I was under the impression that timing chains could be tightened and wasn't so much a problem when they rattled.
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Adam
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thanks for reply
ok
it is used daily..
IT does not rattle unless car has been shut down for an hour plus
Oil Level is ok
Fully synthetic used, changed 9000 miles ago
filter make etc unknown.
WHen started warm never rattles. as I say it has to be usually cold for at least an hour before the rattle occurs.
Car is used daily
apporx 200 miles per week
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for ifo it has done 105K
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My 2.0 primera had the same problem. It is caused by oil stavation to the top end. If you remove the cam cover there are 2 oil feed bars thich have several "pin holes" to feed oil to the cams. You woll probably find some of these are blocked up.
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At that milage, there is probably a little wear in the engine. If the oil/oil filter havn't been changed for 9000 miles, I would start there. I always use a manufacturer,s oe oil filter.
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thanks a lot
would you say then for now short term it is "safe" to drive and that it is unlikely to be Timing chain/tensioners?
Thanks
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You did say earlier in one of your posts that the noise had been about for approximately a year. In all honesty, I haven't heard how bad the rattle is, and I don't know the engine. The sort of rattle you have described, and when it occurs is usually associated with oil draining from the engine over a period of time,ie overnight. This is usually caused by a non return valve in the oil filter not working properly.
The timing chain may be tensioned by hydraulic pressure from the oil, I'm afraid I don't know the engine design that well. Therefore I cannot say that the chain/tensioners are perfectly ok. After 105k, I would expect any engine to show signs of wear.
I would be tempted to do an oil and filter change asap, but if the rattle disappears a couple of seconds after starting, it would suggest there is nothing seriously amiss.
If you are after a cast iron guarantee that all is ok, then I think you would appreciate that that is not possible to give on a forum such as this, by anybody.
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A lot of chain engines have tensioners tensioned by oil pressure. If the tensioner gets tired, it's oil can drain away overnight, releasing tension, and allowing the chain to slap about when first started until it pumps itself up again. Just like a hydraulic tappet.
I don't know if the nissan engine had this type of tensioner, but if it does then it's time for a new tensioner and chain.
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This is the Nissan SR20DE which is good for high mileages.
Some rattle after a cold start is perfectly normal - the oil pressure takes a couple of seconds to build up and push the tensioner out. If it rattles for more than 5-6 seconds then that indicates a bit of chain wear - a couple of seconds rattle is no problem at all.
What is *critical* with the Primera is to use a good quality oil (a 0W-40 or 5W-40 SL spec. synthetic) and use Nissan oil filters (they are about £7.50 dealer retail). Change the oil at least every 6000 miles.
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Hi Aprilia
Many thanks
The rattle lasts 2 maximum 3 seconds. I am using 5W/40 fully synthetic. THe Nissan book however states 10/30!!!
Do you know of any SR20DE which have snapped?
Im probably being over the top but the car is crucial
IS there any easy way of checking the timing chain etc?
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Have you ever noticed if the red oil pressure light (its usually an oilcan symbol) is lit while the rattling is heard? If the light goes out once the rattling stops (about 1 or 2 seconds)its the valve in the oil filter as others have said, so stick to 'proper' Nissan ones, or good makes like Fram!
I notice the filters supplied by national tyres for their oil changes *can* suffer this problem.
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2-3 seconds rattle is nothing to worry about. Some SR20DE engines will rattle a little like this even when brand new.
10W-30 is within the spec from Nissan - for some reason. I've found that 10W-30 is a popular oil grade in Japan. Anything with a cold rating from 0W-10W and a hot rating from 30-40 should be fine. Change the oil regularly (every 6 months/6000 miles max) and use *only* Nissan filters - no others.
Remember to change the coolant every two years and use *only* genuine Nissan antifreeze concentrate, mixed 50/50 with distilled water. Blled the system out thoroughly by removing the little bolt at the top of the thermostat housing (engine hot and running - be careful). The Nissan concentrate is not expensive - about £3 a litre retail price.
I have heard of SR20DE chains snapping - this happens when servicing is neglected. Dirty oil blocks the oil channels and chain lubrication breaks down.
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My primera had gone a bit further down the self distruct route as the cams had started to sieze on a cold start up.
Just looking back though the invoices I had the oil pick up filter in the sump replaced as well as the oil feed lines to the top end.
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My primera had gone a bit further down the self distruct route as the cams had started to sieze on a cold start up. Just looking back though the invoices I had the oil pick up filter in the sump replaced as well as the oil feed lines to the top end.
Neglected servicing there mate, I'm sorry to say.
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I wish I had checked the service book before buying. It was FSH at a Nissan dealer but the first service wasn't done for 11K miles the rest were about the 9K intervals specified.
I always change oil as soon as I get a car and at least twice a year. Guess the damage was too bad. I did notice that the dealer (would love to name and shame) only used a 15w-40 mineral oil.
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If i get one of these cars i shall heed your advice to the letter.
However, i shall not be able to have all the work carried out by my local Nissan dealer as they do not stock fully synthetic oil at all!
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Is this engine at all similar to the engine used in the face lifted 2ltr cars (ie the 138bhp engine)?
I ask as I may soon want to buy a fairly cheap car that is good to drive and ok on long journeys. I am considering a Primera GT if I can find one at a reasonable price. I am also interested by the face-lifted 2ltr Sport plus models- are these good cars to own in terms of reliability and driving enjoyment? Are they much slower than the older Primera GT?
