Quick whining noise when shutting down car? (Sometimes when unlocking doors)
 

I've noticed a new sound over the past month, a quick whine that sounds from somewhere around the passengers's side when I shut down the car - sounds for about half a second. I also just noticed it when I hit the unlock button twice on my keyfob (car was off) and it did it then.

I know fuel pumps can whine when they engage and disengage, but it's odd to me that I've never noticed the sound before - because it is very obvious and perceptible, definitely not faint. I'd have noticed something like that from the first day of owning the car. I also know this isn't the ECU whine, because it mostly happens when the car turns off and it sounds like it's coming from the passengers side somewhere.

Where is the fuel pump located on our cars?

Not sure if same sound - but when fan running and shut off car can hear it spin down. If you shut climate control off- does not happen. No idea about the fob

It's not the fan. The fan takes more than a split-second to turn off - it whirs down. This is a mechanical/electric sounding whine. Lasts all of half a second.

Did some searching, fuel pump is behind passenger seat it turns out? That's exactly where the sound is coming from. Now my concern is why I can hear it now and not before?

Is it like a terminator or robotic sound? If it is, I had this since day one and it doesn't seem to be a problem. Got no idea what it is though.

Lmao, that's EXACTLY how I wanted to describe it, but thought no one would get the reference or understand what I mean. That is hilarious someone else thinks like that.

Ya its the fuel pump. Confirmed by Nissan Master tech.

Could be your steering wheel locking, do you hear it when you start the car as well?

:iagree:

Definitely the steering lock. Just listen to that added security.

I don't hear it when starting the car, I don't think. It's definitely coming from behind me somewhere.

Check for a gremlin or troll lurking in your hatch that might be it.

I know exactly the sound you're talking about, sounds like a jet engine shutting down. I actually like it. Sounds all futuristic and stuff...

Like the cars in Men In Black. :tup:

My Z06 does the same thing FWIW. I wouldn't worry about it whether it's the FP or not. Many cars do it. All the gadgets in them now-days it seems tend to make some noise.

Upon shutdown the Z electronically drives a pin into a notch inside the steering column to completely disable the steering wheel from turning. Press start and the pin retracts. That's the sound you hear.

From the owner's manual...

STEERING LOCK (if so equipped)
In order for the steering wheel to be locked, it
must be turned about 1/8 of a right or left turn
from the straight up position.
To lock the steering wheel, push the
ignition switch to the OFF position. To
unlock the steering wheel, push the ignition
switch. If the steering lock release
malfunction indicator appears on the vehicle
information display, push the pushbutton
ignition switch again while lightly
turning the steering wheel right and left.
(See “VEHICLE INFORMATION DISPLAY”
in the “2. Instruments and controls” section.)

I know what the steering column lock and unlock sounds like. This sounds nothing like it. It is definitely the fuel pump.

I have the same noise. How come it sounds when unlocking too? If it were the pump, this wouldn't make sense. I think it's the passenger door actuator.

sure its not the throttlebodies doing their self check?

Why would it do a self check with the car on and you hitting the "unlock" button?

I know on a lot of cars the fuel pump begins to engage when the doors are unlocked. High performance cars do this more frequently. My brother's M6 and R8 V10 both do this, it's very obvious. I doubt it's a door actuator, they don't make whining noises like that - it's got to be the fuel pump.

I think your Z has caught the case of the 335's. good luck with the fuel pump

I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time believing this. What would be the logic behind having the fuel pump "engage" (whatever that means) every time I hit the unlock button on the door?

Not trying to be an ***, just playing devil's advocate.

The fuel pump engages because it's getting ready for you to start the car. This is extremely common on cars, these days. Like I said, high-performance cars do this where it's evident and you can hear it clearly. I have a video of my brother's R8 starting up, I'm standing a good 10-15 feet away and you can hear the fuel pump turn on as it whines during its 2-second engagement, right before he fires the car up.

Not all cars employ this, because some still rely on gravity fed fuel if the design makes it possible. But if a car requires a fuel pump, the fuel pump will frequently engage when the car is unlocked, so that you have an immediate start of the motor and keep wear on the starter to a minimum.

I dunno, the logic just seems flawed to me. It sounds when the doors unlock when I turn OFF the car. Why would the fuel pump engage when turning the car off?

it's not that it's engaging, it's shutting down after you turn the car off. also, when you unlock the car and open the door, some cars prime the fuel system by running the pump for a few seconds. this is normal. definitely sounds like your fuel pump. may not be anything wrong with it

Yeah 370fan you sound confused. The sound of it engaging and disengaging would be the exact same. And it would occur prior to start and after shut off.

i hear that noise from my car too
it may sound weard but it seems like some of nissan car with push start engine feature makes that noise somehow,, altima and rogue makes same noise!!!:eek:

yeah, I am confused, as the sound happens when I unlock the car even with the car ON...

thanks for trying to clear it up, I'm just not completely sold because I feel that sometimes it makes the noise when there is no sense for the pump to prime or turn off.

You may be talking about a different sound then.

It is most likely the fuel pump. This sound is also heard in my 11 Z and my wifes 10 Maxima. My money is on the fuel pump theory.

Resurrecting an old thread here, but thought I might help...

11K miles on my 2011. For the past couple of months, I've also had this occasional 1-second "brrrpt" whiney noise from the right-rear when I shutdown the car. Seems like it's become more frequent as the weather cools off. Before really investigating, I felt it was the fuel pump or evap system doing some kind of purge too. But I get the door lock/unlock thing too sometimes, so that doesn't make sense. While detailing my Z last weekend, I figured it out.

It's the fuel-filler door locking mechanism.

If you get this noise, open your fuel-filler door (just the door, not the cap), then cycle through lock & unlock with your key fob. Car doesn't need to be running. Observe the fuel-filler door locking mechanism. It's plainly obvious on mine that it's this mechanism when retracting/unlocking that's making the noise. If I grab hold of the latch, I can feel it vibrate. I can even change the pitch of the noise if I put pressure on the plastic hook part (making the solenoid struggle or whatever it is).

It also makes sense why it would show up in other Nissan's, as I'd bet they have a locking fuel door too that probably uses the same part.

I tried fiddling with it a little bit. I hit it with some silicone lube & tried to work it down the cylinder, but it didn't seem to help. I was thinking of hitting it with a little 3-in-1 oil, but haven't yet.

I plan on having the dealership take a look at it on the next oil change, but since I know it's not the fuel pump and just this latching mechanism, I'm far less concerned about it. Though I suppose if it failed completely, it could refuse to unlock the fuel door, which would kind of suck.

Hope this helps someone.

cool, for me it was definitely the door lock actuator. They replaced it and it went away.

Keep in mind the ECU does a self-check/calibration on basically all the engine servos (throttle bodies and VVEL actuators) about 2-3 seconds after you shut the engine down. You'll hear the Pulse Width Modulation frequency (the mid-frequency digital sound you can hear from the engine always while running), and some clicking/clunking as it runs them through their full range, and then quiet. I LOVE THIS PROCEDURE'S SOUND!!

Cool I'll check out the door lock actuator.. I also have the same issue, most of the time I turn off the car it makes that noise. Also before I turn off the car, I unlock the doors and that noise is present. I have an oil change comming up, so ill bring it up to them. Thanks.