The Nissan Path

so recently, i start up the truck as normal and when i go to accelerate even with a feather foot, i hear this weird noise sort of like a slight grinding. almost like a bad intake sound its hard to describe, it seems to only happen bad in first gear and the sound dies down when more pressure is put on the gas. the truck drives strong still but this noise really concerns me any help is greatly appreciated! its an 04 se with 73k

check underneath your truck the metal protectors that are over the exhaust... Not sure of the name, but you will see... They are plates to protect the floor from getting too hot due to exhaust heat... They sometimes touch just a bit the exhaust and will make the noise you are talking about...


Just spread them a bit more from the pipes and the noise will go away.

thanks for the reply. i checked under the truck and theres nothing hanging down to scrape or any plates too close together, it cannot be this annway because the sound only occurs when i start to accelerate in 1st or 2nd gear and goes away when i release the throttle, i guess ill have to have my mechanic check it out

I just bought a 2004 pathfinder and have noticed the same thing. I was hoping someone else has already dealt with this. Please let me know if you find anything. I will probably take it up to my mechanic also. It is definately a grinding type feel and sound on acceleration.

Check engine mounts. Have someone accelerate in park while another watches the engine swing and check for things that might hit. They might not sound if not moving, if it is drive train. That is the big thing that acceleration will do - move the motor. The exhaust pipes and anything else hooked to the motor could move into things.

hey, most likely its the heat shield. i had the same problem last year. it's literally a 10 minute repair. pathfinders prone to this common issue are pathfinders that are in the "salt states" (heat shield corrosion)

pathnewb wrote:so recently, i start up the truck as normal and when i go to accelerate even with a feather foot, i hear this weird noise sort of like a slight grinding. almost like a bad intake sound its hard to describe, it seems to only happen bad in first gear and the sound dies down when more pressure is put on the gas. the truck drives strong still but this noise really concerns me any help is greatly appreciated! its an 04 se with 73k

Hey, you ever figure out the problem? I have had the same thing going on too. I've had loose heat shields before..it's not those. I found that it happens between 2000-2300RPMS or so. I defiantly know what you mean by the grinding feeling, you can almost feel it in the pedal