Noise from passenger side - ATP related?

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zephyr

zephyr

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2016
Messages
154
Hi, although my Terrano has passed MOT only last week, I've got a new issue. The noise. I would appreciate if you can advise me what this noise could be before taking any action.

The noise is like putting a hardwire to the fan when it's spinning making intermittent some kind of hitting sound (might not be actually hitting - or electrical related). Initially I thought it was something related to a blower motor underneath of dash on passenger side getting something inside - that was before I parked in the shopping centre but I wasn't sure.

Then when I came back to the car and started engine, I noticed that the ATP light was on. (What does this ATP light mean?) It's not really complete on but flashing as it was making sound - as if it's synchronising. It's not constant, it's intermittent.

I thought I shouldn't drive, but when I put the gear (mine's auto) to D and started driving, the light went away but this sound stayed. I noticed that the noise didn't happen when I accelerate, but as soon as I release acceleration pedal it started making sound. Also the noise was almost one when I drove very slowly (10mph), also noise also sounds like to be linked with the car movement (road bumps lightly stopped it).

I also noted that it didn't make a noise when the engine was idling. I drove back to home taking about 30 minutes and ATP light didn't turn on. So ATP light only turned on when I started engine (with the gear in P).

If anyone knows this issue or any suggestion that I can check, your advice would be great. (I'll be on business trip from tomorrow so have to leave my car until weekend)

(I posted this to here but might be related to "Electrical & Interior"....)
 
Last edited:
Now I feel a little dumb and I've got an auto but what's the ATP light?

Does the noise only appear whilst the car is rolling? And if so does the speed of the noise speed up with the car speeding up?
If yes to both those it sounds like an auto locking hub on the front wheels sticking. See the download about servicing them. Depends on year but yours was around the change over from auto locking hubs to fixed. Take a photo of the centre of you front wheels with the centre trim removed as we will be able to tell you if yours is fixed or auto locking.
 
He has fixed hubs, but I have no idea what the ATP light is, Rick
 
Found this on net may be some use. Never had a automatic so all foreign to me.

The ATP light comes on when the transfer case is in Neutral and the transmission is in Park. It's there to alert the driver that putting the transmission in Park will not prevent the vehicle from rolling since the axles are disconnected from the transmission's park pawl.
If the transfer case is not actually in Neutral, then it's just a sensor glitch.

This light indicates that the Automatic Transmission Parking function is not engaged. If the transfer control lever is not secured in any drive position while the automatic transmission selector lever is in the P (Park) position, the transmission will disengage and the vehicle may move unexpectedly.
 
Sounds then like the 4 wheel drive lever is not completely in the two wheel position, first item to check, Rick
 
solarman216 said:
Sounds then like the 4 wheel drive lever is not completely in the two wheel position, first item to check, Rick
Click to expand...

I agree that would explain the noise as well. Might be worth engaging and disengaging the Hi drive lever. Perhaps the tester thought it was gear lever or tried to disengaged the 4 wheel drive on the brake test ?
 
Thank you all for your replies. What I did at the parking when I stared the engine when the ATP light was flickering is to change 2WD mode to 4WD, and change it back to 2WD, though I didn't go through N, or 4WD (either H or L - sorry can't remember) and it didn't change the noise and flickering.

Jim, thanks for your suggestion - Rick, thank you for update what you did and also your suggestion.

Thomas61, thank you - I think I saw a similar explanation but because I didn't actually touch the transfer case (which is to switch 2wd/4wd, right?) since last month but macabethiel, you are right, something was done when they were doing MOT so I will check either tomorrow or in coming weekend.:thumbs
 
The noise still stays but I had little time to test. When the transfer shift is in neutral, the noise didn't occur, but as soon as I shift it to 4h, 4l, 2d - the noise came back.

Now I've been researching what this could be and also make sure it doesn't harm anything if I continue to drive. In the mean time I found this thread elsewhere and will see if I simulate the solution explained, though this might be manual...
 
zephyr said:
The noise still stays but I had little time to test. When the transfer shift is in neutral, the noise didn't occur, but as soon as I shift it to 4h, 4l, 2d - the noise came back.

Now I've been researching what this could be and also make sure it doesn't harm anything if I continue to drive. In the mean time I found this thread elsewhere and will see if I simulate the solution explained, though this might be manual...
Click to expand...

Tried but didn't work...:(
 
The only other thing I can think of is the rear diff, I had another member here some while ago with similar mechanical noise, that with me running beside I identified as coming from the diff, I was so conviced that something was amiss with it that I removed the cover plate, but found nothing wrong, so put it back and filled with LSD oil, job sorted, so upshot is try an oil change, Rick
 
solarman216 said:
The only other thing I can think of is the rear diff, I had another member here some while ago with similar mechanical noise, that with me running beside I identified as coming from the diff, I was so conviced that something was amiss with it that I removed the cover plate, but found nothing wrong, so put it back and filled with LSD oil, job sorted, so upshot is try an oil change, Rick
Click to expand...


Hi Rick, this is about front differential oil change, right? One question on this assumption, if I continue to drive when this differential oil needs to be changed, would it damage the car in any way? I'd be thinking to bring the car back to the garage to get it done if I go for this which isn't too long drive but the car is being used every day to send/pick up my kid.
 
No the front diff is an "open" diff, LSD only applies to the rear, as to will it cause damage if you continue to drive, the answer is no short term, I am not saying this is defineately your problem but unless you have a transfer box problem I cannot think of anything else, Rick
 
solarman216 said:
No the front diff is an "open" diff, LSD only applies to the rear, as to will it cause damage if you continue to drive, the answer is no short term, I am not saying this is defineately your problem but unless you have a transfer box problem I cannot think of anything else, Rick
Click to expand...

Ooooh, thanks Rick. When you say rear, would the noise could come from front passenger side even if that's the case? When the light is flickering, it makes electric grinding sound noise with it.
 
zephyr said:
Ooooh, thanks Rick. When you say rear, would the noise could come from front passenger side even if that's the case? When the light is flickering, it makes electric grinding sound noise with it.
Click to expand...

I would need to hear this first hand to be able to comment further, Rick
 
Sounds like a relay or something. Wonder if theres some sort of corrosion on some terminals somewhere.
 
jims-terrano said:
Sounds like a relay or something. Wonder if theres some sort of corrosion on some terminals somewhere.
Click to expand...

As the sound appeared to come from front passenger side, I actually was thinking to open underneath of passenger globe box to see if there's something as the sound was being made really somewhere near. Initially I thought something stuck in the heater related motor or something.
 
Look in the downloads section for the pollen filter as the instructions show you how to remove the glove box:thumbs
 
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