Micra boffin needed... I just don't get it!!!

Hi,

My girlfriend has recently purchased a 'W' reg Nissan Micra 1.3 inspiration... It has a full Nissan service history / upto date MOT and 2,600 (yep 2,600) miles on the clock.

It drives fine, no weird noises on start up, engine sounds good, brakes are fine - etc... Everything is good - we've driven it about and there is nothing that makes us worry about the car as a whole... Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuut

Problem that we are having is:

- There is a "stone in a tin can" rattle when she is driving. I've looked on this site and I've checked the exhaust and the Heat Shield.. both are fine. Garage said it could be the drivetrain or the CV joint but i fail to see how on such a low mileage car.

The noise itself doesn't sound when you're turning and only in a straight line after a certain speed. (about 5 / 10 mph) then you can't really hear it after 50mph. The noise kinda sounds like a sleigh bells (kinda.. lol).

Any advice / solutions would be greatly appreciated. (Y)

Thanks for your time.
 
i had this problem as well, glen hit the nail on the head, my wheel wasn't on fully so it was sitting slightly away from the wheel hub at an angle

make sure the wheels are secure and all your bolts / nuts are tight
 
drive above 50 with the radio volume high.... sorted :p lol
where does it sound like its coming from can ya pin point it abit better and you sure it aint the heat shield.
 
It's the connecting pin on the gear change linkage, it sound's kinda like a loose washer on a bolt. Both my micra's have done it, it's not dangerous
 
I@m pretty sure it's not the heat shield. I've been under the car and had a look at the shield and it's not loose, rusty, damaged etc. The noise is coming from the front passenger side (i'm pretty sure -but as with most noises in a car, you can't tell where it is sometimes) I've had that wheel off so i know that it's back on there properly and tight.

The connecting pin on the gear change linkage? Is there anyway I could (if I should) check this out and fix it?
 
I believe it's at the gearbox end, just follow the gear linkage. Someone on here replaced it with a nyloc nut and bolt. I just left mine cos I'm lazy lol. I am 99.9% sure that's what this is.
 
I believe it's at the gearbox end, just follow the gear linkage. Someone on here replaced it with a nyloc nut and bolt. I just left mine cos I'm lazy lol. I am 99.9% sure that's what this is.

Yeah I'm a bit lazy too - but as soon as you open the window. It annoys me so much lol. I will have to get under it this weekend. I'll have a look out for a nyloc nut and bolt, failing that some locktite lol :)

I'll keep you guys posted!

Thanks!(Y)(Y)
 
does it still do it when you apply the brakes lightly?

Yeah I think so - it's not me that drives it. I've had the brakes off, calipers and discs etc looked at those and there isn't anything wrong with them... I think it still makes the noise as you brake. 70% sure.

:)
 
Yeah I think so - it's not me that drives it. I've had the brakes off, calipers and discs etc looked at those and there isn't anything wrong with them... I think it still makes the noise as you brake. 70% sure.

:)

where the anti rattle clips in place when you had a look at the brakes
 
where the anti rattle clips in place when you had a look at the brakes

I can't recall... I am pretty sure it would have been in place. Would this cause the noise that i mentioned?

You guys really know your stuff - my description is pretty shocking but you still manage to give some suggestions?

I'll have the wheels off again and have another look.

Anything else? It's looking to be a fun weekend :D (Y)
 
I can't recall... I am pretty sure it would have been in place. Would this cause the noise that i mentioned?

You guys really know your stuff - my description is pretty shocking but you still manage to give some suggestions?

I'll have the wheels off again and have another look.

Anything else? It's looking to be a fun weekend :D (Y)

only what i have said and what olly has said i cant really say without hearing it really..unless frank comes up with a spot on fix for this he usually does or some 1 else
 
only what i have said and what olly has said i cant really say without hearing it really..unless frank comes up with a spot on fix for this he usually does or some 1 else

You guys have been awesome!
Where is this Frank? lol - I would like to talk to him!

Oh Fraaaa-ank? :blues:
 
lol, nothing springs to mind i,m afraid (else i would have piped up :grinning:)
mine had a mad gearchange buzz at one time, and i,ve seen a few 2nd cat,s that broke into pieces ?
 
lol, nothing springs to mind i,m afraid (else i would have piped up :grinning:)
mine had a mad gearchange buzz at one time, and i,ve seen a few 2nd cat,s that broke into pieces ?

Thats cool, buddy! I'll have a look into what the others have suggested. Otherwise I guess i'm going to have to admit defeat, sacrifice some man points and give it to a garage to sort :(

lol.

I'll keep you all posted! Any other ideas, feel free to add to my list of things to look into :)

Cheers,
 
had a stone in a can rattle, turned out the backbox was failing and breaking up inside.

had a similar sound from the gearbox once too, was more of a very quiet grind... few thousand miles later the box was wrecked and needed a new one
 
Have you checked the heatshield on the manifold? ..i dont think it'll do the noise you describe but you may aswell have a spy :)

Front squeaks are sometimes the dust cover on the shocker catching and rubbing during vibration...maybe worth a look, even if its not technically a squeak.

Also what about the rear brake shoes, could be low / catching very slightly on the drum.

Im know im kinda all over the place here, but trying to remember all my cars original noises and fixes lol.

The only noise i used to get thats wounds similar to yours was a metallic rattle on idle, and that was the gearlinkage / heatshield / cat touching...a hammer to the heatshield sorted that out :D

While im here Frank, what was the cause for your gearchange buzz?...mines does this a couple of times very recently, but only when coasting in gear at speed. Im assuming its the linkage but wondered if you found otherwise...sorry to hijack btw wobbler ;)
 
While im here Frank, what was the cause for your gearchange buzz?...mines does this a couple of times very recently, but only when coasting in gear at speed. Im assuming its the linkage but wondered if you found otherwise...sorry to hijack btw wobbler ;)

i,m not sure kris, i replaced the steel bush in the front universal joint with some rubber tube, and that improved it, then put some packing the rear g/box mount so that the other 2 engine/gearboxmounts sat dead central in their rubbers (some pics in my blog, iirc), and it has,nt buzzed since :)
 
Cheers frank...hmm guess im going under the car aswell then lol...you can feel it throught the gear lever, so probs just a bolt coming loose. :)
 
jack the car up on axle stands and drive it in the air, get your girlfiend to do this and you can follow the noise and see if you can see what it is. (Y)
 
is the exhaust droped at all anywere in the system? could it be rattleing of the heat shields throughout the car? or rubbing the rear axel and components?
 
I had a look and i couldn't see anything. I (by "I" I mean my girlfriend) decided that it would be a better option to use the warranty and bung it back in the garage so they can fix it or at least tell me what the problem is.

Micra - 1
Chris - 0

I'll keep you all up to date.
 
Apparently... it was a washer on the Driveshaft? According to the mechanic that is. Helen drove it back and said that she couldn't hear the noise anymore, i'll have a sit in it with the window down while she's driving and give it a good listen.

Cheers for all the suggestions :)
 
Apparently... it was a washer on the Driveshaft? According to the mechanic that is. Helen drove it back and said that she couldn't hear the noise anymore, i'll have a sit in it with the window down while she's driving and give it a good listen.

Cheers for all the suggestions :)

Thats a new one :laugh: cant even think where the washer would be...good to know youve got the issue possibly sorted :)

Edit: actually could it have been the washer behind the hub nut?
 
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