2005 Nissan Altima 2.5s 4 cylinder. 1) When stopped in Drive and the air conditioning on - the engine rattles. 2) When stopped in neutral and the air conditioning on - no rattle. 3) When stopped in drive and the air conditioning off - no rattle. Air conditioning runs great. Is it alternator bearing, compressor/compressor bearing, or pully tensioner?

on top of the engine remove the plastic cover depending on which model you will have 1. a coil pack for all 4 cylinders so you change the whole part or maybe 2. 4 seperate coils if so no.3 is 3rd from front of engine or 3rd from drive belt end as you look under hood

That usually happens if you're in too high a gear. If it also seems to accelerate slowly, you may have a fouled plug or other cause of a dead cylinder.

Cylinder number 4, on a 4 cylinder engine, is the cylinder farthest away from the crankshaft and drive pulleys,running the alternator,AC, and power steering.

I would seriously suggest you check your motor mounts.....

that would be the engine front , you sure it's a Rattle ? if so ? it will be your Camshaft bearing noise, is it a 2.5 L 4 cylinders ?or 3.5 L V 6 !! .
if it's 2.5 L , your Camshaft bearings are starving for oil , so I suggest you check them both intake and exhaust cams and see also if the valve lifters or cam bearings are in bad shape , worn out ? check also both cams journals and drive journals to lifters ( contact operation ) if there is a suspicious gaps between them that also can cause a rattle sound .

how long does a recall last. Ive only had this car for 1 1/2 years due to my other car was totaled. Can it still be considered in the recall?

Just a couple ideas...
Your engine and transmission will shift slightly when in drive, and maybe that movement is allowing it to rub on something. Another issue may be that the noise is actually from the transmission.
Torn motor mounts will allow the drive train to shift or move farther than normal.

It is possible that you have some timing chain noise, especially if you have the 3.5L engine. The secondary timing chain tensioners on the 3.5 have a known problem, Nissan has issued a service bulletin regarding this and there is an updated part to replace them. It is not a cheap job, but your dealer may give you some "goodwill" depending on your mileage. If you have the 2.5L the problem may a couple of other things...even more serious! They had catalytic converters that came apart and got ingested into the engine, eventually destroying it. Try googling "Altima rattle" and include your engine size in the search. There is a ton of info on the net about noises in these cars.

CYLINDER HEAD REMOVAL

2.5L Engines

1. Before servicing the vehicle, refer to the Precautions Section.
   
2. Drain cooling system and engine oil.
   
3. Relieve the fuel system pressure.
   
4. Remove or disconnect the following:
   
   • Negative battery cable
     
   • Upper radiator hose and heater hose
     
   • Right side fuse/relay box and move aside
     
   • Engine undercover
     
   • Resonator and air cleaner case
     
   • Engine top cover
     
   • All electrical and vacuum lines at the head
     
   • Fuse hose quick connector at fuel tube side
     
   • Engine harness and power steering hose bracket
     
   • Timing chain
     
   • Drive belt tensioner
     
   • Camshafts
     
   • Spark plugs
     
   • Exhaust manifold
     
5. Support the engine from above and below with a suitable jack and hoist.
   
6. Remove or disconnect the following:
   
   • Power steering pump and reservoir and wire aside
     
   • Auxiliary drive belts
     
   • A/C compressor and wire aside
     
   • Upper sway bar links
     
   • Front and rear engine mount through bolts
     
   • Lower ball joints
     
   • 2 steering gear housing mounting bolts
     
   • Front suspension member bolts and front suspension member
     
7. Loosen the cylinder head bolts in the sequence shown and remove the cylinder head.
   

Removing the front suspension member—Altima


Cylinder head bolt removal sequence—2.5L engine–Altima and Sentra


Cylinder head bolt tightening sequence—2.5L engine–Altima and Sentra

To install:

1. Clean the gasket surfaces.
   
2. Using new head gaskets, install the cylinder heads.
   NOTE If possible, replacement of the head bolts is suggested.
   
   
3. If replacement of the head bolts is not possible, perform the following bolt measurement:
   
   • Measure the diameter of the head bolt 0.43 in. (11mm) from the bottom of the bolt.
     
   • Measure the diameter of the head bolt 2.17 in. (55mm) from the bottom of the bolt.
     
   • Whenever the size difference between the 2 measurements exceeds 0.0091 in. (0.23mm) the head bolts must be replaced.
     
4. Apply clean engine oil to the bolt threads and seating surfaces and tighten the cylinder head bolts in sequence as follows:
   
   • Step 1: 72 ft. lbs. (98 Nm).
     
   • Step 2: Loosen all the bolts completely.
     
   • Step 2: 29 ft. lbs. (33 Nm).
     
   • Step 4: Plus 75–80 degrees clockwise.
     
   • Step 5: Plus 75–80 degrees clockwise.
     
5. Install the front suspension member and tighten the bolts to the specifications shown in the illustration.
   
6. Install or connect the following:
   
   • 2 steering gear housing mounting bolts
     
   • Lower ball joints
     
   • Front and rear engine mount through bolts
     
   • Upper sway bar links
     
   • A/C compressor
     
   • Auxiliary drive belts
     
   • Power steering pump and reservoir
     
   • Exhaust manifold
     
   • Spark plugs
     
   • Camshafts
     
   • Drive belt tensioner
     
   • Timing chain
     
   • Engine harness and power steering hose bracket
     
   • Fuse hose quick connector at fuel tube side
     
   • All electrical and vacuum lines at the head
     
   • Engine top cover
     
   • Resonator and air cleaner case
     
   • Engine undercover
     
   • Right side fuse/relay box and move aside
     
   • Upper radiator hose and heater hose
     
   • Negative battery cable
     
7. Fill the cooling system and engine oil
   
8. Start the vehicle, check for leaks and repair if necessary.