# 05 SE-R 6 speed diagnostic help



## nabilhuakbar (Apr 28, 2015)

Hey y'all,
New member here. I have an 05 SE-R 6-speed and I absolutely love it. I bought it used last year with 142k, but since it had a clean carfax and ran like a dream I went ahead and took the plunge. 1 year and 10k later, I still love it but there have been a few things that I'm mostly just ascribing to age and wear & tear. 

I'd like a little help diagnosing some of the problems I'm having before I take it to a mechanic...I figure a few of y'all have been down there before and maybe y'all can help a fellow SE-R lover from throwing way more money than he actually has at fixing some stuff :laugh:

Anyways, here's some of the issues I'm having:

-Clunking noise comes from the front sometimes, mostly after shifting or while cornering/hard braking

-Front passenger wheel makes a whiny squeaking sound...but not like the high pitched whine that brakes make when they're going out. The sound goes in time with the rotation of the tire.

-I also feel some vibrations coming from what feels like the front passenger side. Sometimes it happens around 40 MPH, sometimes it happens at 60 MPH.

-There's a rhythmic, mid-pitched WHUM WHUM WHUM WHUM noise coming from the rear that starts up around freeway speeds and increases/decreases in rhythm according to how fast I'm going (rear differential, maybe?)

-I get a buzzy, grindy noise @ around 1500 RPM in 1st and 2nd gear, it gets quieter as the engine warms up. Sometimes I also get it from 2-3000 RPM. I've read a lot about timing chain issues and I wonder if this could have something to do with it, but I haven't seen anyone else have this particular issue with an SE-R, at least online.

-My A/C is out. The A/C makes a loud hissing noise when I turn it on and it doesn't actually get any colder. This is a pretty recent development and my guess is that a hose is leaking somewhere.

Thanks for the help


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## Breeze2 (Nov 24, 2014)

My experiences have been similar.. 
I don't know exactly but I'll share what I've been through. 

1st.. the front end clunking for me was a after market front hub inwhich the LUG Bolts diameter were slightly smaller than the stk hub.. making the acutal brake disc loose on the hub itself. To check if yours is the same.. take off the wheel and just wiggle the brake disc... if it wiggles then there is your issue. I found mine out after doing a wheel bearing and thinking the aftermarket part would be better because it is new... well I ended up putting the stk part back on with the labor and expense of another new bearing. My clunking is gone!

2nd.. The front passenger wheel squeeking in rotation is due to the caliper not floating.. My experience has been that I had to remove the calipers and loosen and re-lubricate the floating pin bolts. This can be tough, they tend to corrode and seize. I would recommend doing all 4 calipers since it is just a matter of time before another one stops floating... The back ones are generally bad since the wheels are moreless stationary. You can try to remove the pin bolts with the caliper on but if they are tough, the pin bolt may break or strip the bolt head. So I recommend taking them off then you can put them in a vise and heat them up to get them out.

3rd.. Your front end viberations can be due to the hub disc issues. Or could be a bad wheel bearing... To check the bearing, lift the car and wiggle the wheel. If it wiggles or has a vibration on the strut spring when turning the wheel, then the bearing is bad.

4th.. The buzzy gindy noise is probally timing chain related.. I work at Brasso Nissan in Calgary.. we are the #1 service dept in Canada... so I talk to the techs lots.. The secondary timing chain guides are the first to go.. It all depends on how well the engine has been lubricated in the past. Our techs have seen the VQ engine guides needing replaced at 80000kms and some don't need them changed until 250000kms. I use 10-40W Motul Motorcycle Oil. It is $75 / 4 liters. Expensive but what a difference.. I will never put regular oil in my VQ engine again. It is more than likely those secondary guides need replacing. Don't leave it long though for the chain can stretch and then you will need to replace that too.

5th.. The rythmic whumm whumm sound is definately a rear wheel bearing.. Had the exact same sound described the same way. Once the wheel bearing is changed or any suspention change.. it is always good to do a wheel alignment as well.

As for the AC... I wish we could just remove that power sucking system.. Your compressor may be bad or you need a flush recharge or a hose leaking. I had mine recharged last year.. $130 later and my air still not cold.. We can gain 2HP if we take it out, weight gone and no belt driving a pully system. The problem is the belt.. No belt for a no AC system.


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