# A new noise!! Rumbly exhaust kinda sound...



## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

So my little bus has been making a noise that we think is coming from the front half, underneath. It is not noticeable at slow speeds, only 70 km and up. We thought it may be a leak in the exhaust system but our mechanic looked at it, and could find no leaks. We did not have it road tested that day as it was too cold and I had not booked enough time anyway. He did mention other components in the exhaust system that may be responsible. It is kinda rumbly and even my deaf hubby can hear it, haha! I did have the muffler replaced in July, 2015. Any ideas?


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi Molly,
There are a few sections to the exhaust, could be a flange or connection. Cant tell from here. Hopefully nothing too dire.


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

Well, the noise seemed to subside a bit but for the last few trips, the noise now sounds like a really loud hum, that gets louder the faster you go. A slightly fluctuating sound. My hubby, who as I mentioned is pretty deaf and wears hearing aids, really noticed it, too, and said I should take it in to the mechanic again...It sounds kinda like an airplane flying overhead, for lack of a better description. When parked, and idling, it sounds normal, and when I rev the engine, it just sounds fine. What could it be?? It is really annoying!! Help! 

I plan to get the mechanic to test drive it, with me in it, and maybe he can figger it out! It can't be my tires, as I bought those last summer, and I hardly even noticed the slight increase in road noise. Sigh...


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

I had a pontiac sunfire back in 2003 and at the end of the winter it started to do the same thing. I thought maybe it was the winter tires, so i did a couple of burns in a parking lot. Nothing changed and it was like a Boeing 747 on the freeway. 
Finally it was the wheel bearing. 

Even driving slowly and swirling a bit you should hear it.

HO MALA?
Acarta pà grota


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

I googled "my car sounds like an airplane", and there are a lot of references to wheel bearings being the cause...anyway, not sure how many pesos that would be, but hope to find out soon!!


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## MikeHJ (Mar 7, 2017)

molly said:


> I googled "my car sounds like an airplane", and there are a lot of references to wheel bearings being the cause...anyway, not sure how many pesos that would be, but hope to find out soon!!


Sadly, "rumbly" sounds that only happen when the car is moving and change only with vehicle speed tend to be bearings. Sometimes, you can get a change in sound by turning tightly one way or another. "Tightly" meaning that you get a bit of body roll so that you know you are adding or subtracting weight on one side or the other. The thing about "wheel" type noises is that they reverberate through the drive train, making it really hard to pinpoint them from the drivers seat

A mechanic will put it on a hoist and get the weight off the wheels. They'll grab each tire and give it a good hard wiggle. If there is any play, then it is probably bearings.

It could still be other things like brakes or CV joints, but they tend to "chirp" or click rather than rumble continuously.

I'm guessing from your Alberta location that you have a 2005 or 2006. After 10/11 years and 160+km, bearings aren't an unusual repair.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

I agree with the others, its a wheel bearing. And MikeHJ, Molly has over 340,000 kms on hers, I kind of doubt they were never changed before she bought it. Have had mine for 6 and half years and driven 123,000 kms in that time (182,000 on odometer), and have replaced both rears twice and the front ones once.


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

quadraria10 said:


> I agree with the others, its a wheel bearing. And MikeHJ, Molly has over 340,000 kms on hers, I kind of doubt they were never changed before she bought it. Have had mine for 6 and half years and driven 123,000 kms in that time (182,000 on odometer), and have replaced both rears twice and the front ones once.


Haha! Now about 358K...yikes! I reviewed the service records I got with this and can find no reference to wheel bearings at all! Now, there are some missing entries, so maybe they were done...I don't have to get them done in pairs, do I?? How much time and how much does this typically cost, assuming this is the issue?


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## MikeHJ (Mar 7, 2017)

Wheel bearings are typically 2 hours labor & the part, probably $250-$300 depending on what your mechanic charges per hour. Although I don't know if the book rate is significantly different for X Trails.

You don't have to do them in pairs, but if one side goes then it isn't unusual for the other go soon after. It's not like they're connected where changing one will add undue stress to the other causing it to fail early. It's just they're a part that wears out, so if one side wears out, then the other is probably nearing the end as well. I usually only change the bad one and hope for the best; sometimes I get more than a year, sometimes I only get a month.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

MikeHJ is exactly right. Also, that would be amazing if they have never been replaced before. Which reminds me, what was the outcome of your timing belt noise?


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

quadraria10 said:


> MikeHJ is exactly right. Also, that would be amazing if they have never been replaced before. Which reminds me, what was the outcome of your timing belt noise?


Regarding the timing chain noise, we had agreed to wait for a while as the noise was so slight and so random, he felt it would be OK to wait. It has to stay overnight for the silicone to dry (no gasket!?) and he hoped no more than a couple hours labour, and hopefully no parts... Obviously, this new problem sounds much more important! Hubby doesn't want me to drive it if I don't have to...what would happen? Would my wheel fall off? Stay tuned!

