Hey Scotty and community,
I have a 2011 Nissan Altima 2.5S with ~137,000 miles and it seems like there is always something wrong with this car (apart from . When I first got it, it always had this particular noise during startup that goes away after it is warmed up. This noise also occurs when accelerating slightly hard (ex- turning onto a highway entrance or accelerating very slightly hard from a stop). I have uploaded a video of this noise here:(
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I can not figure out what it is, but I am hoping it is not rod knocking or a transmission issue, which these jatco's are known for. Has this happened to anyone else?
I also have another issue where I get a constant P0101 code every 50 miles or so (or as often as the engine light can pop up). I clean the MAF with the proper cleaner and I also change the air filter, and I used a new MAF sensor and nothing ever works. Can a dirty throttle body do this? If so, how do I go about cleaning an electric one? Because of this constant trouble, it is a hassle trying to get this car inspected every year as it can never pass and this engine code always pops up, rendering it useless until I fix it and drive 100 miles or so (which is when the car can be finally inspected). But when this finally occurs, the light comes right back on like clockwork. What should I do?
Despite all of this, it can still go from point A to point B, but NYS is so strict on inspections that they will actually mail tickets regarding the inspection and suspend the registration if it goes past a certain amount of time before getting it inspected.
I was thinking about getting a new car, maybe a new Corolla Hatch or Camry (Kinda want the V6 option, but the TRD is the cheapest V6 option, which is not really cheap at all), however, I am a little weary because of the fact that all new cars are becoming less DIY and are starting to require special scan tools and what not to do something as simple as bleed the brakes as an example.
I am so lost, what are your recommendations? Thanks so much in advance.
Almost forgot to mention, this noise always happens on startup and when it occurs, I notice the RPMs jump a bit and “dance” (back and forth from 1600 to 1700). One way to “mitigate” this noise is if I start the car up and immediately put it into neutral or drive so that the rpms drop below 1500. But, it still occurs when driving
Get a Corolla hatch they are fantastic your car is just basically a pile of Nissan junk that will continue to fall apart and odds are the engine is going out now
Love ya Scotty
Generally, Scotty is right about these Altima's as substandard vehicles. (Go to carcomplaints.com and look up the complaints).
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As for the P0101, you may have an undiagnosed vacuum leak or some other source of unmetered air. (Even if the air intake box has cracked, or is loose, well, that, too might cause a P0101 DTC). You may also have some kind of restriction somewhere in the exhaust system, as well, if there's no unmetered air to be found.
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In a larger sense, what you need is a good and thorough general inspection of the car, to determine it's overall shape, in terms of mechanical, electrical and body systems. (If you're in NYS, well, that's the rust belt. If the car is rusting out, and has a limited lifespan, investing in mechanical or electrical repairs is a fool's errand).
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If you're near Corning area, it might behoove you to see South Main Auto (SMA). Eric O. is a good diagnostician. (Check out his YouTube channel).
Thanks for the info! I’ll try to get it on a lift and see if I can find any vacuum leak or unmetered air. Unfortunately, Corning is about a far drive as I mentioned NYS as a more general term. I am close to NYC. Overall though, this car has given me issues since I first got it. I’ll probably have to weigh the cost of repairs vs the worth of the car and how long it will even last. I assume maybe another 10k miles before it’s gone for good
You have a loose heat shield and probably need An ecm reprogram for the p0101. Two very inexpensive and not serious repairs.. sounds like you have a pretty solid car
Thanks for the comment! So I’ve actually replaced the heat shield when I first got the car and the noise never went away. First, I’ll see if I could find any air leaks and if not, I will look into getting the ECM re-programmed (however, this was also done with the MAF sensor I currently have in)
Who reprogrammed the ecm? That can only be done at the dealer. Due to the tone of the noise it sounds like it’s a shield on the manifold and with the shields there’s generally no reason to replace them just bend or clamp them to resolve
I got it re-programmed at the Nissan Service Center. Almost forgot to mention, this noise always happens on startup and when it occurs, I notice the RPMs jump a bit and “dance” (back and forth from 1600 to 1700). One way to “mitigate” this noise is if I start the car up and immediately put it into neutral or drive so that the rpms drop below 1500. But, it still occurs when driving as I mentioned in the original post.
Definitely still sounds like a heatshield issue those can be tricky at times since they are temperature related so leaving the vehicle to get cold so it can be verified cold may be what it comes down too