please help the newbie!

titannewbie23 · 08-23-2008, 03:42 PM

i just bought my dream truck! a 2004 titan le. it has 32,564 mi on it and i love it.it has only been home 3 days and i just started hearing a loud "clunk" when i go from reverse to drive.but not when i go the other way.never heard it before i have put about 120miles on it since i have had it(and no offroading just city driving). it also seems to happen when i shift into 4lo. please help fellow titan brothers and sisters! the deal covers for the next 60 days so if it is something i want them to take care of it.

spoonman · 08-23-2008, 04:05 PM

Are you completly stopped when you change from reverse to drive when it clunks? Also do you "race" through the gears when you do the change. Mine clunks but only when i change from reverse to drive very fast. If i go slowy in between it doesnt clunk.

titannewbie23 · 08-23-2008, 04:20 PM

not sure if i do it too fast i can try slower.yeah i am completly stopped when i do it.never heard it till today. i have been trying to hear if any weird noises happen within the "warrenty" period. just hoping the rear isn't shot and i just got it

spoonman · 08-23-2008, 04:29 PM

Well since its an 04, check what rear diff you have. Does it have a steel black colored (or maybe rusty colored) rear differential cover in the middle? Those are the ones that had some problems. If the center is aluminum and finned the previous owner or dealer might have either replaced the cover (which cools better) or the rear end might have been replaced.

titannewbie23 · 08-23-2008, 05:08 PM

i do have the black"rust" colored one. i hope i don't have any problems. is that noise common.i'm coming from an altima so not sure of the standard noises of a 4 whell drive beast

*yourpapi* · 08-23-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titannewbie23

i do have the black"rust" colored one. I hope i don't have any problems. Is that noise common.i'm coming from an altima so not sure of the standard noises of a 4 whell drive beast

sounds like your rear end is going out.

**Kronos1965** · 08-23-2008, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yourpapi

sounds like your rear end is going out.

It's not the rear end going out.

It can however be something like the solenoid or the transmission.

You may want to ask about the finned differential cover which holds a larger capacity than the original one. There is a TSB on this and they should consider replacing it.

sudden urge · 08-23-2008, 09:15 PM

What you're hearing is perfectly normal. I heard brand new Titans at the dealer clunk when shifting from reverse to drive or drive into reverse. You need to pause in neutral for just a second, and that will eliminate the clunk noise. There's play in the rear gears, pausing in neutral releases half of the gear play before shifting forward or backwards.

**ffn8** · 08-23-2008, 09:20 PM

only time i get it is when i park on a hill

sudden urge · 08-23-2008, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffn8

only time i get it is when i park on a hill

That's different though. If you have no clunk when shifting from reverse to drive or drive to reverse without a neutral pause, you have a rare special Titan.

On second thought, your trans is probably slipping and not exerting the force it should, had to throw that in.

mike_d · 08-25-2008, 04:18 PM

mine will make a clunk noise if im parked on a steep grade, or if I pull all the way up on somehting like a a curb and put in park without letting it roll back to get the tires off the middle of a curb jump!

LIVE305 · 09-12-2008, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike_d

mine will make a clunk noise if im parked on a steep grade, or if I pull all the way up on somehting like a a curb and put in park without letting it roll back to get the tires off the middle of a curb jump!

that's cause the entire weight of your truck is settling on the transmission's park pawl mechanism. to avoid the noise for you, try the following. come to a stop and keep your foot on the regular brake. put the transmission in neutral and set the parking brake. take your foot off the regular brake. the truck will settle on the parking brakes. then you can place the transmission in park. if done correctly you won't have any noise when you pull it out of park again.