# Am i paranoid? is this noise normal



## perrin21 (Aug 10, 2012)

I have been told my new bell housing is going to be noisier than the old one. and it didnt seem that bad, however last night i was having a drive in manual mode and i noticed some noise in 1st and 2nd gear under acceleration (no it wasnt the engine lol) and i just wanted to make sure its normal. When i got home there was still noise so i made a short recording. Hope it comes through. I want to make sure all is perfect before the warranty expires in nov.

Mark

here is the link http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26021927/Video 18-08-2012 17 13 06.mov


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## james1 (Aug 23, 2010)

That's the bellhousing.....

Best way to check is if you are getting the noise and vibration when driving under load....If so its time for an HPC inspection

Also have the car in park and rev it up to 2k and as the revs drop back down see if the 'dinner plate' rattle is noticeable as the revs drop back around 1500-1800rpm. 

It's important to note that they rattle as part of normal operation and the clunks and rattles can be totally normal- my new gtr is rattling away like mad with barely 3k on the clock.

J


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## perrin21 (Aug 10, 2012)

james1 said:


> That's the bellhousing.....
> 
> Best way to check is if you are getting the noise and vibration when driving under load....If so its time for an HPC inspection
> 
> ...


There is some noise under acceleration sometimes but i dont know if this is normal. Its booked in at middlehursts on 13th for its optimisation so i will ask them to check it.


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## Anders_R35 (Jul 20, 2011)

Mine rattled like a bag of spanners from new, but recently it got worse. HPC said it's on its way out but not quite out of spec yet.

Anders


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## perrin21 (Aug 10, 2012)

Anders_R35 said:


> Mine rattled like a bag of spanners from new, but recently it got worse. HPC said it's on its way out but not quite out of spec yet.
> 
> Anders


The bellhousing was only replaced July 2012, could it really fail so soon?


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## Anders_R35 (Jul 20, 2011)

Mine started to go after 8-9 months and only 4.5K miles. Bad news if the MY12 bellhousing is still not a fix, as that's what I'll be having installed when mine eventually dies.


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## Papa Smurf (Sep 25, 2008)

perrin21 said:


> The bellhousing was only replaced July 2012, could it really fail so soon?


The simple answer is NO

I would make sure that the original job was done properly as it sounds like there may be something wrong. Did Middlehurst's do the bell housing in July 2012? If they did then take it straight back to get the noise checked and have some peace of mind. Do not wait, do it now.


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## perrin21 (Aug 10, 2012)

nurburgringgtr said:


> The simple answer is NO
> 
> I would make sure that the original job was done properly as it sounds like there may be something wrong. Did Middlehurst's do the bell housing in July 2012? If they did then take it straight back to get the noise checked and have some peace of mind. Do not wait, do it now.


I went to Middlehursts yesterday afternoon and had it all checked they gave a clean bill of health.


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## bones (Jun 7, 2012)

james1 said:


> That's the bellhousing.....
> 
> Also have the car in park and rev it up to 2k and as the revs drop back down see if the 'dinner plate' rattle is noticeable as the revs drop back around 1500-1800rpm.
> 
> J


Isn't the dinner plate rattle something to do with the brakes? I am sure i have this and sometimes it sounds while parked. But mostly it rattles over pot holes etc.. When riding the brakes there is no rattle so this is how i suspect it is brake related.


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## OldBob (Oct 18, 2010)

james1 said:


> That's the bellhousing.....
> 
> Best way to check is if you are getting the noise and vibration when driving under load....If so its time for an HPC inspection
> 
> ...


Yes the rattle at idle is the usual tell tale. However I was explicitly trying to focus on the noise/vibration when on constant throttle or off throttle, for me at around 4000rpm (in any gear) or transitioning through this range where the noise is a horrible rasping/grinding/vibrating as per this thread on Nagtroc that I've been on

rattling/ grinding sound around 2500 rpm from cat area - Engine - NAGTROC - The Nissan GT-R Owners Club

Is this how any others experience with bellhousing manifests itself? 
I too have the usual rattle referred to here at idle and vibration around 1500rpm

I'm seeing Indie tomorrow am for him to listen to it in any event, so I'll post results


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## Taff1275 (Jan 25, 2012)

Be interesting to heat what he has to say, I too have the vibration whilst idling and the rattling noise, I had it checked out in Feb by Middlehurst and was told that it was within tolerances, planning to visit them again in the next few weeks to check again as the noise has got worse


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## OldBob (Oct 18, 2010)

