View topic - sputter or "kicking" from exhaust?

Hey all, i've had a "kicking" or sputter from my xterra for a few months now. I can only feel it when stopped or at idle, i haven't felt any noticable difference in acceleration or while driving. I can feel it in the inside while idling, kind of like a sputter or kick of bass from the speakers kind of feel under the truck. and when i get out and go back to the tail pipe you can here it sputter and kick there too. exhaust leak? cracked manifold? what do you guys think?

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2000 Nissan Xterra SE 4x4
143,000 3.3 AT
32 BFG A/T
3" suspension lift
Front bumper

can you try and give a bit more specific info, your asking it maybe a cracked manifold could be the problem, yet your saying you can hear it sputter and kick from the tail pipe at the rear of the truck? If you think it might be the exhaust manifold, open the hood and listen there.

Other wise from what your explaining,.. stopped and at idle, almost sounds like maybe the idle is a little rough and maybe causing the exhaust pipe to hit off of something under the truck,.....

Also, you might want to include some extra info,... such as,.. when stopped, is it while in gear and on the brake, or in park, or is it a manual/auto tranny. Mileage/year/model of your X, any work done recently, around the time this started. As good as some of the people are on here at figuring out problems, more info is always a better start to finding the cause.

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2002 se/supercharged
bilstiens
Shrock Sliders
Reman'ed engine installed 5/16/09 at 87,894 miles

Captain 38-90
Volunteer FF since 1991
Fire District 38 Station 1 Ashland, PA
http://www.americans38.webs.com/

ahhh certainly, thanks e207. it doesn't sound like the exhaust is hitting off of something, it sounds like a "thump, thump" but not from contact like that, it sounds like the sputtering of air. it sounds like the exhaust is sputtering. i think i just can't hear it while running and only at stop and idle because it's being drown out while driving. it's an auto tranny, and it's anytime its stopped, idle, in park, when brake applied. for all i know it does it while driving too and i just can't hear it. 141,000 miles on her, she's a 2000. i haven't had any recent engine work done and ive been able to feel the sputter for about 4 months now. ive never dealt with an exhaust leak, so i don't know if maybe that's it. or if there's something else that could be causing it. thanks

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2000 Nissan Xterra SE 4x4
143,000 3.3 AT
32 BFG A/T
3" suspension lift
Front bumper

I am thinking exhaust manifold leak. Can you see and carbon deposits around the header? Typically, I think the passenger sides go most often. At start up or when it is cold you will hear "puff, puff, puff" sound from the passenger side wheel-well.

it's definatley a "puff puff" sound, that's the sound i can hear coming out of the tail pipe, when i start it up in an hour i'll see if i can hear it coming from the wheel well. thanks SCC

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2000 Nissan Xterra SE 4x4
143,000 3.3 AT
32 BFG A/T
3" suspension lift
Front bumper

Just noticed you had ~ 141k miles, have you already changed the timing belt?

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-TJ


TJ's Build Thread ---> http://www.clubxterra.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11532

Yep the timing belt and water pump were done around 106,000

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2000 Nissan Xterra SE 4x4
143,000 3.3 AT
32 BFG A/T
3" suspension lift
Front bumper

frsno_xterra -

If you stick a rag in the tailpipe the "puffing" sound will be more pronounced at the front of the truck. Listen and look at the passenger side of the engine bay.