 60 degrees. If you have had the problem, have you figured out a fix? The dealer just says "they all do that".
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A few weeks ago my car started overheating and blowing cold air while I was on the highway. I took it to my mechanic and he found that the radiator was leaking. Two weeks later the car was overheating and the heater was blowing cold air when I was on the highway. I had it towed to the same mechanic and the car wouldn't overheat nor would it blow cold air. He drove it all around and on the highway but couldn't get the problems I was having to occur. Now I have intermittent heat. Sometimes I will start the car and it will take 20+ minutes for the heat to blow warm air. Other times the heat works fine for a while and then starts blowing cold air. Usually when it starts blowing cold air I begin to smell a sweet odor, possibly coolant. It hasn't overheated again, but I have stayed off the highway.
I just had the thermostat changed, and the upper radiator hose warms up quickly. When the heater is blowing cold air, one or both of the hoses connecting to the heater core do not warm up. Sometimes it's both hoses, other times the hose going in is hot but the other hose is cool. My mechanic seems to think that the head gasket is leaking air into the system, and that the air is preventing the coolant/water from being properly transported throughout the car. He did a pressure test to see if it was the head gasket when I brought the car in but it wasn't conclusive. Does it sound like a head gasket leak, or could it be a blocked heater core, or a weak water pump? So far I haven't noticed any coolant leaks, but I could be missing something.
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My 1987 Nissan Sentra has a transmission leak. The leak is from a bad gasket from the center part of the Trans. How to replace or fix this gasket without taking out the Trans. ( Just so we are clear-this is not the Trans pan)
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This problem is really hard to describe. About a month ago, during super-cold weather (teens or single digits) while driving in traffic I felt the transmission sort of ripple or slip as I slowed down for a red light. When I attempted to go forward on the green light, the car resisted at about 10 mph - kind of like trying to go 50 mph in first gear - like it wasn't shifting. At the repair shop they told me there was ice around the wheels and they chipped it off. They drove the car and said it didn't have the other problem. A couple of weeks later, the car did it again, this time near a shopping mall, also on a very cold day (teens or 20s). I drove it into the mall at around 10 mph, parked it, was in the mall for a while, came out - no problem until last weekend - also very cold weather (teens or 20s). This time it happened at around 40 mph.
It started to slow down and I could feel the transmission slipping or rippling, then it felt like trying to go 50 mph in 1st gear and abruptly slowed down to about 10 mph. I pulled over to the side of the road, turned the ignition off, waited about a minute, started it up again and it was OK. No more problem. I took it to the repair shop and told them what happened. The mechanic said it's not the transmission because they checked it when they had it before. He said it might be the part of the computer that tells the transmission at what speed to shift. They now have the car, have driven it about 20 miles, the problem didn't show up, and one of the mechanics took it home to drive around over the weekend. By the way, the Service Engine Soon light has been on for about 2 years. I took it in once to have it fixed and it stayed off for a few months, then came on again.
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I own a 2009 Nissan Sentra with a CVT transmission. It has about 65,000 miles. During the warmer months, my wife and I have both experienced times while driving (usually for more than 2 hours) when the engine would lose power while going up a hill. After doing some reading we learned that this was common in Sentra and Rogue models with CVT transmissions. Apparently the transmission fluid heats up, boils, and foams. The foam triggers a sensor that cuts power to the engine. Once the fluid's temperature decreases the car performs as it should.
We have visited the dealership and even have a case number with Nissan consumer affairs. After many appointments and phone calls, the only action taken was decreasing the level of transmission fluid. This action was approved by Nissan. This has worked a little but the issue still occasionally persists. For the record, neither my wife nor I are expecting this to drive like a race car. We'd just like it work correctly. I know Nissan has extended the warranty on this and many CVT transmissions.
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Ok, so I started the car this morning and there was a whining sound that sounds like winding of gears, It changed in pitch along with RPMs and when the car was in neutral (it's a stick) and the clutch not engaged, it was still there with pitch appropriate for idle RMPs. Later, when the car warmed up, the whine disappeared.
