Click!Click!Click! New drive shaft?

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tekkie

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
14
Location
Toronto, Canada
I have a 2018 Leaf SL and last week I brought it in for the 12 months maintenance and have the dealer check on the clicking noise at the front whenever I accelerate from stop or when coming to a stop. This happens whether I have the E-Pedal on or not. From the research I found on the Internet, I understand this was a common problem with the front drive shaft and there was a TSB for lubricating it with grease. I mention the TSB to the dealer, and after a drive test, they agreed that there was a TSB and will fix it under warranty. An hour later, they told me I had to leave my car for a couple of days because they have to order a new drive shaft! The reason they gave me was there was a nut they had to take out and the nut was rusted and somehow the drive shaft was damaged when they tried to take the nut out. They gave me a loaner for a couple of days, so I was okay with that.

The problem is when I got my Leaf back, I can still hear the click when it starts going from stop and when it comes to as stop, although the click is not as loud as before. I complained to them and they explained that this is the solenoid click and it is considered as "normal operation". When I told them I did not hear this click when I got the Leaf, they said this click will happen over time and will get louder as the car ages. For better measure, I tested my co-worker's Leaf (which he bought after I introduced my Leaf to him) and his car was silent. Both of our Leafs were bought at approx. 3 weeks apart, although he only has 9,000 km compared to my 24,000 km.

Question: Is the dealer's statement about the solenoid click above correct?
 
To replace the drive shaft, the dealer would have to take the wheels off so I would imagine they used the correct torque setting when putting wheels back. I can try to tighten the wheels again with my torque wrench setting to 80 ft/lbs and see what happens.
 
Was the click still there when you drove it home, or did it come back shortly afterward? As I understand it, the issue is the rims and wheels being two different metals, with the nuts loosening if not torqued properly. That dealership sounds like a great candidate for doing something simple wrong...
 
Regardless of the competence of anyone working on my car, I ALWAYS retorque wheels when I get home. Highly rated Toyota dealer had torqued my Avalon wheels so tight I couldn't even break them loose! When I returned, the service director brought the tech out to the lobby area, where I was waiting, and had him apologize to me in person.

Another bit of advice: skip the service adviser, deal with the service director, or whatever the title is for the service dept mgr. Until I establish a working relationship with a tech (ALWAYS the SAME ONE!), I never even stop at the service adviser desk(s).
 
Tekkie - if you are listening to this thread, I tried to PM you but did not work, PM gets stuck in outbox, don't know why this happens.

I am having the same issue as the OP, clicking noise for my 2018 SL, about 10K miles on car.

Has anyone gotten the answer from the dealership? How is it resolved? Is there a tech bulletin?

thank you.
 
PM gets stuck in outbox, don't know why this happens.

You likely need to delete some existing messages, as free members at least are limited to a fairly low message total. That used to drive me nuts when I was getting frequent PMs about Leaf issues, and had to delete older messages to be able to reply...
 
gncndad said:
Regardless of the competence of anyone working on my car, I ALWAYS retorque wheels when I get home.

Same here. Usually they'll set the impact gun way over spec but I've also found them too loose. I redo and set with a torque wrench. I've had it vastly wrong too many times. If it's too tight to loosen without risking the lug or stud, it's far better to return the next day and have THEM deal with it. If you discover it months later, you're probably out of luck.
 
I'm afraid that I've gotten feeble enough that I now just kick the tires to make sure the lugs were actually tightened. At least I use a reliable tire service.
 
Baltneu said:
... I tried to PM you but did not work, PM gets stuck in outbox, don't know why this happens.
It's a quirk of phpBB (this forum software). Private Messages live in the outbox until they are read, then if/when the recipient opens the PM, they go to the sent box (whatever that's called). People panic and think it's not sent at all, i.e. the PM is stuck on their computer, but it's just that the "outbox" is poorly named. They should call it the "unread" or "unopened" or "unseen" box or similar. It's actually good to know whether the recipient has opened the PM or not.
 
Nubo said:
gncndad said:
Regardless of the competence of anyone working on my car, I ALWAYS retorque wheels when I get home.

Same here. Usually they'll set the impact gun way over spec but I've also found them too loose. I redo and set with a torque wrench. I've had it vastly wrong too many times. If it's too tight to loosen without risking the lug or stud, it's far better to return the next day and have THEM deal with it. If you discover it months later, you're probably out of luck.

So many places now use torque sticks on the impact wrench. I don't get it, because my limited experience as a consumer has told me that the torque sticks are just plain inaccurate...probably "operator error", or "operator too casual."

My first visit to a new-to-me Toyota dealership, I made a friendly challenge to the Service Director (I NEVER deal with a Service Adviser until I've met with the Service Director!!!!) that I would check lug nut torque after the tire rotation. I checked. They were at 140 lb/ft instead of 76!!!!!! I returned, with a smile (no need to be pissed!) to the dealership. The Service Director brought the tech out and had him apologize to me, in person, in the showroom!!!!!

(I have since followed the Service Director to a different dealership, where he has surrounded himself with excellent techs! They always allow me in the garage if I have a question.)
 
No one seems to have answer to my question about the clicking noise.
Taking car to dealer next week and will report back.
 
Baltneu said:
No one seems to have answer to my question about the clicking noise.
Taking car to dealer next week and will report back.

Google for:

"NTB 12-055" site:mynissanleaf.com

Although that technical service bulletin is for older LEAFs, your description of the problem sounds very similar...
 
Baltneu said:
No one seems to have answer to my question about the clicking noise.
Taking car to dealer next week and will report back.

We also had a clicking sound coming from the front part of our 2018 Leaf. There was a click sound during slow acceleration from stop position, and a click sound during deceleration from 30 kph.
Took it to the dealership to have it checked out last week. They replaced the drive shaft and gave the reason as '"deformed front joint". We also had the battery bonding plates replaced as per recall at the same time. All done within 4 hours.

All is well now, no more click click!
 
WhiteLeaf said:
Baltneu said:
No one seems to have answer to my question about the clicking noise.
Taking car to dealer next week and will report back.

We also had a clicking sound coming from the front part of our 2018 Leaf. There was a click sound during slow acceleration from stop position, and a click sound during deceleration from 30 kph.
Took it to the dealership to have it checked out last week. They replaced the drive shaft and gave the reason as '"deformed front joint". We also had the battery bonding plates replaced as per recall at the same time. All done within 4 hours.

All is well now, no more click click!

Thanks for the info.
I am at dealer now with my 2018 SL, they took car in and told me that there is a service bulletin on this. Told me that there is a nut that won’t torque. Getting part now and waiting for it. With all I am reading on this, I think it is more than a nut that won’t torque. So now I wait, part to be installed and the road tested.
 
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