V35 Help!

[YoungMoney]

Hey guys,

My sincere apologies if this has been covered but its more for personal advice anyway.

The Check Engine light on my 2001 V35 250GT came on and went to my mechanic who scanned it and came up with a problem with the Cam Sensor and apparently after looking into more he found that the Timing Chain was stretching, i haven't heard of this before to be honest and wanted to see if anyone else had. My mechanic seems to think to fix it all, would be upwards of $3000 as the whole front end would need replacing (Sensors, Belts, Chain) ETC, it still drives perfectly however, so im considering just driving it into the ground.

However in saying this I really just want to get rid of the car and thought id see what people think, am i better of selling as or trading it in and of course advising of the problem with the engine and seeing what i can get or just selling for the whole thing for parts, not sure if many people want parts for these particular cars though?

Any advise would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Jay

[scotty nm35]

Good chance it's just a faulty cam sensor if the engine is running fine, You would expect to have some noise if the chain is stretched, or a guide broken.

[YoungMoney]

Thanks for the reply mate.

In the morning when the car is cold, its make some noise but don't know if its the engine or the car just warming up because it stops after 10 mins of driving or if its warm in the morning it wont do it at all.

Any idea on what the Cam Sensors are to replace?

[Chris Rogers]

Parallel problem with the cube engines , they had similar issues and the car would report cam sensors faults. Turns out the tensioner and everything in line needed doing. It was more prominent with high mileage vehicles. You mechanic may be right.

If the idea of getting rid of it is on the cards trade it.

[scotty nm35]

Thanks for the reply mate.

In the morning when the car is cold, its make some noise but don't know if its the engine or the car just warming up because it stops after 10 mins of driving or if its warm in the morning it wont do it at all.

Any idea on what the Cam Sensors are to replace?

Sounds like it has the wrong oil grade in it, I have heard it many times with thin oils the mechs try and use, as Commos use 5w30 just fine. If you drop the oil and put a decent 10w40 like it should have, the noise may just go away.

Cam sensors are around $150- $200 from Nissan. I have had to replace many of these sensors over the years, some just die, some keep throwing faults occasionally. Make sure you change the right one... Or both.

At least you can do those yourself and rule out the basics. Anything else may require you to take it to a competent mechanic.

Parallel problem with the cube engines , they had similar issues and the car would report cam sensors faults. Turns out the tensioner and everything in line needed doing. It was more prominent with high mileage vehicles. You mechanic may be right.

If the idea of getting rid of it is on the cards trade it.

Parallel problem with stupid people making up stupid comparisons Chris. There is either a faulty part/parts which may need replacing, or the problem is otherwise an easy fix. I have cheaply repaired many of these 'cam chain' faults when their previous mech has usually suggested the chains are stretched, and it will cost 5k plus to repair apparently.(not a bad quote considering they haven't usually looked inside the engine at all, and probably have no idea what a VQ chain assembly looks like.)

I have never seen a 'stretched' chain on any motor, not to say it can't happen with a high Km poorly serviced engine. It is more likely either a chain tensioner or guide, the EVCT actuator, a faulty cam sensor or simply the wrong grade of oil. It can be hard to repair if you can't find a decent mech with VQ experience though, as most will charge you through the nose to diagnose the fault and learn the engine.

Ditch the car? Best advice I have heard for repairs yet. Thanks for helping mate.

[ChrisB]

^^^^^^^ Scotty speaks the truth.

I was quoted in the region of $3,500 to fix a timing chain ticking sound in my Stagea.

The mechanic happened to have a spare engine which he wanted $2,500 for as an exchange motor + $1,000 to fit.

Scotty fixed the issue in about 2 hours and from memory it cost less than $200.

Change your oil to a high quality full synthetic 10W40 and change the sensors if needed.

[sonicii]

I have always run 5W-30 as per the manufacturer spec without any issues, why is this not the correct grade of oil?

If the noise only occurs with a cold engine, wouldn't a thicker oil make the issue worse?

[YoungMoney]

thanks for the help fellas, the noisy engine always happens when the car starts up, i drive it for 5 minutes and then it goes away, might try the oil change idea.

[scotty nm35]

I have always run 5W-30 as per the manufacturer spec without any issues, why is this not the correct grade of oil?

If the noise only occurs with a cold engine, wouldn't a thicker oil make the issue worse?

You have a different engine though, don't you. Your cams are hydraulically actuated not an electronically controlled clutch like the VQ25. Also, the VQ35 doesn't have a high pressure fuel pump hanging off the exhaust cam.

Perhaps our average temperatures are higher than Japan? I know they suggest a few grades depending on average local temps.

Or perhaps it's just from doing 100's of services on VQ25's and simply learning what feels best for them here, with the least valve train noise. Only offering my wisdom here as usual Greg, your choice if you listen or not.

[sonicii]

You have a different engine though, don't you. Your cams are hydraulically actuated not an electronically controlled clutch like the VQ25. Also, the VQ35 doesn't have a high pressure fuel pump hanging off the exhaust cam.

Oh, sorry, I thought you were talking about the VQ in general. The VQ35 manual recommends 5W-30. same as it does for the VQ35 engine in the locally delivered Maxima. But our climate also fits well in the 10W-40 bracket.

[INSANITI]

do you guys recommend some oil additive to make the engine sound quieter? (Lubro Moly MoS2 Anti Friction Engine Treatment Oil Additive 300ml)

[sonicii]

I would never recommend any engine oil 'additive'.. the oil manufacturer generally spends a few $$ on R&D to get their oil right, you don't want to mess that up with some additional chemical that the manufacturer didn't intend.