# 98 Altima Rattling/Surging



## jshrop (Aug 13, 2010)

I need some help diagnosing my 98. There is a rattle coming from the top left (timing chain) side of the motor and the engine surges around 1000 rpm, but stops surging after about 1800 or so. Here is a (trying to be) short history:
I had a leak in the power steering that I used some Lucas stop leak on, and it stopped leaking, about 6 months ago. Within the last month, there was a rattle near the accessories, but I couldn't narrow it down right away. I took the main belt off, and the idler pulley had a lot of play in it, so I took it off, and the bearing was pretty noisy, so I replaced it, but once I got it back together, the rattle was still there. I thought maybe the stop leak on the power steering pump had gummed up something, so I tried to drain as much fluid as I could, and ran the motor a second to try to pump out any clogs. Once I refilled the reservoir and put the hoses back on, the noise went away, and I thoght I was good. 

Gradually a little rattle came back. Now the car sat for 4 days, and I came back to it and it is still making the same rattle, but now it surges as I mentioned above. When you start to accelerate in drive, it's just a dog, and barely seems to get going, until you get up into like 3rd gear, or at the top end of 2nd gear (automatic tranny). 

Today, I took off the belt again, and ran the motor for a minute, and it still surges, and makes the noise, so I'm sure that it's not any accessories, or pulleys making the noise. Does anyone have any suggestions for things to check on the surging, and if you think the rattle and surging are related?

If anyone has any ideas about what I can check, please let me know, I would greatly appreciate it. I don't have a shop that I use that I know for sure I can trust, but that will be my next move if I can't figure anthing out.


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