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I have a 98 Nissan Sentra every now and then when I get in it to start it I get nothing but if I hold it or turn it to the off position a few times it will start, what this could be....
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I have a 2005 Nissan Sentra with 74,000 miles on it, and it has had trouble starting for 2 or 3 years. When it started, I would turn the key and the car would almost, but not quite, start, and simply turning it off and trying again would work immediately. I had the battery replaced and the spark plugs at ~50,000 miles to no avail. About a month ago, I started my car and it had a really rough idle for about 15 - 30 seconds and the check engine light came on (registered an emission issue), but it ran fine. I had to get a routine oil change and emissions test anyway and they checked the spark plugs as a first measure. They all had some wear, but one was almost worn down to nothing, which the mechanic said was a result of the spark plugs (autolites?) so they replaced them with the Nissan recommended NGK kind. The next day my car didn't start the first immediately, but on second try worked. A week later I noticed my car sometimes rumbling on idle right after start again, so they replaced the fuel filter and the fuel pump. Didn't work, I still have a rumble about 30% of the time when I start, and just two days ago the check engine light came back on (I haven't had time to get it diagnosed yet). Without knowing much about cars, it feels like the engine isn't getting enough fuel or something. Could it be dirty/clogged fuel injectors? Should I be worried that my spark plugs were worn down after just 25,000 miles?
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The timing chain on my 94 Nissan Sentra XE 1.6L has jumped. The car will not start and when you do try and start it just lopes and then sounds like it wants to start and goes back to loping. BTW, it has 249K on it. I have removed the front cam shaft cover. The chain is intact and looks good, but can be depressed with the finger. Upon closer inspection the chain has cut a very noticeable groove into the tensioner. There is also a noticeable groove in the upper chain guide. The question here is, can I just replace the tensioner and the guides (there are two of them), without changing out the chain. One other question I have is there a possibility that I could have damaged a valve after trying to trying to start the car with the jumped chain. Someone told my that this possible, but I have also read on the NIssan Forums that damaging/bending a valve would occur only if the chain had actually broke and I tried to start it or manually (by hand) advancing the crankshaft will attempt to get to TDC?
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I have a 99 Nissan Sentra. It does not start when parked under the sun or when the weather is hot. It starts great in the morning when it is cool. The battery is new. When the car does not start, the lights come on OK (engine check light et al.), but there is no sound, no clicking ( that I can hear), no nothing happens. I heard from a mechanic that I need to change the distributor; another said that it is the starter.
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I have Nissan Sentra 2005 1.8S. I was on the road this week and stop at the gas station to get gas and after that, the car won't just start. All the indicators at the dashboard lights up, horn is working, battery is new and alternator is working. But there was no click sound, the car just start for me so I have to get it towed.
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My Nissan sentra will start on the coldest day, but now that it's getting warmer it sometimes won't start! Turn the key and I have power to everything, but engage the starter and nothing! Not even a click! Try and try and eventually it starts. What could cause this??
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I own a 1993 Nissan Sentra (2 Dr, SE, red:-). I've owned it for 17 years and has been a fantastic car. until March of this year when I had to replace the transmission at odometer reading of 121,xxx. Everything has been fine up until about a month ago when I returned to my car after working out at the gym...and it refused to start. No clicking, no hemming or hawwing, just nothing. The lights worked, the seat belt alarm worked, all dashboard lights worked. But absolutely no connection to anything. I tried moving the steering wheel, juggled the key, etc. but nothing.
So I called a tow truck. Thirty minutes later, he arrived, sat down in my driver's seat and magically, it started with no problems. It has happened again only once since that time, but I can never trust that she will start when I need to go to work, etc. I took it to a garage..they told me that they couldn't fix it or find anything wrong unless it was "in the throes" of not working. ...which is ridiculous because it could very possibly not start, have it towed, arrive at the garage, and she might start right up.
