Timing chain tensioner gave out on a '07 Altima in Phoenix traffic last July

I was sitting at a light on the I-10 frontage road when I heard this rattling noise that got worse as I accelerated. Pulled over, popped the hood, and the chain was slapping against the guide. Had to get it towed to my buddy's garage and we spent the whole weekend pulling the front cover and replacing the tensioner and chain. The plastic guide had shattered into pieces, some of which were stuck in the oil pickup. Has anyone else seen these M9R engines eat timing components this early?

2 comments

2 Comments

ninag101d ago

Man, that plastic guide crap is unforgivable.

felix_coleman871d ago

Ah jeez, I gotta push back a little on that. From what I've seen, the plastic guide is actually on the lower-end models while the higher trim ones still use metal. Your mileage may vary depending on which exact saw you're talking about though. I've only used the DeWalt and the Makita personally, and both of those have decent aluminum guides on the models I bought last year.