Increase In Engine Noise

[DockHoliday]

Yesterday the Wife took her Murano in for new tires and an oil change. I picked the car up, and when I was driving home, the engine seemed much louder to me than normal, but since I had not driven the car in a while, I did not think much of it. Then the wife asked me today if I thought the car sounded louder. We discussed and we both feel that the car's engine sounds louder, as if it is working harder.

Any thoughts on what might cause this? It is the engine that sounds louder, and the new tires are very quiet.

Thanks!

 

[MarkC]

Maybe they used a different oil or filter? Maybe the weather changed? I noticed my Jeep's engine has seemed quieter since the last oil change a couple of weeks ago. Could be the quart of synthetic I added along with the regularstuff, could be different weather conditions, or could be imagination.

 

[rpn453]

I'd look for an exhaust leak.

 

[TallPaul]

Have you checked that they did not underfill it?

 

[Big O Dave]

Maybe the old tires were noisier, and now that you have quiet tires, you can hear the engine more?

 

[JHZR2]

what oil did they use? Did a nissan dealer do it, or did the place with the cheapest service do it?

Tires have a BIG influence on overall noise... prhaps mistaken for engine noise.

Or the tires could theoretically have more rolling resistance, so the engine would work slightly harder.

JMH

 

[TallPaul]

I don't think there is more rolling resistance so much as maybe just a more agressive tread. Remember how big jacked up trucks with monster tread tires howl down the road?

 

[DockHoliday]

New oil is Valvoline 5W30, and is filled to the full mark (by the tire place). I have since added some LC.

The quiet tire theory makes some sense, and I sure hope that it is not due to higher rolling resistance (that would surely be noticied in the MPG). I probably should check the tire pressures as that could affect rolling resistance.

I don't think it is an exhaust leak as it sounds like the engine is working hard, but you never know.

Unless I find the air pressure to be low, I am going to chalk this up to imagination since we were riding around in my car (Volvo XC90) while the Murano was in the shop, so it is probably a contrast between the two vehicles.

Thanks for the replies.