The Nissan Path

Hey guys,

When you're idling, does your exhaust click constantly? When I'm sitting in a drive through or something my exhaust clicks in incessantly--sort of like when you turn your car off after a long trip and it clicks from heat/cooling expansion or something... except mine doesn't stop clicking when the engine is running.

It's a V8, in case that matters.

Did you or a previous owner band over the crappy OEM exhaust bands?

Mine clicks a lot more than it did before since I did that. Not so much when it's running, but maybe yours are more uppity than most...

DanJetta wrote:Hey guys,

When you're idling, does your exhaust click constantly? When I'm sitting in a drive through or something my exhaust clicks in incessantly--sort of like when you turn your car off after a long trip and it clicks from heat/cooling expansion or something... except mine doesn't stop clicking when the engine is running.

It's a V8, in case that matters.

Yes! Mine absolutely does. Happy to learn I'm not the only one. I've only owned my V8 Pathfinder for a couple weeks and I am finding it amazing that all the little quirks appear to be universal across model owners. One way to look at it is it appears these things are not unusual and therefore, hopefully, not cause for alarm. I was thinking of taking it in to have a mechanic look at it and tell me what the deal was but I may wait for more feedback on these forums first.

Just curious where do you hear it most? I hear it in the driver side front fender area most often when I get out of the vehicle and walk to the front to move the trash can from the driveway (our garbage man loves to leave it in the middle of the driveway blocking the drive). I'm assuming there must be a heat shield there from the left engine bank where the exhaust manifold is coming out of the left side of the engine. And you're right, it sounds just like what most cars sound like when they are turned off from a long trip and there is that drip-click sound.

Again, what's ironic is every little quirk I've noticed so far in the two short weeks I've owned the beast is apparently plaguing other owners like the weird trans shift sensation described in the thread below (check it out and tell me if yours does the same):


http://www.thenissanpath.com/viewtopic.php?t=6619

Thanks for the replies! Not sure about the bands - I'll have to get under there and check. I feel like some of the exhaust had been replaced when I bought it used from the dealer (it had that "new weld" smell when it got hot).

I'm glad to hear it's probably normal. I can definitely live with it if it is. I can't pinpoint where, exactly, the sound originates -- just underneath somewhere near the front. One day I'm going to crawl under there.

I agree with you about the pathfinders having the same quirks. Before I bought mine I read about all of these issues on forums and thought, "eh, people on forums just complain a lot." Now every one of these issues is surfacing one by one. Kind of funny. I'm giving the truck 2 more repairs this year before I decide to get rid of it. I do like it!

Going to check out your other post now.

The exhaust on my 2008 is laughable. Its just rusting away. I have had to replace all the exhaust straps.

Thats crazy. All of the cars I've owned since the early to mid 90s seem to have bullet proof exhaust systems. And I'm in a definitely salty environment. Was never sure how the exhaust shops stay in business.

98 civic - 186k mi - exhaust system as good as the day it was new
93 altima - 130k mi - ditto
89 civic - 200k mi - ditto
08 civic - 80k mi - ditto
05 pathfinder - 130k mi - ditto
00 grand prix - 60 k mi - ditto

85 200sx - had to replace the exhaust system

No problems with mine and we get a fair amount of salting here. I'm not the best at washing it either...maybe 2-3 times during the winter. I had it on a lift when I did the radiator last month and everything looked pretty good.