# A/C Related Noise ???



## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

OK, Well i've touched on this subject in previous posts, but so far have had no pointers, but the problem is getting worse, so if any of u people can help it would be really good. 

Ok, so i bought a 2001 xtrail se+ last march, and when i first got it i noticed an intimitant noise with the air conditioning. Very occasionally, i get a noise that sounds like a fan is catching on something when the a/c is on, i get it most often when the quick demist function is in use, i took it back to the dealership and they could'nt find the cause( mainly as they could'nt make noise occur), since then i have been back with it another 7 times, and still no diagnosis, they've tried everything they can think of, but nothing has been found, and the still have not heard the noise. The only person that has heard it, is a nissan mechanic in austria, and he said it was caused by something behind the glove box area, but was unable to book it in, in the time i was there. At first it only stopped by turning the a/c off, but lately as you increase the fan to full pped, it speeds up and then stops when you turn it to minimum speed, usually starting again soon afterwards

Everryone is scratching there heads, this problem is getting really frustrating, other than this my x-trail is great, but the longer it goes on the worse it gets, on some occaisions the windows will take 15+mins to demist, the fan on full heat blows out cold air, the other day when i turned the ignition on in the morning the car vibrated violently until i turned the a/c off, and last weekend as i pulled up the car started losing power and after i turned the engine off an unusual tapping noise came from the right hand side of the engine. 

All these things are really shaking my confidence, i've cancelled a couple of long jouneys i've had to make recently due to worries, I've contacted nissan uk, and all they can suggest is try taking it to another dealeship, but the only one within a reasonable distance, won't return my calls!

Has anyone else suffered anything similar, or have any idea of what could cause these problems. I really need some help with this, my warranty is running out and i'm worried it could be causing long term damage.

please let me know if anyone has any solutions, or advice! thanks


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## LEONGSTER (Apr 9, 2006)

There is a good chance it may be something catching on your heater/aircon fan. Possibly part of the in-cabin airfilter that may be rubbing against it. Maybe even a loose wire. I suspect that the foam strips that are part of the cabin filter have decomposed and fallen into the fan.

Easy enough to find out: 

On right-hand drive models, it's located under the passenger side footwell and you'll need to remove the lower glovebox to access it. Safety note: Take precautions by disconnecting the battery and air-bag module first!

Jalal (AussieTrail) has a detailed thread on how to access the cabin airfilter on his site, but you can look for it in this forum I think.


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## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

Thanks, i'll have a look when the light is better, the dealership have spent some time looking in this area, so i hope that they should have found anything like that, but worth a try. 

Surely this would'nt cause the heavy enging throbbing i get sometimes whilst the a/c is in use?


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

I suspect you have 2 issues to deal with, one is the possibility of something stuck either in the duct leading to the fan or in the fan itself and the second issue is that your idle not working properly and not adjusting the rpm when the a/c is in use. Usually when you turn on the a/c the idle goes up a bit (normally it is 900rpm and with the a/c it goes up to 1,100rpm on idle)

Ask the dealer to adjust the idle if this is the case.


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## LB4680 (Jan 14, 2007)

I had a 2003 Xtrail that made same sort of noise. After a visit to the dealer the A/C fan was replaced. I believe it could of been excessive fan shaft end float.


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## LB4680 (Jan 14, 2007)

LB4680 said:


> I had a 2003 Xtrail that made same sort of noise. After a visit to the dealer the A/C fan was replaced. I believe it could of been excessive fan shaft end float.
> I forgot to add my noise only done it on 2 of the fan speeds


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## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

The dealer is calling me this week when they get some kind of dye in stock to test something in the air conditioning, i think somebody else said that the liquid in the a/c can go hard if its not used enough, don't know if that makes sense.

keep the responses coming, i want to take the dealership a list of possibles so i can make sure they have tried everything!


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## LEONGSTER (Apr 9, 2006)

LB4680 said:


> I believe it could of been excessive fan shaft end float.


You may be right - the A/C fan is mounted vertically after all. Another possible problem area is the spring clips that are used to balance the blades - these can slip off easily and throw the fan off-balance.


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## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

where is the main a/c fan located and is it easily accesible to a novice?

cheers


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

MARKTHEEVILDUDE said:


> where is the main a/c fan located and is it easily accesible to a novice?
> 
> cheers


The main a/c fan is located straight behind the passenger side glovebox.

Follo the Mircrofilter Installation DIY Guide found under the "Technical" section of the Australian X-Trail Forum and you'll get to check the operation of the fan and the state of your cabin filter (microfilter) if you have one fitted there.

I suggest you turn on the a/c and listen to the fan while the a/c is working.


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## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

well my dealership still havn't managed to get the dye in yet, so i'm still waiting on that before investigating more. I was speaking with a mechanic the other day and and he said that the problem could be linked with the compressor. i will see!

I've found out that i'm gonna hae to replace the exhaust as the cat converter has gone, Being new to the xtrail world, how much is that likely to cost? Has anyone from the uk got any ideas on the best place in price/service to get it done at? or anywhere they think i should avoid?


