Nissan altima 1999 timing chain problem, is car drivable?

Whoever did the timing job,didn't do it right.

no exept if the chain are broken or you install the chain wrong

sounds to me like they are right on the money. its a pretty common issue on 3.5 litre engine in a altima, maxima murano and quest. you do need upper timing chains and chain tensoiners. its unfortunate that those cars have an issue,but thats what you need. nissan has been pretty reliable vehicle until the new models came out (1999 and up). The upper timing chains are known to go bad even in some 4.0 litre engines. good luck with that, that is a job that requires some car knowledge and mechanical skill to get it done.

Yes. If you dont take both(the top and the bottom) you could get the chain caught on something. It would be much safer to take both ends off. Plus you will have to reset the timing on the car anyways, and in order to do that, you have to line up the marks on the crankshaft. Hope this helps. James Booth. PLEASE RATE THIS ANSWER!!! :) Thank you

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15

a 99 altima is chain driven not belt

I think it has a chain. look where the timing chain/ belt should be. if there is a large plastic cover, it has a belt, it its a aluminum cover, it has a chain. there is no replacement interval on a chain.

The book that I have breaks down for belts and doesn't list a chain at all.

Hi there,
you will need new upper timing chain and sprockets. Common problem on altima your year. Nissan has TSB for it. First they had us remove the upper timing chain guide, but after that, they had us replace all top chain components.

its a big job you need to pull half the engine apart it would take about a day with no hoist