Please help! Loud tapping noise from Navara STX NP300 D23

Nissan1984 · Apr 22, 2023

Hi!

Im having issues with my Navara and hoping someone here has an answer!

Theres a very loud tapping sound coming from the engine when i accelerate in gear (under load), it doesn’t make the sound in neutral at all. The noise started a month ago and went for a week, then disappeared for a week and then came back about 2 weeks ago. There doesn’t seem to be much, if any power loss.

The car is at the mechanic at the moment, we suspected the injectors so they were sent away and professionally tested yet they all passed with no issues found. Once reinstalled, the Sound was still there with no difference at all.

The rail pressure was tested and looks to be ok, although its hard to find what rail pressures are expected under load in certain rpm.

Has anyone had this issue before? Please help

Kind regards

Nic

landmannnn · Apr 22, 2023

Injectors would be the first thing, so that is the obviously out of the way.

There have been a couple of threads on here where timing chain issues have cropped up. A common issue on the D40, but not on the D23.
Maybe something for your mechanic to consider.

Here's a thread

NP300 timing chain failure

So, this has been an absolute nightmare situation. My 2016 (66) Navara with only 17214 miles timing chain has slipped... Nissan have decided this is NOT a warranty problem. To top it all off, because it's on finance, they are charging me a small fortune to hand it back. They offered me a measly...

www.nissan-navara.net

Nissan1984 · Apr 22, 2023

Hi Landmannnn

Thanks for your reply. I’ll mention this to the mechanic on Monday and see what he says. I’m going to ask him to flush the fuel system completely and change the filter as well as doing a compression test on each cylinder.

I’m hoping someone has had this same issue and there’s an easy fix! lol

randolph · Apr 28, 2023

Check battery size before anything else

Nissan1984 · Apr 28, 2023

Hi Randolph, thanks for you reply.

The battery is a proper 4WD heavy duty battery with high cranking Amps etc.
Regardless, I'm not sure how the wrong size battery would cause such symptoms?

I'm hoping someone can help!!

landmannnn · Apr 28, 2023

Yes, not sure on the battery either.

randolph · Apr 29, 2023

Dealer put the wrong size battery in mine once ended up with a tapping sound fixed as soon as the right size battery was installed

NDW86 · Oct 27, 2023

Hi, I'm having the exact same issue at the moment. However the noise is now almost constant and gets quieter as the engine heats up.
I thought injectors too, but that's not consistent with the noise coming and going.
I'm going to be looking at timing chain over the weekend.
Have you had any luck with the issue?

alexnolan30 · Mar 5, 2025

Literally having this issue now, what was the outcome?

Please help! Loud tapping noise from Navara STX NP300 D23

NP300 timing chain failure

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