Moderator: volvite
Timing chain issues usually stem from a secondary failure such as a faulty guide or tensioner. VW and Toyota both had massive issues with this between '05 and '08 and both manufacturers suggest three factors are at play: frequency/quality of maintenance, use (driving style, terrain, etc.) and luck. While timing chains do stretch, they very rarely (almost never) break or stretch enough to cause problems on their own. The problem is usually a plastic guide breaking, a sprocket stripping or a tensioner not tensioning and allowing the chain to jump.eieio wrote:can anyone venture a guess as to why some fail and some don't?
chains are usually made by the mile, and gears are gears, so quality control does not seem to be the issue
apparently the design of the chain has been changed in order to eliminate the problem
but the question still remains: what causes some to fail while others do not?
low oil level, crap oil, excessively high rpm's, stomping on the gas, rabbit starts, WHAT?
Thanks for that info. I didn't realize this problem was clear into 2010. I have a very quick buzz noise on cold start up, particularly if it's been sitting a day or two. I really noticed it this morning as the PF has been sitting at the airport for two days and when I hit the remote start while walking up, it made a quite obvious sound. Kind of like sticking something plastic into a chain for about a second.smj999smj wrote:Per Nissan TSB # NTB09-128A, the problem occurs on 2005 through 2010 Pathfinders/Xterras/Frontiers with the VQ40DE.