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cheers
It was an ex CID unmarked police car and was serviced Impeccably
I got in contact with Primera owners club who state this is a common problem and it is not a sign of the chain snapping
they stated that most of the GT s in the club had a rattle and it is where the oil drains away when left then when restarted the oil takes time to lubricate the chain which is why you get the rattle
kinda makes sense
anyways getting the tensioner checked and oils done
CHeers
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cheers It was an ex CID unmarked police car and was serviced Impeccably I got in contact with Primera owners club who state this is a common problem and it is not a sign of the chain snapping they stated that most of the GT s in the club had a rattle and it is where the oil drains away when left then when restarted the oil takes time to lubricate the chain which is why you get the rattle kinda makes sense anyways getting the tensioner checked and oils done CHeers
Like I said in my first post in this thread, it is not lack of lubrication causing the chain to rattle, its simply that it takes a finite amount on time for oil pressure to push the tensioner out. This is common to many chain-drive engines with hydraulic tensioners. There is nothing wrong with the tensioner and not really anthing to check. If it were faulty you would hear the chain rattling at idle.
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NPOC are right : don't worry about the noise. I had an M reg eGT which started off with 110k miles when I got it when it was 7 years old. I used branded oil filters (Champion or Japanese OEM ones from my local motor factors) and 10W/40 semi-synthetic oil and did the oil changes every 5k miles.
I sold the car earlier this year with 165k miles and it was still going strong. Still with the 2 sec rattle on start-up.
I never did anything with the timing chain or tensioners. Just keep changing that oil as "oil is cheaper than engines"
cheers,
Stu
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By 'facelifted' do you mean the P11 (96-) or the P11-144? (about '99-02). Anyway, if its a 2.0 engine then it will be the SR20DE in some shape or form. You will have to check the bhp on somewhere like the Parkers website. There were 120, 130, 138 and 150bhp variants IIRC. All basically the same engine in different states of tune. There were also turbo and 4x4 Primera's, although we didn't see those in the UK. I have seen 4x4 Primeras in NZ though (presumably 'greys' from Japan DM).
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Yes sorry, by "facelifted" i meant the '99-02 cars- are these good to own and drive?
Are the 99-02 Sport versions as good as the 96- GT cars? All specs i have seen indicate the 99-02 cars have the 138bhp version engine.
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Am I being a divvy? This sounds like my knackered hydraulic tappets. They were so worn that it took a couple of seconds to pump them up on start up. Sorry if it's a mechanical tappet setup. It just sounds very familiar.
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Am I being a divvy? This sounds like my knackered hydraulic tappets. They were so worn that it took a couple of seconds to pump them up on start up. Sorry if it's a mechanical tappet setup. It just sounds very familiar.
Well, without hearing the noise its hard to give a definitive diagnosis. Two seconds rattle do not bespeak of knackered hydraulic tappets though.....
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Yes sorry, by "facelifted" i meant the '99-02 cars- are these good to own and drive? Are the 99-02 Sport versions as good as the 96- GT cars? All specs i have seen indicate the 99-02 cars have the 138bhp version engine.
Yes, I think the later Sport+ were very good indeed to drive.
The earlier GT's had about 150PS and were a bit quicker than the Sport (138PS, as you say). There is not a lot in it though, and the later cars are brilliant value and dead reliable.
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Thanks Aprilia. I imagine the 138ps sport plus will be just about quick enough for my tastes- I am far more interested how the thing drives and handles. I dont like resonant noisy cars either.
My brief look at vehicles available suggests the GT models still fetch a fair amount of cash- i presume because they have a bit of cred amongst the boy racer community. But the later cars look dead cheap.
Is there anything much that goes wrong on the 99-02 cars? I have noted the particular importance of regular oil changes etc. However, i have heard people say the gearboxes are not too tough, is there much truth in this? I wondered whether as you say its a generally reliable car, and hence the odd transmission problem gets blwon out of proportion as nothing much else ever goes wrong?
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Nice cars to drive and very tough.
Almost all P11-series Primera will start to knock from the front suspension after about 30k miles. This is not dangerous and is due to a small amount of play in the front suspension links. It is not expensive or difficult to cure. Drive slowly over bumpy ground to hear it.
Gearboxes are fine. The shift can be a bit notchy, especially when cold - this is mainly because dealers and garages persist in using 75W-90 or even 80W-90 gear oils. The gearbox should have nothing heavier than a 75W-85 in it (e.g. Castrol SMX-S).
They are good cars and much underrated. If properly maintained they will do massive mileages.
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What about the 1.8 are these engines as reliable for mileage if serviced properly?
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Yes, the 1.8 is equally reliable. However the 2.0 is a bit more powerful and no less economical, so I would always go for the 2.0.
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Ben,as Aprilia said these are tough cars,i own a p11-144 2.0ltr ( 138bhp) sport +,and i must say it is one of the best cars i have owned,it has great performance and fantastic handling,and the spec is huge ie:xenon lights,1/2 leather sports seats,white dials,electric everything,cd multichanger 4x airbags,16" multi spoke alloys low profiles,the list goes on.It is a great car on motorways or sure footing it around twisty B roads nothing phases this car, i can definetly recommend this car,mine as being 100% reliable,and i also get the two second rattle,20000 miles ago,as not effected car one bit,i also use genuine nissan oil filters & fully syn 5w-40 mobil 1 so buy and enjoy.
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