The Nissan Path

05 Pathfinder SE 4WD

Every time I start the truck after it has been off for about 15 minutes or so, a whining sound occurs. It only lasts for about 30 secs or so and then it fades away. I was getting the brakes done earlier and the guy told me it sounded like the timing chain or the tensioner. Any ideas? It doesn't make the sound any other time and by what I am reading here in many posts if it was the chain it would be a constant rattle... Please help, Thanks

My Fan Clutch makes a noise similar to that, but only when the ambient temperature is around -5 to -20 C. (23 to -4 F).

The upper timing chain issues that commonly occur on the 05-10 VQ40DE engines creates a whining noise that is usually loudest on startup and when revving the engine or hard acceleration. To me, it sounds a lot like the power steering pumps on older Fords when they start to fail. I just replaced a timing set on a 2008 last week and that was the fourth one I've done (two in Pathfinders and two in Frontiers). If you go to YouTube, you can find vids that will let you here what the Nissan timing chain whine sounds like. Basically, what you are hearing is the upper timing chain running over the hardened metal plunger of the upper tensioner(s), having worn through the plastic tensioner "face" or "foot" as it's referred to.

Most likely a serpentine belt/ tensioner problem. Had a very similar sound coming from ours and cured it with the replacement of both the belt and tensioner. Very easy to do if you have proper hand tools, no sense in taking it to the shop.

Easy test: remove the serpentine belt and start it and see if the noise still occurs. If it does, that rules out the serpentine tensioner and fan clutch and will make the upper timing chains the most likely culprit.