Nissan struggling to locate problem - any ideas?

Forum for wheels, tyres, suspension, chassis, brakes
catsmum
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 1:25 pm

Post by catsmum »

First of all my apologies if this has been asked but I did search and couldn't find anything and I am also really struggling with all this as am poorly after the loss of my Dad so battling with the dealership is tough and then searching for advice off others is just hard at moment and I am getting nowhere so am just hoping for any advice or info of any of you who have had this problem.

I have a 14 plate Qashqai 1.2L petrol model J11

After the air con farce issue and liasing with the Nissan chiefs they kindly gave me an extended warranty which I am glad they did. A couple of months ago when driving off our drive, in first gear and with steering wheel turned almost full to the right I noticed a clunking sound and the car kind of judders. Kind of feels like the wheels trying to get grip but they have been checked and aren't the issue plus they are relatively new.

Whenever I am parked somewhere and do the same manouvere and set off in first gear I get the same clunking thud noise about 3 or 4 times and juderry feeling as I drive. Once round the corner and straightened up and move up to second gear it is fine.

When driving at normal speeds and turning right it is fine no problems. It just happens when I set off in first gear and have to turn a sharp right.

Nissan have had my car in twice now. One of the mechanics has been great and cane out with me on a drive and it didn't do it but we couldn't find anywhere near them with the space to replicate what happens every day when I make this turn.

The one thing that did happen was the front sensors kept going off for no reason and the modification they did to them previously hadn't worked so new sensors were fitted on Wednesday along with a steering column box or something to stop the steering wheel groaning.

My husband and I eventually got the noise recorded on video from both inside and outside the car and we were able to record it because the clunking thud noise is getting louder so it was picked up. I emailed it in to the mechanic and he had a feeling it was the top strut mounts (am sure that is what he said) - so whilst my car was in with them on Wednesday the strut mounts were tested but everything was fine and no noise of clunking. So they told ne to take my car home and just try it as they have tightened things up and lubricated everything so they said it might not do it now. However, I got home on Wednesday evening and my husband too the car out and it did the same clunking noise as always as he pulled off in first gear and turned the sharp right out. I was gutted it wasn't sorted and yesterday morning I left for work and it did it and the clients homes I visit where I make the same manouvere to leave their homes it still did it and last night when I had to turn a sharp right out of our vets in first gear.

When I searched on here I couldn't find anything else as soecific as this but did see similar juddery issues where cv joints were mentioned and that the suspension and cv joints are known issues - is that correct?

My car is going back in to them in two weeks time for two days and I hope and pray they can resolve this as the clunking thud noise is getting louder, only happens when I am setting off in 1st gear turning a sharp right to head out from home or from where I have been parked. My car has done less than 25,000 miles and had a full service done by the dealers last week too.

When I picked the car up on Wednesday night I spoke with the service manager and explained I had read of other issues on here relating to cv joints and suspension issues but he said he wasn't aware of any known issues that they have repaired at that dealership. They have assured me my car is safe to drive despite the clunking noise not sounding safe, I need my car for work and for when we go away on long journeys so feel hapoy they tell me it is safe.

So they will have my car back again for 2 days and I just hope they can fix it but what could it be? Like I say I am struggling at the moment with things and don't have a lot of fight in me to keep arguing when they say they can't find the problem. We have videod it for them so they can hear the sound and see position of car when it happens - am just glad I have the extended warranty and hope they can sort it - any ideas or advice really will be appreciated, thank you

gvmdaddy
Posts: 2245
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:28 pm

Post by gvmdaddy »

It does sound like a worn cv joint. Had the same on my last car, though not a QQ. Easy and relatively inexpensive to replace.
catsmum
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 1:25 pm

Post by catsmum »

gvmdaddy wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:45 am It does sound like a worn cv joint. Had the same on my last car, though not a QQ. Easy and relatively inexpensive to replace.
Thank you, this was what my husband said the first time he heard it but Nissan don't seem responsive to this - just don't know why they wouldn't check this when it was in for it's big service, front sensor query and this issue, and certainly should have looked at them on Wednesday when they had it in for the day to investigate in my opinion - surely cv joints should last longer than 25,000 miles though???
gvmdaddy
Posts: 2245
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:28 pm

Post by gvmdaddy »

Should really be picked up during a service and an advisory note made. 25k miles is low but not uncommon. Check the rubber gaiter on the joint to see if it’s split or come undone, that was the issue I had, twice.
Deleted User 3871

Post by Deleted User 3871 »

If your going to check your drive shaft, there are 2 joints on each drive shaft, an inner & an outer. I think gmvdaddy is referring to the outer joint that is the usual culprit. Here is a pic for you.


Image
gvmdaddy wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 11:38 am Should really be picked up during a service and an advisory note made. 25k miles is low but not uncommon. Check the rubber gaiter on the joint to see if it’s split or come undone, that was the issue I had, twice.
Deleted User 4481

Post by Deleted User 4481 »

Just a suggestion, it might be worth asking them to change the wheels front to back to see if tyre wear has any effect. Sounds daft but I had exactly the same noise on another car that was down to tyre movement at slow speed on a lot of steering lock.
Mark46
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 4:39 pm

Post by Mark46 »

Sounds like the left hand side outer cv joint but 25k is low miles for a cv joint to fail. If it turns out to be the cv joint I would push the dealer to check/replace both sides because chances are the other side is on its way out too. This work should be covered by your extended warranty and should only take half a day to complete.
QQ 2014 (64) 1.5dci n-tec+ (gun metallic)
DRL mod & mud flaps.
catsmum
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 1:25 pm

Post by catsmum »

Daewar wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 7:32 pm If your going to check your drive shaft, there are 2 joints on each drive shaft, an inner & an outer. I think gmvdaddy is referring to the outer joint that is the usual culprit. Here is a pic for you.


Image
gvmdaddy wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 11:38 am Should really be picked up during a service and an advisory note made. 25k miles is low but not uncommon. Check the rubber gaiter on the joint to see if it’s split or come undone, that was the issue I had, twice.
Thank you for that my husband is home this weekend and is pretty good with cars as has had many apart over the years and looks after his classic cars so he had decided if Nissan couldn't resolve it this week then he is going to get under it and do some checking himself, so thank you for this
catsmum
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 1:25 pm

Post by catsmum »

Mark46 wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:49 pm Sounds like the left hand side outer cv joint but 25k is low miles for a cv joint to fail. If it turns out to be the cv joint I would push the dealer to check/replace both sides because chances are the other side is on its way out too. This work should be covered by your extended warranty and should only take half a day to complete.

Believe me if it is the CV joint I will be pushing for both to be replaced under warranty and I think the dealership know me well enough to know that if they don't sort it I will just go to the assistant again of the chief of nissan uk to get it sorted like I did the air conditioning farce abd he sorted the extended warranty out too - I am truly not 100% and this is a lot for me to deal with and I just can't believe that despite me mentioning there are and have been known cv joint issues on this model that they haven't checked them and especially when they had it in for the day this week - I love my QQ, this is my second one and I just want it fixing - so thank you
catsmum
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 1:25 pm

Post by catsmum »

BobM wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:05 pm Just a suggestion, it might be worth asking them to change the wheels front to back to see if tyre wear has any effect. Sounds daft but I had exactly the same noise on another car that was down to tyre movement at slow speed on a lot of steering lock.
Thank you for this as when you feel the clunky thud noise through the steering wheel it does feel like the tyre trying to get grip but the tyres are in good order and looked to be moving fine when my husband took the video and recorded the sound so we ruled tyres BUT with this suggestion of yours my husband is going to swap the tyres over and see if that is the issue, just in case so thank you
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