Can any experienced person help me find product/s to: 1) reduce car engine noise; 2) enhance car acceleration

Question

I have a '97 Nissan Sentra GXE to sell that has a low mileage of less than 65,000 miles. Two buyers at different times looked at it and had similar comments that the engine noise is quite loud for a low mileage engine. They also felt that its acceleration in the starting out phase is not good enough, and, particularly when going on an upward incline it tends to lose power and reduces speed drastically -- even when the acceleration pedal is pressed down fully. They both declined to purchase the vehicle on these grounds. Now I am afraid to show the car to anyone else fearing rejection again. I desperately want to get your assistance in finding out if there is a good product or products that have been proven to: 1) reduce engine noise significantly and make it sound smooth; 2) perk up the engine/transmission to give it a strong pickup at starting out from zero speed, and while going uphill. Will appreciate getting the products names and the store names /websites where available. Thanks.

Answer 1

Sounds like it needs a tune up. A dirty air filter and/or fuel filter can cause those problems. The engine noise might be coming from an engine that is being starved from fuel or air.

Answer 2

A Nissan Sentra is not really known for it's brisk acceleration anyway. But try Lucas oil stabilizer in the crankcase, that will help out. But don't try and deliberately sell a trash car either. There might be problem with the fuel injection that needs to be addressed before you sell. Take this car to a competent mechanic or lower the price and disclose what you think is wrong. There is a car for everyone and a used car is one that people want to get rid of. So by nature, people are suspicious.

Answer 3

In general you can change up to a good synthetic oil like Mobil1 which will quiet things down. Some people get good results from Restore and others (since I'm a FWD GM person) get good results from GM Top Engine Cleaner - don't let the name scare you, it won't hurt your Nissan. There's tons of products that are supposed to clean out your engine, but a lot of them just put more gunk in it.

As for your transmission, a good synthetic tranny fluid wouldn't hurt, and if you're feeling really ambitious a transmission cooler will make your transmission shift more consistently, because a cooler tranny shifts better. They're like $40 at a parts store and good mechanic could put it in in prolly 30 - 60 minutes.

Before any of this though, do as the others have said, spark plugs, air filter, and maybe some sort of fuel cleaner to get rid of carbon buildups. (Eventually a small layer of black soot-looking stuff gathers in your engine, and a cleaner or long term use of 93 gas sometimes cleans it up.)

Answer 4

don't try to change it by what they say...if they don't want it then fine...sell to someone else...and engine noise doesn't have anything to do with mileage...unless the exhaust system is rusted. As for acceleration, that's common for an economy car, it's not a race car, despite what some people may think. so just keep showing it to people, and don't fear rejection, because no offense, you will get a lot of that selling a car.

Answer 5

Put premium gas in it, that will give it a richer gas mixture - also, there's something called Engine honey, an additive you put in the crank case, which will also reduce the piston noise (which is what I'm suspecting they hear).

Answer 6

the problem that you are having sounds like your timing is off , this will cause some noise and will also create that loss of accleration that your talking about , these generally are not to quiet , since they are timing chain driven , have someone check your timing

Answer 7

http://www.automotiveforums.com/

Try this site.