NOISE, VIBRATION AND HARSHNESS (NVH) TROUBLESHOOTING
PS-5
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NOISE, VIBRATION AND HARSHNESS (NVH) TROUBLESHOOTINGPFP:00003
NVH Trouble shooting ChartEGS000A9
Use the chart below to help you find the cause of the symptom. If necessary, repair or replace these parts.
×: ApplicableReference page
PS-6PS-6PS-17PS-17PS-17PS-6PS-7–
EM-13
.
–
PS-12
–
PS-10PS-10PS-13
NVH in PR section
NVH in RFD section
NVH in FAX, RAX, FSU, RSU section
NVH in WT section
NVH in WT section
NVH in RAX section
NVH in BR section
Possible cause and SUSPECTED PARTS
Fluid level
Air in hydraulic system
Tie-rod ball joint swinging force
Tie-rod ball joint rotating torque
Tie-rod ball joint end play
Steering gear fluid leakage
Steering wheel play
Steering gear rack sliding force
Drive belt looseness
Improper steering wheel
Improper installation or looseness or tilt lock lever
Mounting rubber deterioration
Steering column deformation or damage
Improper installation or looseness of steering column
Steering linkage looseness
PROPELLER SHAFT
DIFFERENTIAL
AXLE AND SUSPENSION
TIRES
ROAD WHEEL
DRIVE SHAFT
BRAKES
Symptom STEERINGNoise× × ××××× × × ×××××× ×
Shake××× × ×××× ×
Vibration××××× × ×× ×
Shimmy××× × ××× ×
Judder× × ××× ×
PS-6
POWER STEERING FLUID
POWER STEERING FLUIDPFP:KLF20
Checking Fluid LevelEGS0004B
Check the fluid level with the engine OFF.
Check that fluid level is between MAX and MIN marks on tank.
Fluid level should not exceed MAX mark. Excessive fluid will
cause fluid to leak from cap.
Note that fluid level can change depending on temperature of
fluid. HIGH and LOW marks are shown on tank to indicate the
proper level at high temperature and low temperature respec-
tively.
CAUTION:
Never reuse drained power steering fluid.
Use DEXRONTM III or equivalent. Never use Nissan Power Steering Fluid Special, Nissan Matic
Fluid C, or D.
Checking Fluid LeakageEGS0004C
Check hydraulic connections for any leakage, crack, damage, loose-
ness, or wear.
1. Run engine until fluid temperature reaches 50 to 80°C (122 to
176°F) in reservoir tank. Keep engine speed at idle.
2. Turn steering wheel several times from stop to stop.
3. Turn the steering wheel clockwise or counter clockwise until it
reaches the stop and hold it for five seconds. Check for fluid
leak.
CAUTION:
Do not hold steering wheel at stop for 15 seconds or longer.
Otherwise, pump may be damaged.
4. If any leak is found on joint, loosen and retighten flair nut. Excessive tightening may damage O-ring,
washer, or connector.
Bleeding Hydraulic SystemEGS0004D
1. Lift vehicle.
2. Fill tank up to MAX mark. Turn steering wheel several times from stop to stop. Add fluid if fluid level goes
down. Repeat this step until there is no fluid decrease and no bubble in tank.
3. Start engine and repeat step above with engine at idle. Continue step until no decrease in fluid happens.
If bleeding is not complete, following symptoms can be observed.
Bubbles are created in reservoir tank.
Rattling noise can be heard from oil pump.
Whining noise can be heard from oil pump.
Turn steering wheel slowly or stop vehicle. Sound of fluid movement may be heard from gear valve and
pump. This sound has nothing to do with steering performance or durability.HOT : Oil temperature 50 to 80°C (122 to 176°F)
COLD : Oil temperature 0 to 30°C (32 to 86°F)
STC0996D
SST836C
STEERING WHEEL
PS-7
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STEERING WHEELPFP:48430
On-Vehicle Inspection and ServiceEGS0004E
PLAY INSPECTION
1. Turn steering wheel to straight-ahead position. Start engine and lightly turn steering wheel clockwise and
counter clockwise until front wheels start moving. Measure travel to starting point on circumference of
steering wheel.
2. If play is outside specifications, check following parts for proper installation: steering gear assembly, front
suspension, axles, and steering column.
Check steering wheel for vertical, horizontal, or axial play.
Lift vehicle and check steering gear mounting bolts and nuts for looseness.
NEUTRAL POSITION INSPECTION
After the wheel alignment inspection, carry out the neutral position inspection. Refer to FSU-6, "Wheel
Alignment" .
Before removing steering wheel, check steering gear neutral position.
1. Set vehicle to straight-ahead position, and check that steering wheel is in neutral position.
2. If it is not in neutral position, remove steering wheel, and install again in properly.
3. If it is not adjusted within two teeth from center of gear, loosen tie rod lock nut. Then turn it to opposite
direction to adjust until amount of left and right becomes equal.