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

MARKTHEEVILDUDE said:


> I've found out that i'm gonna hae to replace the exhaust as the cat converter has gone, Being new to the xtrail world, how much is that likely to cost? Has anyone from the uk got any ideas on the best place in price/service to get it done at? or anywhere they think i should avoid?


Mate, what do you mean by "gone"?

If it’s really gone or disintegrated, then I'd be very worried about the flakes of it finding their way to the engine and replacing the exhaust will be the last of my worries.

Furthermore, there was an official Nissan recall about the cat. converter going bust (aka disintegrating) so this should be covered by that recall, even if the car is no longer under factory warranty.

The cat converter, depending if your exy came with one or two cat. converters, is part of the manifold (the second cat is under the car on the newer models) so to replace it, the whole manifold needs to be replaced and its NOT cheap at all.

Who diagnosed your cat. converter as "gone"?


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## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

I went to my local exhaust replacement garage and they had a look at the exhaust and after having a look around, they showed me the bulge in the centre of the exhaust and said that is where the cat is and that it seems to have blown through and gone into the back box of the exhaust, if u move both sections u can here something rattling inside, the guy showed me some meshy stuff that he said was the same as the stuff that had come loose. I went in coz the car had been losing power a bit and the was a weird smell from the exhaust and on my last dealership service they had said keep an i on the rear part of the exhaust as it may need replacing before the next service.

I'm sad to say i have no idea on this stuff and thats why i'm here, does this sound right?


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

It does sound right and you have 2 catalytic converters and the second one under the car is the cat. converter that went bust. While the flakes of this cat. will mostly blow away from the engine and into the muffler as you have been shown, there is still a chance of these flakes finding their way into the engine itself and this could be where the loss of power was felt.

I suggest you take it to the dealer as soon as possible so they check the engine itself and make sure that none of these ceramic flakes found their way into the engine.

This is a warranty job under the global recall that was announced for cat. converters (I will put a link to the global recall later when I find it, if someone doesn't beat me to it) and you need to argue your case if the dealer is trying to make you pay for this defect.

EDIT: I have posted the official recall about this in the forum previously. Just do a search on "Catalytic Converter Breakage"


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## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

is the recall for the cat converter itself or damage that may have been caused coz of the fault? when was the recall sent out? i got the car under nissan uk used warranty last march, and the dealership have had in in several times since then. So i'm not sure why they havn't picked up on it if this is the fault. The guy at the exhaust garage said that the problem isn't an urgent one, i take it from ur wording that this is not the case! 
I'm gonna speak to the dealership tommorow, so if anyone can get me a link to it before then, that will be great.

thanks for ur help


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

The recall is for the cat. converter itself indeed, it was carried out in 2005 (in Australia) Nissan UK will and should have a record of your xtrail undergoing this recall if it was ever announced and/or implemented in the UK. You just need to give them the VIN Number and they can tell if it was affected by the recall or not. All affected xtrails have been notified to each dealer worldwide through Nissan Japan.

The problem is indeed an URGENT one and if left un-attended to for longer than it should, it could eventually lead to a great engine damage and consequently failure of the engine, as the ceramic flakes will damage the pistons.

The link to the recall is posted in this forum, just do a search for it and you'll find it.


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## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

i searched for the thread on it, gave me a lot of info, but the only link i found gave info on the navara, not the xtrail,the only recall i could find on the xtrail was about the fuel filler, which i have already had done, i can't find info on any other sites(uk, global, oz etc). I don't know if the recall has been released in the uk, i can't imagine they would risk a loss in the uk, but not over there. I'll keep looking and if not i'll call nisssan uk tom and find out whats happening. my xtrail was the first showroom demostrater my dealership got in 2001, its the original model, so i guess it must be a series 1. its the 2.ol petrol version, i don't know if u have that model in australia and whether uk components may differ(different engine maybe).

Along with the a/c issue, i'm getting real headaches with this car, i seem to spend my whole live on the phone to nissan uk or the dealeship. i hope it gets better!


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

It seems that Nissan Australia have wiped-out all of the previous recall history for the xtrail and that is why the original recall link for the xtrail is now pointing at the navara recall which has nothing to do with it.

Luckily the Cat. Converter recall is still listed on THIS Australian goverment site.

Details of the recall in Australia as follows:


15th of April, 2005 

Recall Campaigns P5203 & P5206 

Catalytic Converter & O2 Sensor Breakage 

Affected X-Trails by their VIN range: 

The VINs of the Affected Vehicles within the following ranges: 
P5203: JN1TBNT30A0 014793 to JN1TBNT30A0 024706 
P5206: JN1TBNT30A0 000006 to JN1TBNT30A0 017012 

I have looked for this recall in the UK but it seems you guys did not get it.

HERE is the official UK recalls for the exy.

