# 95 Altima- tie-rods, loud noise- worth fixing?



## melisa (Oct 20, 2005)

Hi,
I recently bought a 95 Altima for $700. It's got 153,000 and runs ok except it shakes over 65mph (The prevous owner hit a wall with it) and is now making a loud noise coming from the front end. Took it to a local mechanic & he said it needed new tie-rods ($500) and that he thinks a bad bearing on a belt pulley system is making the loud noise. Is it worth putting $500+ (also need to replace balding tires ) into this or should I just cut my losses & try to sell it? Thank you! Melisa


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## skootz1 (Oct 12, 2005)

Well here is what Kelly blue book had to say. If its in this condition, i would say do not put more then what it is worth unless you plan on keeping it.

1995 Nissan Altima GXE Sedan 4D

Engine: 4-Cyl. 2.4 Liter
Trans: Automatic
Drive: FWD
Mileage: 153,000

Equipment 
Air Conditioning
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Tilt Wheel
AM/FM Stereo
Dual Front Air Bags

Consumer Rated Condition: Fair 
"Fair" condition means that the vehicle has some mechanical or cosmetic defects and needs servicing but is still in reasonable running condition. This vehicle has a clean title history , the paint, body and/or interior need work performed by a professional. The tires may need to be replaced. There may be some repairable rust damage.

Private Party Value Search Local Listings | List This Car for Sale *$1,625 * 
Private Party Value is what a buyer can expect to pay when buying a used car from a private party. The Private Party Value assumes the vehicle is sold "As Is" and carries no warranty (other than the continuing factory warranty). The final sale price may vary depending on the vehicle's actual condition and local market conditions. This value may also be used to derive Fair Market Value for insurance and vehicle donation purposes.


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## jserrano (Oct 27, 2004)

If the steering wheel shakes at 65 mph then the tires need to get balanced. That is cheap to do. I had that problem and couldn't get it fixed no matter who did the tire balancing. I finally got it fixed after replacing all four tires with a new set of bigger Potenza tires from Tire Plus. My theory is that the older, but good tires, were plugged too many times for flat tires and this caused the problem.

If the front noise is high in pitch then it could be coming from a bad bearing in the AC idler pulley. If low in pitch, then it could be coming from the timing chain guides. There is a technical service bulletin that explains how to the repairs.

Whether you want to keep the car is up to you. All I can tell you is that for about a 10 year old car, expect to start fixing or replacing a whole bunch of stuff that fails during normal use; starter, alternator, exhaust pipes, muffler, O2 sensor, etc.


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## melisa (Oct 20, 2005)

Thanks for the feedback. I took the car to Sears for the free front end check and they said I need 4 new tires & balancing and that the right tie-rod is loose & needs to be replaced. I took it to another guy (Sears couldn't check the bearing problem) and he said that it is a bearing on the belt making the noise- either the A/C or the water pump. I think that I am going to keep this car and get it fixed, starting with the tires and balancing. I appreciate your input because it really helped me make this decision. I'll let you know how it goes! Melisa


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

The noise can be isolated by taking either of the belts off and then running the engine or just by taking the belts off and turning the idler pulleys for both.

Definitely worth fixing.

Troy


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