STEERING TORQUE CHECK
1. Stop vehicle on a dry flat paved road and apply parking brake.
2. Start engine and wait until power steering fluid warms up. Using
a preload gauge (SST), check rotating torque of steering wheel.
3. If torque is outside specifications, check rack sliding torque and
oil pump relief pressure.
STEERING ANGLE INSPECTION
After toe-in inspection, check steering angle. Place front wheels
on turning radius gauges and rear wheels on stands. Level the
vehicle. Check maximum inner and outer wheel steering angles
for LH and RH road wheels.Steering wheel play inspection standard : 0 - 35 mm (0 - 1.38 in)
Steering wheel axial endplay : 0 mm (0 in)
Tightening torque : 140 - 160 N·m (15 - 16 kg-m, 104 - 118 ft-lb)
Steering torque:
706 N·cm (72 kg-cm, 62 in-lb) or less
Rack sliding torque:
153 - 240 N (15.5 - 24.5 kg, 34.3 - 54.2 lb)
Oil pump relief hydraulic pressure:
8,000 - 8,800 kPa (81.4 - 87.3 bar, 83 - 89 kg/cm
2 , 1,180 - 1,266 psi)
STA0005D
FAA0016D
PS-8
STEERING WHEEL
Start engine. With engine at idle, turn steering wheel from stop
to stop and measure steering angles.
If angles are outside specification, measure rack stroke.
If rack stroke is outside of specification, disassemble steering
gear to check rack stroke.
Steering angles are not adjustable. If any of steering angles is different from specified value, check steer-
ing gear, the column and the front suspension components for wear or damage. If any abnormality exists,
replace the malfunctioning parts.
Removal and InstallationEGS0004F
REMOVAL
1. Remove air bag module. Refer to SRS-30, "DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE" .
2. Remove horn connector.
3. Remove steering wheel mounting nut and paint mating marks on steering wheel body and top of column
shaft.
4. Using a steering wheel puller (SST), remove steering wheel.
INSTALLATION
Paying attention to following items, install in the reverse order of removal.
NOTE:
When reconnecting spiral cable, fix cable with a tape so that fixing case and rotating part keep aligned.
This will omit neutral position alignment procedure during spiral cable installation.
Neutral position (refer to figure)... Gently turn spiral cable clock-
wise until it comes to the stop. Then turn it counter clockwise
(approximately 3.0 turns) until centering mark is aligned with
adjustment mark. (Service part is fixed in neutral position with
stopper. It can be installed onto steering wheel without align-
ment once stopper is removed.)
CAUTION:
Place steering wheel as follows: Front wheels in straight-
ahead position. R mark on the cancel claw faces down. 3
bosses align with 3 holes behind steering wheel assembly.
Check that spiral cable is placed in neutral position and that
locating pin on the left of the spiral cable is aligned with the
locating pinhole behind the steering wheel assembly.
Do not rotate spiral cable more than necessary. Do not tighten them excessively. (The cable may
be torn off.)
After installation, check system for proper operation by observing air bag warning lamp.
If air bag indicator indicates any abnormal condition, use self-diagnosis function or CONSULT to
reset or cancel memory.Inner wheel Minimum : 36°
Nominal : 39°
Maximum : 40°
Outer wheel : 31°
Rack stroke : 66.5 mm (2.618 in)
SGIA0055E
SGIA0080E
SGIA0096E
STEERING COLUMN
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Connect lower joint onto steering gear with slot on lower portion
of lower joint engaged with guide tip projection. Check guide tip
is positioned as shown in the figure.
REMOVAL OF STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY
1. Remove steering wheel and column cover. Refer to PS-8, "REMOVAL" .
2. Remove instrument lower driver panel.
3. Remove spiral cable. Refer to SRS-33, "
Removal and Installation" .
4. Remove hole cover and mounting bolts and nuts on upper portion of lower joint.
5. Remove the key interlock cable from the steering column assembly. Refer to AT- 4 0 2 , "
KEY INTERLOCK
CABLE" .
6. Remove clamp and connector from steering column assembly.
7. Remove steering column assembly mounting nut and remove steering column assembly from vehicle.
CAUTION:
Do not deform lower bracket on steering column assembly during removal or installation.
INSTALLING STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY
Installation procedure should be used with steering lock unlocked.
1. Position on steering column assembly, and install steering column assembly to vehicle with mounting
nuts.
2. Attach mounting bolts and nuts on upper portion of lower joint.
CAUTION:
Do not reuse mounting nuts.
3. Connect clamp and connector.
4. Connect key interlock cable to steering column assembly. Refer to AT- 4 0 2 , "
KEY INTERLOCK CABLE"
5. Connect spiral cable. Refer to SRS-33, "Removal and Installation" .
6. Install instrument lower driver panel.
7. Install steering wheel and column cover. Refer to PS-8, "
INSTALLATION" .