The fault you're experiencing is exactly the symptoms and defect that Nissan Australia described and carried-out a recall for in Australia and it did affect the Series I xtrails (not series II)

Not having an official recall in the UK for this defect does NOT mean that it won't happen to your xtrail and I am currently fighting exactly the same battle trying to convince Nissan Australia that the "Loose Butterfly Screws" Nth American recall for the Sentra Spec-V does indeed affect the xtrails, as we've had 5 (FIVE) confirmed cases in Australia of this defect taking place to their xtrails, ALL of which had their engine replaced!

So mate, my advise to you is to gather as much detail and documentation as possible and get Nissan UK to admit that the fault you're now experiencing is indeed exactly the same defect Nissan Australia has issued a recall for (as a directive from Nissan Japan)

Your exy being a 2LT would not change the situation as the cat. converter will be exactly the same compared to our 2.5LT Petrol version.


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## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

cheers for ur advice, i've been searching non stop since my last post and have found some of the bits that u've found, so i'll put them all together and see what nissan uk think, surely if its a global recall then it should be covered. But i will see, i found another thread on the subject with someone complaining of a sulpher like smell and thats exactly what i have. God knows what the cat etc would cost to replace anyway, so i'm glad u've mentioned this, it gives me hope!

Its just frustrating that if i get thru to nissan uk, then i'll still have to face been messed around by my dealership who maintain that there not controlled by nissan uk! what a mess. well looks like monday will be a busy day! 

Other than the previously mentioned a/c problem the exy is great, and i'm looking forward to putting my own personnel touch into it more at a later date, i'm sure i'll ask more questions then!

If u come across anymore info, let me know

once again, thanks for the advice


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## LEONGSTER (Apr 9, 2006)

MARKTHEDEVILDUDE, I don't mean to confuse things here cos Jalal's giving you good advice.

I do think though, that you need to draft a list of the problems you're having with the XTY, then work out which problems can be fixed by your dealer, and which can be fixed by Nissan UK.

In ascending order of importance I'd hazard the following:

1) AC related problem: The dye test your dealer mentioned is probably to test for leaks. They pump it in your system, shine a special light into your engine bay (or cabin) and detect the leak from there. It's also used to detect leaks in the engine intake. (Common, on the QR20/25DE engines)

To be honest if your airconditioning has stayed cold over long periods of driving (check the refrigerant pipe in the engine bay when it's running) and the compressor hasn't been cycling on and off continuously (a sign there isn't enough refrigerant) the AC plumbing is probably fine. 

Which means the problem may be mechanical - a worn water pump, or rusted magnetic compressor clutch perhaps, or worn idle or belt tensioner bearing somewhere. May be as simple as a worn drive belt. Or as complicated as a worn timing chain/tensioner. 

You could buy a cheap engine stethoscope to detect the source (but only if you're a good DIY type as you may risk losing a finger to a moving part!)

2) AC fan related noise: Most of the likely causes have already been posted on this thread. Chances are your cabin filter is probably HAZMAT by now.

3) Faulty catalytic converter: This should be fixed under Nissan's recall program. 

It is your legal right to claim damages from Nissan if they refuse to fix what was a defective engine part. There is no such thing as an expiry date on a re-call.

If yours is the MK I and the rear cat is affected only, then the engine is probably fine (so far), and a simple compression test will determine if the pistons and cylinders are still okay. That stinky sulphur smell is highly TOXIC though, so please stop smelling your tailpipe.

I) The Dealer - it's probably best to deal with the service manager face-to-face or on the phone. With gentle pursuasion and a smile, they ought to make good. 

II) UK Nissan, it's best that you write formally to them with the Recall Notice details attentioning the customer service department. They'll probably assign a workshop in your area to fix the problem.

Hang in there dude - your XTY will remember you for all the kind things you've done to it and pay you back with miles of great motoring.


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## MARKTHEEVILDUDE (Nov 23, 2006)

ok, so i have been to the dealership this afternoon and they have put the dye in the engine as they said they would, they also checked the cat and exhaust, we were all quite exicted that finally one of the faults on the car would be sorted. Unfortunatly(or prehaps not) they conducted an emissions test to check the cat and it came out perfect, even better than they said the car would be. 

So now i am back to sqaure one, surely theres no reason they would lie about this, esp if its covered under warranty like they said!

the emissions were: description min limit max limit actual value
fast idle test 
1/min rpm 2500 3000
%vol co 0.200 0.035
ppm vol hc 200 1
lambda 0.970 1.030 0.999
natural idle test 
1/min rpm 450 1500
% vol co 0.300 0.018

this kinda thing makes no sense to me, but does that sound about right?

As far as nissan uk and the recall are concerned, they have never heard of it, and are only looking into it now because i said 'if there was a global recall, then xtrail owners should have been informed, and that i would pass the infomation on to the vehicle and operators standards agency. Then the person agreed to look into it. what a joke.

If anyone has any other ideas then let me know, otherwise i just have to wait and see what happens with the dye and draw closer to the end of my nissan warranty. They mentioned swapping vehicles again, with a used xt coming in soon, but i know it will be no where near as nice as mine in style.

whilst i was there they got there first qashqai in, it does'nt actually look to bad!


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