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My girlfriend's 2000 Nissan Sentra has about 130k on it. The car has a lot of issues to say the least. The catalytic converter needs to be replaced, the car barely passed inspection, and it periodically stalls out at stop lights and in traffic. Those issues aside, the car has been running well until this week. On monday, the car suddenly died when stopped at a light and the ABS and other lights all went on. Now the car only starts with a jump and will not stay running if the jumper cables are disconnected. Additionally, all of the electronics in the car are nor working. The radio will not work and the windows and power locks barely work.
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I have a 1996 Nissan Sentra GXE 1.6L automatic. It fails to start intermittently. It does not matter if the engine is hot or cold. It does not turn over and it seems the whole car has lost power (no engine warning lights, no power locks, etc).
I have taken the battery to be tested and it comes out "good." Once I put the battery back in, the car starts and power is restored to the entire car. The starter (1-month-old) and alternator (1-year-old) test out good also. I changed the inhibitor relay, but the problem occurred again 2 weeks later.
I also noticed one time when I attempted to jump the car with the negative jumper cable attached to the engine block of the dead car or to the negative battery terminal of the dead car, the car would just click (as though attempting to turn over). However, when I connected the jumper cable to the exposed part of the dead car's negative battery cable (right next to the battery cable connector), it starts.
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I have a 1993 Sentra XE 1.6 / Automatic, and having problems starting it.(Once in a while).. When I try starting, I turn the ignition all the way to start but there's no response. All the light on the dashboard panel is all lit up but nothing happens, no sound at all. I've changed the Neutral switch, the Starter, and Ignition relay(Grey square) which is located at the fuse box engine side.... sometimes it will start and the car runs fine...smooth as a whistle... then when I re-start it again, the same problem occurs...I have to wait for about an hour or so, then when I try starting it again, it will start... I'm afraid to drive the car on a long trip, I'm afraid it might not start at all.. What to do next.. by the way, the car battery is good...
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I have a 1993 Sentra XE 1.6 Lit. Automatic and having problems starting it.(Once in a while).. When I try starting, I turn the ignition all the way to start but there's no response. All the light on the dashboard panel is all lit up but nothing happens, no sound at all. I've changed the Neutral switch, the Starter, and Ignition relay(Grey square) which is located at the fuse box engine side.... sometimes it will start and the car runs fine...smooth as a whistle... then when I re-start it again, the same problem occurs...I have to wait for about an hour or so, then when I try starting it again, it will start...I'm confused and it's driving me crazy. I'm afraid to drive the car on a long trip, I'm afraid it might not start at all.. What to do next.. by the way, the car battery is good...
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The car has 96xxx miles and doesn't like to turn over when it sits for more than about 6 hours, it is worse the colder it is. Once the car starts it will fire right up every time you start it as long as it doesn't sit for more than about 6 hours. It doesn't make any strange noises while starting just the normal vum vum vum vum VUM vum vum VUM VUM vum vum etc until it finally catches. I should also add that upon starting (and this only happens when it hard starts) it will idle at around 1500rpm while in the park. The shift to reverse it drops to about 1000, shift back to park it goes back to 1500. I have already replaced the fuel pump, 02 sensors, MAF, and the camshaft position sensor. I took it to a shop once, they could not figure out the problem but claimed it was a common problem with Nissans of that period and if I primed the fuel pump by turning the key to the ACC point for about a minute and pressing the gas a little bit when I tried to start it that it would start. That does not work.
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I have a 2002 Nissan Sentra has great difficulty starting first thing in the morning if it has not been driven for a day or two. Once I finally get it started, it runs fine all day. My mechanic has finally traced the problem, after keeping the car over the weekend. He says 3 or the 4 injectors have very tiny leaks and so a few drops of gas are leaking into wherever. They put something in the injectors they thought might solve the problem, but I won't know until I leave it for several days and then need to start it.
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