For the past week I've noticed a creak / creaking sound in my Z. It's not a metal-on-metal grind or a gearing grind or axle noise, but more like a plastic-on-plastic or rubber creak - like a squeeky/creaky wooden floor sound (ha!) It only occurs from a dead stop when rolling forward or reverse from a downhill incline to an uphill incline or vice-versa. In the cabin is sounds like it's coming from the rear area of the car. The sound is like the sound some have noticed when you press on the front bumper near its edges and it creaks from rubbing on the plastic of the fenders. It never makes the sound while driving or turning or really getting on it....just when it rolls from a stop as described above. Like something is shifting against something due to the change in incline (I hope I'm making sense here and you understand what I'm trying to explain). Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this noise. May be time to get out the old WD-40 and spray until it stops - maybe my sway bushings, or rear bumper rubbing on fenders at edges...just don't know at this point.

 

My noise was located in the roof seam just behind each of the seats in the cabin. The dealer called the Nissan tech line and found out that a few other Zs had a noise that would occur when a variation in the road was traveled over. Mine would commonly occur when entering/exiting the street to the driveway because we have a raised curb from the street. There's a seam (bolted) just to the inside of the hinges for the rear hatch under the head liner. That's where I had metal-on-metal contact that caused a "wood floor" like creaking noise. The dealer ended up removing the bolts, opened the seam a bit and put some "seam sealer" in between the two metal surfaces and then reinserted the bolts. The car had to sit for a few hours while the sealer cured a bit. This change corrected my noise. It was driving me crazy since it was located right behind my ears.

Here's the thread where I discussed this issueRear Hatch Flexing Noise

 

Your description sounds just like what I'm hearing - changing inclines, creaking sound behind me, etc. Will check it out this Fri. when at the shop. Thanks !!!!!

BTW - removing the headliner to get to the seam you mentioned - easy to do? Did you watch them do it?

 

lol i had a rattling squeeking noise as well when i first got the car...


but mine wasn't major... lol just the cap over the spare tire was a little loose...

lol check it out, could be it!

 

I did not watch the removal of the head liner. It requires the removal of the sun visors and related items up front. The edge of my head liner is a quick release type because I have the curtain air bags. I don't believe it's too difficult but again I didn't watch him remove it.

I had my daughter in the back of the Z to pinpoint the noise and she pointed down to the driver's side lower wheel well area. I spent almost three days without success in locating the noise (shock, drive axle shaft nut, spare tire, foam inserts around spare tire, ...).

I then had my wife drive the car slowly with me in the back and that is when I IMMEDIATELY found the noise to be coming from near the hatch hinge. I then stood outside of the car and had my wife drive it again over the curb-to-street height change while my ear was placed on the outside roof area in front of the hatch. Boy could I HEAR it then. I knew I had found it. I tried pulling back the head liner a bit and checking for loose bolts, but I found nothing loose. That's when it headed into the shop for the fix i noted above.

 

Sounds just like mine. I've had no luck with the dealer. But, I think mine might be something plastic in the back, as I have everything out to do the stereo, and now I don't seem to hear it (or i am just hearing other noises instead...)

I'm becoming resigned to the fact that I'll have to live with it. *sigh*