Rear axle fault diagnostics (Nissan Murano Z50)

Malfunction	Possible reasons	Solution
1	2	3
The noise is smooth or pulsating, low or high pitched ("howling") when moving in a straight line Caution: Do not confuse this with intermittent noise (hum) when the vehicle is coasting, which occurs due to a faulty clutch disc	Low oil level	Bring the oil level up to normal
	Loose or worn bearings on the drive or driven gear	Disassemble the bridge, check the tightening of the nuts, replace the bearings (if necessary)
	Incorrect installation and engagement of gears	Adjust the gear engagement according to the contact patch
	Wear of gear teeth (when starting off, jolts are felt and a knock is heard in the final drive)	Minor wear on the gear teeth and bearings of the main transmission can be eliminated by adjustment. In case of severe wear, replacement of the corresponding parts is required
	Loosening the driven gear mounting nuts	Tighten the mounting nuts
	Wear of the splined connection of the axle shafts and their gears	Disassemble the bridge and replace worn parts
Noise or knocking when turning	Difficulty rotating the satellites or half-shafts of the gears	Disassemble the rear axle
	Wear of teeth of satellites and axle gears	Disassemble the rear axle and replace worn parts
	Caution: If the teeth of the main transmission or differential gears break, the vehicle cannot move under its own power; attempting to continue moving will result in breakage of other teeth and may damage the differential box or the main transmission housing. Gear teeth often break when the vehicle jerks sharply, especially when loaded.
A sharp, continuous knock	Damage to the differential side bearings	Replace the bearings
A sharp, continuous knock	Breakage of axle gear teeth	Disassemble the rear axle and replace worn parts
Noise in the wheel	Wheel bearing wear	Remove the axle shaft and replace the bearing
Noise in the wheel	Looseness of axle shaft or wheel to hub	Check and tighten the fastening of loose elements
Accelerated wear of drive wheel tires	Wear of the crosspiece and its sockets in the differential box, and as a result, distortion and jamming of the satellites	Disassemble the rear axle and replace worn parts
Oil leak	Wear of the pinion seal or universal joint flange	Replace the oil seal
	Worn or damaged axle shaft seals	Replace a faulty axle shaft seal
	Damage to gaskets or loosening of the main gear housing, bearing caps or casing	Replace damaged gaskets
	Clogged air ducts in the breather	Rinse the breather with kerosene and blow it out with compressed air
Strong heating of the rear axle	The tension of the pinion shaft bearings is not within the standard (excessive)	Adjust the bearing tension correctly