Engine temperature light (the blue one). Is this a problem?

[evil200000000]

Hi all, So I've got my Versa for about a week or so now and it feels great driving around the city. Everything seems fine and works well but theres one thing thats bothing me. Its this engine temperature light thats on for about a minute or more when I start the car. While in driving its goes away. After i parked and start car again, it comes on for 1 sec like every other light. I'm just wondering if that is because the engine is cold or overheated? According to the manual, its says that that light only comes on for 1 sec.

Sorry if thats doesnt make sense or sound like a stupid question. It's my first car and Im a new driver so i know nothing about car.

Also, anyone got any secret tips to waxing your car? just the simple way with the liquid wax.

Thanks for all the help!!

[MinisterofDOOM]

Welcome to NICO, Vincent! How did you find us?

Here's a quote taken from a previous thread regarding the coolant temp light staying on more than a few seconds after startup:

This is normal for all cars. Most take a few minutes to warm up the coolant even in 100 degree temperature. I am not sure with the Versa, but normal on my Xterra is 170. The Versa is the 1st car I have had with this "Info" light, I guess it is there because of a lack of a temp gauge to let you know when you are within the normal operating parameters. Nothing to worry about. It is in the owners manual. Take it easy on the car until the blue light turnes off.

Just for a point of refference, my light is on for about a minute in the mornings at 80 and for about 15 seconds in the evening at 100.

As for waxing, there are a few different how-to threads around NICO concerning detailing.

zerothread?id=158146

zerothread?id=183170

A search for threads with "detailing" in the topic title will probably yield several more results (don't forget to search archived as well as recent threads).

[rwanttaja]

Hi all, So I've got my Versa for about a week or so now and it feels great driving around the city. Everything seems fine and works well but theres one thing thats bothing me. Its this engine temperature light thats on for about a minute or more when I start the car. While in driving its goes away. After i parked and start car again, it comes on for 1 sec like every other light. I'm just wondering if that is because the engine is cold or overheated? According to the manual, its says that that light only comes on for 1 sec.

Sorry if thats doesnt make sense or sound like a stupid question. It's my first car and Im a new driver so i know nothing about car.

I saw that light the first time I backed the car out of the garage to go to work, and had to stop to look it up. This is the "Low engine temperature" indicator...it illuminates when the engine is below its normal operation range. The "one second" you refer to is the normal self-test all the lights are given when the car is first started. If you look at page 2-12 of your manual, it merely says the light stays illuminated until the engine warms up. This may take a minute or so...even longer when winter comes around, if you're in the cold-weather parts of the country.

The engine cooling system is designed to handle worst-case conditions (such as a full load in Death Valley in the summer) so under more-normal conditions, it's capable of *not* letting the engine warm up. The engine really prefers to operate at a certain temperature, so there is a thermostat in the cooling system that blocks off coolant flow to the radiator until the coolant (e.g., the water and antifreeze) reaches the proper operating temperature.

This thermostat will eventually fail. It can fail shut...which will cause your engine to overheat and damage itself. Or it can fail open, which won't immediately harm the engine, but will cause problems with economy, emissions, and drivability.

Traditionally, cars have a warning light that illuminates if the engine gets too hot, or a temperature gauge. The Versa is the first car I've owned with a low-temperature light.

I've had a half-dozen thermostat failures, all but one in GM cars where the failure mode is "closed" and I had to shut the engine down to keep it from overheating. The one other failure was in a Nissan pickup...which failed open. It had a temperature gauge, and I noticed the needle didn't come up to the normal level.

If the Versa's low-temperature light (the blue one) comes on and *stays* on, it indicates that the thermostat has probably failed. The light should turn off as the engine warms. So if it stays on for a minute or two, that's normal.

If it *doesn't* turn off...crank up the heater to the full-hot position and turn the fan on max. If it just blows lukewarm air, the thermostat is probably bad and needs replacement.

Can't speak to the Versa engine, but thermostat replacement in every other car I've had to do it in is pretty simple. In fact, I used to swap thermostats summer and winter in my old '46 Willys Jeep.... 165 degree in the summer, and 195 in the winter (rag-top...needed all the heat I could get!).

Ron

[evil200000000]

HeyThanks for the fast fast replies. It's very helpful. Next time I'll let the car warm up first before i move. Im from Vancouver BC. We didnt have the Versa until late August. I think I had one of the first shipment car here. Until now, I've saw 2 Versa around. its still very rare. Mine is a CVT 1.8 SL no tech package. Cost me $23, 000 no extend warrenty or anything. Is that too expensive?as to where I heard about this, I searched it on google (LOL). Its my ultimate resource to my Versa. Thank you. I'll continue to support the forum by sharing my experience.

[rwanttaja]

HeyThanks for the fast fast replies. It's very helpful. Next time I'll let the car warm up first before i move.

There's no argument waiting until the car warms up is good, but for the most part, it isn't necessary. The engine will actually warm up quicker on the move. Just take it easy when you start out...moderate acceleration, no blipping the throttle (with a manual), etc.

Ron

[philmcneal]

word don't sit and idle, your actually hurting the catalic converter if you just sit there with an cold engine not giving it any work.

just give your engine low loads (low power demands) until the light dissapears then drive normally. DO NOT IDLE IT WILL NOT DO YOU ANY GOOD EVEN IN THE WINTERS!