Oh, and thanks for the comments...you guys are usually right!


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

*Yep...It is a wheel bearing!*

So as I was going to the garage, I listened a bit more carefully and felt that the sound was coming more from the right front. And, that is what he found...the right front bearing is going. There was no play in the wheel, but he did some maneuvers that supported the theory, as well as he heard the "bi-plane sound" and said sound like that is usually a definite symptom of that problem. So I left it there and he is ordering a new one at $71.00, and thought no less than a couple hours labour. He thought the others sounded OK so far, but at least I know what to listen for. He told me what can happen if nothing is done, so obviously I don't want to get into a wreck, haha!! Anyway, I'll let you know how it is tomorrow when I pick it up...


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi Molly
Its better to not neglect it and have it done sooner rather than later. I doubt yours was at the point your safety was at risk, but there are people who ignore these things. You will enjoy the quiet of the new one.


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

hello Molly from Vancouver! what were your options (if any) when you had your muffler changed? My 06 Xtrail muffler is in decent shape, but i asked a few shops here for a ''sport'' muffler option and they pretty much tell me there are none for our trucks. I know a few people have installed Magnaflow muffler ( great muffler..had one on my last honda civic...but too pricey)....did you end up replacing yours with stock ? how much was it?


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

OK! It cost me $262.50, and it is MUCH quieter!! 

As to my muffler, I just got a regular one; it cost $222.00 for the part... I don't need any of that fancy stuff on there!


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## chadn (Jan 28, 2010)

molly said:


> OK! It cost me $262.50, and it is MUCH quieter!!


That sounds pretty reasonable. Which shop/mechanic have you been going to?


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

chadn said:


> That sounds pretty reasonable. Which shop/mechanic have you been going to?



This one is GCS Automotive in Nanton. His name is Grant.... very trustworthy so far, and never tries to get me to spend any money I don't have to...The other guy I see, but who doesn't offer as much (more of a country mechanic), is Gary Fox, west of Nanton. Same thing...always tries to save you money and doesn't want to get you to buy stuff you don't need! I wish we had found these guys back when I had my RAV4...would have saved a lot of money since then!


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## MikeHJ (Mar 7, 2017)

molly said:


> This one is GCS Automotive in Nanton. His name is Grant.... very trustworthy so far, and never tries to get me to spend any money I don't have to...The other guy I see, but who doesn't offer as much (more of a country mechanic), is Gary Fox, west of Nanton. Same thing...always tries to save you money and doesn't want to get you to buy stuff you don't need! I wish we had found these guys back when I had my RAV4...would have saved a lot of money since then!


$260ish is a good fair price, any lower and you start to wonder why it's so low.

In this day and age, it is nice to find a mechanic (or any tradesman) who knows that they will make more money in the long run if they just treat you fairly every time.

I had the Canadian Tire by my place attempt to charge me for changing all my lug nuts to the "proper type" @ $11 per nut. They were getting uppity about it until I walked into the store and grabbed an $8 package of 5 nuts, put it on the counter and asked for the store manager. Suddenly, they didn't have to be changed anymore....funny that.


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## chadn (Jan 28, 2010)

molly said:


> This one is GCS Automotive in Nanton. His name is Grant.... very trustworthy so far, and never tries to get me to spend any money I don't have to...The other guy I see, but who doesn't offer as much (more of a country mechanic), is Gary Fox, west of Nanton. Same thing...always tries to save you money and doesn't want to get you to buy stuff you don't need! I wish we had found these guys back when I had my RAV4...would have saved a lot of money since then!


Thanks for the info. I just hit 250,000km and am thinking about getting an inspection done to see if anything needs fixing.


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

uuugghhh (to CND TIRE)....even their slow and lame website is annoying and frustrating to deal with. Last year i was all set to buy 4 cooper tires from them and i cancelled after learning they wanted an extra $25 per tire for mount and balancing. Probably would charged me an extra $18 per tire for air or something . The store itself is okay if you go in and need to buy a toaster on sale or the weekend 50-75% Off tool sales, but even then their customer service is lacking.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

White Knight 117064FR Bulge Acorn Lug Nuts, Chrome, 4-pk | Canadian Tire

These are the Can tire lug nuts for Nissan or Infinity vehicles. Think I will get a pack and ditch the wheel locks when I change to summer tires.


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## MikeHJ (Mar 7, 2017)

quadraria10 said:


> White Knight 117064FR Bulge Acorn Lug Nuts, Chrome, 4-pk | Canadian Tire
> 
> These are the Can tire lug nuts for Nissan or Infinity vehicles. Think I will get a pack and ditch the wheel locks when I change to summer tires.


