The Nissan Path

I've had a squeaking noise for the past couple of years now & I have not been able to locate what the cause might be. From what I can tell, it seems to be coming from the passenger side up front. My girlfriend mentioned that it sounded like it was coming from higher above the ground than the wheels, say the engine compartment or so. At any rate, I only hear it when there are bumps in the road. The last few months has been horrible with my being able to hear it driving around town. Last week, while in Monument Valley, it shook the crap out of the entire car (with squeaking of course), but now it doesn't seem to be doing it much around town at all. Normally in the past I've only heard it when off road, and it is seriously loud and pathetic-most people looking up are probably expecting to see some old POS $200 4x4 stumbling down the road.

The part that I can't figure out is that the squeak does not sound suspension related at all. It does not squeak in sync with suspension movement. I've checked all of the bolts on the hood & lubed both hinges and the front clasp. About the only possibility I can think of might be the engine mounts, or at least one of the mounts on the passenger side. It is seriously so frustrating to drive around day to day happy with a vehicle, only to curse it to high hell every time the squeak appears off road.

I made 2 videos that do have the squeak in the background, but you'll have to crank the volume and really listen for it. Very strange thing about the videos is that normally when driving, I never hear the engine & can easily hear the squeak. In the videos, all I can hear is the engine, change rattling around in one of the cup holders & a subdued squeak. I'm hoping someone might be able to identify the sound and go "oh yeah, I had that. It's xxxx." Yes, I've had the dealer look at it. Waste of time. I might take it in to a local mechanic this summer to have him really give all of the bushings & movable joints a looksee. I had a couple more videos, but they weren't any more revealing than the ones below. Plus, I couldn't refrain from spewing out a number of vulgar comments in them, so I'll just stick to the 2.

video 2:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nvsteve/71 ... 3250955224

video 1:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nvsteve/69 ... 3250955224

bonnet lock?

try popping your bonnet next time you're driving and see if it goes away.

mar1 wrote:bonnet lock?

try popping your bonnet next time you're driving and see if it goes away.

I concentrated on just that a couple years ago when I first started hearing the noise. Made sure every single bolt was tight and greased/lubed all moving parts related to the bonnet (hood). I like your suggestion, but I'd be afraid the only noise I could hear would be the banging from the bonnet being loose. Still, I might give that a shot next month when I hit the dirt again.

I have a squeak from hell and it's somewhere in the hood/bumpstops/latch...the only way I can get it to go away is to run the hood bumpstops at high as they'll go and then the hood shakes around like a mother. I can't tell if it's squeaking around the latch or the actual bump stops. I've greased the hell out of everything but haven't found a real fix. Sometimes it goes away for a few days. The only thing that seems consistent is that it only does it when it's dry. In the morning when it's damp, or during/after rain...it's quiet.

Aha! I know what that is!

Okay, not really, BUT, try this: Take some spray-on graphite grease, bought some at Home Depot, and spray the 3 rubber bump stops on the hood. Make sure you spray inside where the rubber bump stops attaches to the hood.

Try electrical tape on the hood latch.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try all of them.

i've got the same squeak.

i was FINALLY able to positively locate where the squeak was coming from, and it is something with the hood.

if i make a fist and hit the bottom of my fist against the hood on the passenger side, it will make the noise. at one point i had narrowed it down to the latch, but that was from the inside and i could never get it to do it while stopped.

i'll make a vid here in a bit....

well wouldn't you know...i can't get it to squeak right now. figures.

rragpaoa wrote:Aha! I know what that is!

Okay, not really, BUT, try this: Take some spray-on graphite grease, bought some at Home Depot, and spray the 3 rubber bump stops on the hood. Make sure you spray inside where the rubber bump stops attaches to the hood.

I had the same squeak and did the same as recommended above. Worked like a charm.

t

doctahjones wrote:i've got the same squeak.

i was FINALLY able to positively locate where the squeak was coming from, and it is something with the hood.

if i make a fist and hit the bottom of my fist against the hood on the passenger side, it will make the noise. at one point i had narrowed it down to the latch, but that was from the inside and i could never get it to do it while stopped.

i'll make a vid here in a bit....

So, you were able to recognize the same noise from my videos as you are encountering? If it is the same thing, I will be overly thrilled.

For whatever reason, after a good banging around off road, the noise will be gone from pavement driving for quite a while before it rears itself again.

disallow wrote: I had the same squeak and did the same as recommended above. Worked like a charm.

I'll ask you the same: you were able to recognize the squeak in my videos as being the same sound you heard on yours at one point?

NVSteve wrote:
So, you were able to recognize the same noise from my videos as you are encountering? If it is the same thing, I will be overly thrilled.

For whatever reason, after a good banging around off road, the noise will be gone from pavement driving for quite a while before it rears itself again.

yeah, it's that annoying little squeak-squeak high pitched thing. doesn't happen on -every- bump, or even happen every day. but it happens alot, and it drives me bonkers. next time you know it's happening, pull over and bang the hood at the very front passenger side a little. like where it bends down to meet the grill. doesn't take much force but you should hear it. now what exactly is doing it underneath i don't know. maybe bump stop? maybe latch? maybe something else? all i know is it's related/attached to the hood somehow.

seems like it's squeaking pretty good with about 6 seconds left on video #2. that's the same squeak i get.

here ya go nvsteve. see if you can hear it in my video. i can't get it to do it while banging on the hood, but you should be able to hear it when i shut the door



http://www.flickr.com/photos/8240118@N02/6987470186/