Also posted on Nagtroc, but heres the update:

Took the car to the NHPC today and they confirmed this noise was the bellhousing. I asked if they'd heard many as bad and they replied they've heard worse.
They then put the car up on the lift and were a bit surprised at how sloppy the prop shaft / bell housing bearing etc actually was. "huge" movement in and out and especially up and down.
Anyway, they've downloaded flicker data and are going to process a claim for warranty. The car has been modded for the last 12,000 miles and been on track once earlier in the year (followed immediately by a full service btw). The Flicker data had the yellow indifferent face on the judgement part and the Master Tech, talking me through it, said it didn't look at all like I'd been hammering it (I'm a pussy). So I'll hear in the next few days if they will do it under warranty.
I bloody well hope they do because there are lots of precedent in the UK.

So I've booked in to get it done provisional timing in October :-( cos they're busy.

Up to then I'll stay short shifting, it's still real quick even not going near 4K rpm.

Will update further jfyi

So in summary for those searching different threads, in my case not only does the car have the usual clonking/knocking rattle at tickover (with a vibration through the cabin around 1500rpm), also has a loud horrible rattling/grinding vibrating noise transitioning through 4K revs on light throttle or on the overun back down. This is a manifestation of a shagged bell housing/bearing.


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## OldBob (Oct 18, 2010)

Update: My car has been accepted for Bellhousing replacement under warranty. 
Nissan Technical confirmed that any further issues with this will not be covered unless the car is returned to standard (as CC et al have already noted in another thread)
Booked in early October WLMG Slough.


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## SamboGrove (Jun 27, 2010)

OldBob said:


> Update: My car has been accepted for Bellhousing replacement under warranty.
> Nissan Technical confirmed that any further issues with this will not be covered unless the car is returned to standard (as CC et al have already noted in another thread)
> Booked in early October WLMG Slough.


Seems to be the standard Nissan response.

Fingers crossed the do the same for me when i get mine checked.


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## OldBob (Oct 18, 2010)

Update: had the work done over the last 3 days at WLMG Slough done by Indie all covered by warranty. Was given the usual Juke Dig-it as a loan car...CVT does sound funny - not a bad car as a run-around actually.
Picked it up today and I can't believe how noisy my old one actually was! There now (as you'd expect?) is no rumble at all on starting, smooth as a baby's bum and not a hint of noise or vibration all through the rev range now. I haven't yet really listened hard for any subjective level of "normal" rattle on idle when cold or warm. It's not obvious currently so I'll keep an ear out to calibrate myself and see if it subjectively gets worse over a period of time.
Anyway, currently I'm delighted, Indie even refitted the washers on my under-tray that stop it hitting the exhaust fixing arm, I thought they'd miss that.
So early days yet only picking it up today, but presently I have to give WLMG slough a positive endorsement. Hope it lasts...


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## Ja5on (Nov 18, 2009)

my cars recently making the exact same rattling noise as that perrin. Lads at middlehurst said bell housing as soon as I explained it. Just doesnt sound pretty


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## OldBob (Oct 18, 2010)

So a couple of weeks on after new bellhousing and a couple of hundred miles:
No vibration or harshness driving/through the gears. Still v smooth.
The "Usual" rattle coming from under the car at idle is still present, now I've listened for it. 
Have noticed a bit of a burning smell when stationary after a spirited drive. Hope it's some material/grease whatever getting burned off. It's in for service next week I'll ask them to check.


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## KingOfTheGT-R (May 21, 2011)

It might be worth checking out litchfields bell housing.

I'm sure they said it won't rattle and will last longer.


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## perrin21 (Aug 10, 2012)

has anyone had a 2012 bell housing replaced after going bad yet?


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## alex_123_fra (Mar 26, 2008)

Just got mine back this morning from Indie at West London Nissan in Slough. Great work as usual. Car is very smooth now and no vibration at all. It also sounds much quieter on tickover whereas previously there was a significant burble.

Indie was also kind enough to replace my worn anti-roll bar bushes which has eliminated knocking when going over potholes. Really happy with it now and hopefully the new bell housing revision will last a long time.

Re: the burning smell, I was told it is normal and it just takes a while for the material from the surrounding area to get burned off with heat.


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## OldBob (Oct 18, 2010)

Thx Alex, that is what I was told about the burning smell when I subsequently put it in for a minor service and asked Indie to check, although they said something about materials had got onto the turbo.. It does seem to have abated somewhat though, but I haven't used it much recently to confirm it's gone completely.


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