I had those on another car. They rust quickly and the chrome starts to peel off. When that happens they jam in the socket when you're taking them off.

I stopped using wheel locks a long time ago: the odds of losing the key are much higher than the odds of someone stealing my rims.


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

i had wheel locks on my last car and other vehicles. My city has a high theft rate of stolen vehicles/glass breakage/stolen rims/slashed tires. My Honda Civic Si had its rims and tires stolen in 2005...that was my birthday present when i awoke . I bought the car new in Sept. 2004 and i wanted new wheel locks but the dealer wanted $75-150 plus taxes so i said forget, i buy them later at a parts store. Then i forgot like a schmuck. My father also had his brand new rims and tires stolen off the Nissan 200sx he owned back then (no wheel locks). The wheel lock itself is very easy to hide in any vehicle if you just get a bit creative...i had mine hidden under an arm rest cover or under a piece of plastic trim , hidden and you would have to take the interior trim apart to guess where it was placed outta sight. The trick is to place the lock key in a place would not look (not in your glove box, cubby holes, not in your spare tire, not in your map pockets or consoles.)....i had mine hidden under the back seat of my Honda and Mitsubishi Colt a few times. That being said, i have worked in a mechanical shop and watched mechanics remove customers lock key using a special key remover (anybody can buy one from a auto parts store) or by using other means. I was discouraged by the tire shop manager a few months ago when i purchased a set of 4 tires for my Xtrail (against buying lock nuts) as he said the locks are really not much of a discouragement to a decent tire/mag thief....they buy the tool or use other tricks to quickly get the locks off. It is the main reason i wont upgrade my stock steel black 16'' rims...i only have $40 set of wheel covers from CND Tire on them. http://imageshack.com/a/img924/434/fTt44X.jpg


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## MikeHJ (Mar 7, 2017)

When I lost my wheel lock key, I was able to buy another one next day. For most wheel lock sets, there are only 4 or 5 patterns. If I was stealing rims, I'd have all of them. They don't do much to discourage thieves.

Unless you have custom rims, there's not much point protecting 10 year old OEM rims. I'm much more concerned about getting a flat miles back on some forestry road and not being able to find the key.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

MikeHJ said:


> I had those on another car. They rust quickly and the chrome starts to peel off. When that happens they jam in the socket when you're taking them off.
> 
> I stopped using wheel locks a long time ago: the odds of losing the key are much higher than the odds of someone stealing my rims.


Ok good to know, I will stay away from them. Actually come to think of it I have 3 spare Nissan ones, so maybe I will just pick up a spare or pop by a wrecker some saturday morn and get one off a Nissan as it appears all models use the same size.


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## chadn (Jan 28, 2010)

Well, just had my first ever wheel bearing replaced after 250,000km. Rear passenger side was shot. $375 all in. It is amazing how much quieter it is after being fixed.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi Chadn
First one at 250,000 kms that is wild. I can only guess that the salt they use on the roads here leads to the bearings early death. They sure do get noisy when they are bad. Glad yours is fixed.


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## X-hale (Apr 17, 2017)

My right rear bearing is roaring quite loudly. 215,000 km. Now that I've replaced all 4 swaybar bushings it's much more noticeable as all other noises are gone. 
I also replaced the mid-pipe/resonator with a Bosal. The PO had cut out the resonator because of rust damage. The engine is so quiet I find myself running up the rpms a bit because I just don't hear the shift point.
Looks like an SKF bearing at around $100 taxes in will be my best bet.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

The SKFs do seem to be the best aftermarket bearings. Not sure what the difference is but they make different ones for fwd vs awd X trails.
GRW274 is the one for a rear awd. Napa sells them for $200 now. Your best bet is probably still RockAuto. WrenchMonkey has them but their delivery charge makes it a bit more expensive from them.
Probably a good idea to order a new retaining clip at the same time. From experience the front retainer ring works perfectly on the rears. Which is a good thing as no one seems to list rear ones for the xtrail lol...
SKF CIR115 or TIMKEN RET115 are the part to order. Piece d'auto Coté also sell them but at more than double the price of RA.


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## X-hale (Apr 17, 2017)

I got a call from my mechanic today. He has to replace 2 lateral arms in order to complete the wheel bearing replacement. I was expecting that since the vehicle has 215,000 km and I think the bearings are original.
He's also installing a trailer hitch I bought for $100 on Kijiji.

P.S. The bearing clip was $2.40 at Cote.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

Have you called the stealer cough cough dealer i mean?
I think mines were less then 100$ at the dealer, bought by the mechanic who did mines.


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## X-hale (Apr 17, 2017)

Well I got my car back. My mechanic managed to change the bearing without removing the hub and therefore did not need to replace the lateral arms. He made a portable bearing puller using the old bearing. What a guy!
I told him to keep it so he can do the drivers side when it goes sour.


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