CAUTION:
After installation, turn steering wheel. Be sure it turns smoothly with no disinterred condition,
binding, noise or excessive steering effort.
SGIA0105E
SGIA0010E
PS-12
STEERING COLUMN
Disassembly and AssemblyEGS00095
DISASSEMBLY
Disassembly and assembly procedures should be done with steering lock unlocked.
1. Remove combination switch and spiral cable from jacket tube.
2. Remove jacket tube-to-column shaft mounting nut and remove column shaft from jacket tube.
3. Remove spring from mount assembly.
4. Remove mounting nut and adjusting stopper.
5. Remove steering adjusting bolt and remove tilt lever stopper and tilt lever.
INSPECTION AFTER DISASSEMBLY
If steering wheel does not turn smoothly, check the following and replace malfunctioning part.
1. Check column shaft bearing for damage and other malfunctions. Lubricate with grease or replace column
shaft if necessary.
2. Check jacket tube for deformation and cracks, and replace if necessary.
If vehicle has slightly crashed, measure dimension “L” as
shown. If outside standard, replace steering column assem-
bly.
ASSEMBLY
Refer to component parts drawing for tightening torque and reverse disassembly procedure for assembly.
After assembling steering column, check tilt mechanism.
1. Column shaft 2. Clamp 3. Lower seal cover
4. Hole cover 5. Combination switch and spiral cable 6. Jacket tube
7. Mount assembly 8. Adjust stopper 9. Steering adjust bolt
10. Spring 11. Tilt lever stopper 12. Tilt lever
SGIA0016E
Dimension “L” : 543 mm (21.38 in)
STC0720D
PS-16
POWER STEERING GEAR AND LINKAGE
Disassembly and AssemblyEGS0004K
DISASSEMBLY
1. To disassemble and assemble power steering gear, fix steering
gear mount flange in a vise with copper plates.
CAUTION:
Clean steering gear with kerosene. Be careful to avoid
splashing or applying any kerosene over connector of
discharge port or return port.
Always replace O-rings, oil seals, and copper washes
with new ones.
2. Loosen and remove adjusting screws and lock nuts.
3. Remove rear housing mounting bolts to remove gear sub
assembly.
CAUTION:
Do not disassemble rear housing and pinion gear assem-
bly.
4. Remove tie rod outer socket and boot.
5. Remove spacer ring on lock plate. Move it to rack side to expose
crimping of lock plate.
CAUTION:
Do not reuse boot, spacer ring, and lock plate.
When removing boot, do not damage boot mounting
grooves by tool. If it damaged, it may cause oil leak.
Replace tie rod inner socket and gear housing assembly.
When removing lock plate from rack, avoid damaging
surface of rack. If damaged, rack assembly must be
replaced. Otherwise, oil leaks will result.
6. Raise crimping areas (2) (A) of lock plate. Loosen inner socket
and remove from rack.
1. Gear housing assembly 2. Cylinder tube 3. Rear cover cap
4. Rear housing assembly 5. Pinion seal ring 6. Pinion assembly
7. O ring 8. Lock nut 9. Adjusting screw
10. Spring 11. Retainer 12. Center bushing
13. Rack oil seal (inner) 14. Rack oil seal (outer) 15. Spacer
16. End cover assembly 17. Boot clamp 18. Dust boot
19. Boot band 20. Rack 21. Spacer ring
22. Rack Teflon ring 23. O-ring 24. Lock plate
25. Inner socket 26. Outer socket
SGIA0056E
SGIA0018E
SGIA0019E
POWER STEERING GEAR AND LINKAGE
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9. Install mounting bolts to rear housing. Tighten them to specified
torque.
10 .
11. Attach lock plate.
CAUTION:
The lock plate is not reusable. Never reuse lock plate.
a. Position spacer ring to rack.
b. Set lock plate to tie rod and inner socket.
c. Apply thread lock adhesive (Three Bond 1324 or equivalent) to
thread of inner socket. Screw inner socket into rack and tighten
to specified torque.
d. Crimp lock plate at two points on rack slit.
e. Install spacer ring to lock plate as shown in the figure.
CAUTION:
When installing spacer ring, avoid scratching it.
12. Decide neutral position of rack gear.
13. Coat the adjusting screw with locking sealant and screw it in.
14. Screw lock nut. Do not tighten lock nut.
15. Tighten adjusting screw to following specified torque.
16. Rotate throughout whole range of pinion so that parts fit with
each other.
17. Install rear cover cap.
18. Install cylinder tube.: 15.7 - 20.5 N·m (1.6 - 2.0 kg·m, 12 - 15 ft-lb)
SGIA0022J
Rack stroke (L) : 66.5 mm (2.618 in)
SST866C
STC0034D
: 4.9 - 5.9 N·m (0.5 - 0.6 kg-m, 44 - 52 in-lb)
: 20 - 26 N·m (2.0 - 2.7 kg-m,14 - 20 ft-lb)
SST742C