My car is a 2006 G35 6mt Coupe with the base performance package. Ever since I got the car in 2010, it has had a rattle while accelerating. This noise sounds like a bunch of nuts rattling around in a can when I accelerate. The noise only occurs when the clutch is engaged, and does not happen when the clutch is pressed, no matter how hard I press the gas, which makes me think it is something to do with the transmission. I have checked my heat shields and none seem to be loose. The performance of the car does not seem to suffer and the ride is not jerky, but the noise sounds awful.

The noise happens more often when I am accelerating from a stop on a hill, but can also happen on the highway just when pressing the gas without shifting.

I have attached two videos where you can here the rattle when I accelerate from a stop. Any help with this would be great.

Thank you

 

I didn't watch the videos but if it happens only at low RPM it's gear rattle from a lightweight single mass flywheel, it's normal. "Race car noises"

 

Are you SURE it's not engine pinging which sounds like shaking a can of paint. I'm on a mobile device and can't open your .MOV files.

 

Watched the videos, sounds like either extremely loud flywheel rattle (is there a JWT in there or something?) or your exhaust is rubbing on your swaybar and only hits when you're taking off and your engine torques. Or some other random engine rattle. Definitely not a major issue as you already knew but yeah that would annoy me to no end which is why I bought a 19 lb flywheel.

 

Thanks for the replies. @cswlightning , I do have a JWT pop charger installed attached to the stock infiniti intake tube. Do you think this would affect the noise?
@cleric670@gmail , I feel fairly confident that it shouldn't be engine pinging, (but I don't know what pinging sounds like), since there is no rattle when revving the engine while the clutch is pressed or the car is in neutral.

 

Ok I listened to it on a PC, hard to tell exactly what it is, sounds quite a bit like timing chain slop but without seeing the vehicle in person it's hard to say. Usually you can have a second person assist and have them replicate the sound while you stand next to the car so you can tell what part of the vehicle it's coming from.

Pinging will only be present at idle if things are REALLY off, normally you start hearing pinging when the engine is under a lot of load like if you are slightly lugging the motor when taking off or while climbing a steep hill in a high gear.

 

I found the solution, but I'm not sure why. My best guess is that my engine was misfiring, because I replaced my spark plugs and distributors and now the noise is gone.

Thanks for the help.

I hope this is helpful to anyone else that has this noise.

 

Every time I accelerate from a stop it occurs & even took to dealer many times but they can’t seem to find it either somebody has to know & no not low oil or cheap gas I always use premium

 

Usual culprit is the heat shields over the cats, you can also remove the access cover on the timing chain cover and snake a borescope inside to look at the ends of the timing chain guide

If you had a 6MT I'd say check out the dual mass flywheel also but being a 5AT that's not the issue, if it sounds like it's coming from the bellhousing area then it's almost definitely the cat heat shields.

 

OP's videos have the same sound as my thread I posted here too.
https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-cou...-2-3k-rpm.html

@cleric670's experience and knowledge is top notch. I'd go with his recommendations for sure.

For my case it's not coming from the cats(underside) and the noise happens on acceleration when almost lugging the engine from lower RPM's - approx 2k. The owners manual mentions slight pinging at acceleration up the hill can happen. Quick way to check is to run gas that is higher than 91 octane and check if this fixes the issue. It's the "common" pinging from lower grade gas. I'm using California gas so I have no choice unfortunately.

 

Hello I have 2010 G37 Sedan and my car is making the exact same noise it only happens when the car is in drive and accelerating but it does that after the car has been driven 4+ miles the noise only recently started after switching my stock air intake to a K&N cold air intake system. I took it to a mechanic and he said it may be the timing chain but I have doubts so I want to know how did you guys solve the problem?

 

We are working with a different engine here at G35DRIVER, The typical VQ35DE rattles are exhaust related and sometimes the timing chain primary tensioner.

Since you have a VQ37VHR engine it could be something different but overall Nissan still manufactures the exhaust components mostly the same so I would start with the cat heat shields, the chassis heat shields above the cats. Since you said the problem starts after you have driven for a few miles that definitely makes me suspect an exhaust rattle once the components have heated up.

If you are using regular unleaded fuel switch to premium for one tank. If the problem disappears or is substantially reduced then it could be engine pinging.

If you hear a lot of timing chain noise as the engine is starting for about 1 second then replace the timing chain primary tensioner. The same tensioner is used on ALL VQ engines including the newer ones like yours. The primary tensioner is really only good for about 100k miles, the chain itself however is usually good for the life of the engine and the top tensioners between the two cams almost never fail. The primary is easy to replace, there is a little access window on the right side of the timing chain cover, steps are located in the FSM.

You're not throwing any check engine light are you?

 

No check engine lights are on the dash but I am getting the exact same sound that he is getting the video I want to know if anyone knows what it is or how to resolve it

 

The OP fixed his issue by changing the spark plugs. I suggest you pull and inspect yours to see how they look.

Can you reproduce the sound with the vehicle in park or does it ONLY happen when you're driving? Do you have a 6MT or 7AT?

Try to take a video of the sound, post it to youtube and put the link here, it will automatically embed the video.