Strange noise in Nissan Modernshite

[406V6]

Recently on holiday I had a hire car which developed a problem that later cleared – as I'll explain. Can any of our knowledgeable contributors explain what happened. It's the sort of thing that seemingly could happen to anyone without warning and knowing the details might help a reader in future.

 

The hire car was a Nissan Qashqai modern-shitemobile about 6 months old with 25,000 miles on the clock, so not exactly the sort of clapped out chod many readers are driving around in. During the usual holiday activities, one day when we drove away after the car had been parked for about 10 minutes (perfectly normal behaviour before stopping) there was a moderately loud chafing noise from the front of the car. It was speed related with a metallic character to the sound, not related to the engine at all but I couldn't tell which side. There was nothing dragging underneath the car. After braking heavily the noise was reduced slightly but got slowly louder again. I stopped the car and reversed a distance (this had cured a similar noise on a different car in the past) but it made no difference. After driving for 10 minutes or so and after a few test stops the noise was still there. It wasn't what you would call a discreet noise – it was quite alarming - and we were at the point of deciding whether to take the car back to the hire company or not. Before then, because I thought it might be brake related I decided to do a full scale controlled emergency stop with maximum pressure on the brake pedal to see what happened. I did this from about 30 mph using serious leg pressure, the ABS cut in and the car stopped. Upon driving away the noise had gone and the braking behaved normally afterwards. Any ideas what happened ? Seemingly brake related but this is beyond my technical knowledge.

[Junkman]

Fuggin newfangled shit electric handbrake tosh equipped?

[daveb47]

Stone in the brake caliper most likely.

[Rocket88]

I think daveb has nailed it.....................

[DVee8]

yeah sounds like a stone stuck

[overrun]

I have had a stone caught between disc and shit guard before. Similar noises.

[Volksy]

A mates Polo had a similar problem, turns out a flattened drinks can was sat on the lower wishbone and rubbing on the driveshaft.

[fiatdaft]

All  modern cars r shit etc

[overrun]

All  modern cars r shit etc

I will throw 'French crap!' into the hat, too.

[Tetleysmooth]

 

Stone in the brake caliper most likely.

My late father-in-law had the same noise in his Primera.

That turned out to be a stone in the caliper.

[Danblez]

This has to be the dullest thread ever to appear on AS.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

No way, theres loads which are duller than this one

[brickwall]

Modern car brought to halt by a chucky stone.  Says something; not sure what.