Clicking noise during acceleration and decceleration

[UkrainianKozak]

I'd be curious if others have the sound stop when braking in neutral, as I was able to find out. I'm assuming this eliminates the brakes as the cause of the noise.

Yes, same for me, If I break on neutral I don't have a noise, and I actually can make some small crackling noise while playing between max regen in Eco and full accelleration, without touching the brakes at all. it is definitely coming from somewhere in drivetrain.

[Bateman]

Interesting that your relatively early-build 2011 and my brand new 2013 domestic unit have the same symptoms.

[TomT]

Apparently the problem is that the cotter keys can get loose and rattle in the hub. It is not a safety or mechanical issue, just a noise...

for what its worth, I had this same problem and was told it was s simple fix - "replacing the cotter pins at the hubs on the two front wheels." they did this yesterday, free under warrantee, and the clicking sound seems to be gone. they said theyve seen this alot (not sure if just on Leafs or on other Nissans too). We'll see if it comes back.

That does not sound right...
Cotter pins are there just for safety, to make sure the main axle nut won't come lose, but AFAIK that nut should be always tightened to a certain momentum, so the only way the cotter pin can make sound is if the nut is loose, which is a bad thing by itself and might cause the wheel to wobble...

[Bateman]

Apparently the problem is that the cotter keys can get loose and rattle in the hub. It is not a safety or mechanical issue, just a noise...

Any chance you can confirm your vehicle still makes the noise when braking in neutral? If its really a cotter pin, it should happen regardless of transmission selection....

[UkrainianKozak]

Apparently the problem is that the cotter keys can get loose and rattle in the hub. It is not a safety or mechanical issue, just a noise...

for what its worth, I had this same problem and was told it was s simple fix - "replacing the cotter pins at the hubs on the two front wheels." they did this yesterday, free under warrantee, and the clicking sound seems to be gone. they said theyve seen this alot (not sure if just on Leafs or on other Nissans too). We'll see if it comes back.

That does not sound right...
Cotter pins are there just for safety, to make sure the main axle nut won't come lose, but AFAIK that nut should be always tightened to a certain momentum, so the only way the cotter pin can make sound is if the nut is loose, which is a bad thing by itself and might cause the wheel to wobble...

Maybe we are talking about different issues here...
The noise that I'm talking about has nothing similar to rattle, it sounds more like stress crackling, and the more power you give, the louder it is and you hear more crackling. Rattle from loose pins would not depend on the torque... only on rotation... and I can't imaging how can you get that LOUD crackling from loose pin...

[TomT]

Actually, mine has never had that noise; I was just reporting what I had been told...
Mine had the whir at very low speeds (below 3 mph) caused by the lub issue (for which there is a TSB). BTW, that fix only lasted about 2,000 miles and the noise is now back... Sigh.

Apparently the problem is that the cotter keys can get loose and rattle in the hub. It is not a safety or mechanical issue, just a noise...

Any chance you can confirm your vehicle still makes the noise when braking in neutral? If its really a cotter pin, it should happen regardless of transmission selection....

[Bateman]

Took my car into the dealer, they called and said that they have lubricated splines in the drivetrain and that has fixed it. I'll know more tomorrow and only time will tell if that fixes the issue permanently.

[cliff]

The noise that I'm talking about has nothing similar to rattle, it sounds more like stress crackling, and the more power you give, the louder it is and you hear more crackling.

Hopefully not from bearing arcing due to a problem with the reduction gear brush. I don't know if
you could hear this, but have read that it can reduce bearing life by 80%. I found it interesting that
the brush is not directly on the motor rotor, but instead on the offset gear. I wonder if this means
the gear oil needs to be conductive?

[planet4ever]

Hopefully not from bearing arcing due to a problem with the reduction gear brush.

Good try, but not on a LEAF motor. It has no brushes at all. The rotor is a permanent magnet, and the only place the electricity goes is to the stator.

Ray

[cliff]

Good try, but not on a LEAF motor. It has no brushes at all. The rotor is a permanent magnet, and the only place the electricity goes is to the stator.

Ray

Because the stator is driven by high voltage pulses that simulate a sine wave, I have read that there are
2 effects, one is the the high voltage spikes induce a voltage in the rotor, 2 because it is not
a perfect sine wave the 3 phase drive is not always balanced, so current flows in the rotor.
The article I read (sorry lost reference) showed pictures of deep scoring in a bearing (though
not the Leaf motor). I suspect lower voltage dc brushless motors may not be as strongly effected.
The service manual does show a brush in the reduction gear.