New member need help I35

[daverich18]

Hey guys, like the forum and would appreciate any help or advice offered.

Ok, I have a 2002 I35 with 72k miles. About a week ago I was in a drive thru and noticed or heard the fan on for the first time ever. Im sure its been on before, but that was my first time hearing it. My car is usually quiet. Ok. A couple days later I was on my way home from a friends home who lives maybe 30min away. At that time I noticed that the temperature gauge was slightly above half way. Although that is in normal range, the gauge has never been above a much cooler level not far from the C. When I parked my car the gauge actually moved up closer to the H almost reaching the first line. It was dark out and didnt have any light so I slept on it and waited till the morning. The next day I open the hood and I see dried up coolant all over the engine compartment. It looked as though the cap burst and sprayed it all over the engine bay. I check the resivior tank and it was empty. I immediately went to the auto parts store and purchased some 50/50 mix and put it in. I monitored the gauge and it fluctuated for a few drives and seemed as though it settled back to its normal position. Now its back to fluctuating. The gauge would rise when im stopped and go down as I drive. What could be the problem? I didnt find any problem with the radiator cap, it was secure. No leaks in the hoses. Filling the tank up appears to be holding the liquid. Im lost. I dont really have alot of money to spend on repairs so DIY would be the ideal situation. The check engine light did not come on at any point until recently when I guess the wrong fuel was purchased...so thats almost burned out. HELP PLEASE?!?!?

[Markc]

Sounds like the electric cooling fans are malfunctioning. I'm no expert, but, I am a H.V.A.C tech, so information leads me to this conclusion.Noisey fan, no problem while driving @ relative speed, (equals plenty of cool air passing through rad), temp rising and fluctuating @ stops, idle.

[daverich18]

The fan isnt noisy, its just that the one for cooling is running more often. As if its working harder than before to cool the engine. I of course only notice when the A/C is off and windows are down. Would malfunctioning fans account for the all the coolant/antifreeze to splatter all over the engine compartment? Im wondering if the thermostat has anything to do with this or if they are known to go bad, I mean it is pretty much an 8yr old car with 72k miles on it.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Thermostat fails open, so if your thermostat was bad the car would run cold all the time, not hot (designed this way intentionally to protect from overheating).

Coolant spray may be nothing more sinister than a failed (crappy) radiator cap. Replace it with a GOOD one (not worth cheaping out considering the low cost of the part) with the right weight spring. I'm not sure what the right weight is for the I35 but the dealer or a parts store will be able to tell you. Will probably only cost about $8.

Top-off your coolant. Since it's summer, you don't need freeze-resistance, so you can go with a mixture that's more distilled water (NOT tap water, which is corrosive, in case you're not already aware) which will cool more effectively than mostly antifreeze. Might consider adding some redline water wetter or something similar which decreases surface tension and increases coolant effectiveness.At that point, keep an eye on your temps again. It may simply be that your radiator cap failed, which released a lot of coolant, which decreased the system's ability to keep the engine cool. When the cap failed, it's also possible you got air in the system, which could cause cooling problems. You can bleed the air out of the coolant system by parking on an incline, nose facing uphill (so the radiator cap is the highest point of the coolant system) and running the car with the cap OFF for a minute or two. That should get any air pockets out.

If the car still gets hot after you've tried all of that, it could be a sign that you have a bad radiator fan or a clogged radiator or a number of things.

[loystock]

As always, very good suggestions from the Minister. If after replacing the radiator cap and topping off the coolant the problem persisted, then it looks like the Water Pump or related drive is failing. But it's not easy to replace the water pump so we have to look for other possibilities before going there.

Based on the symptoms provided, we can make the following assumptions:-the cooling system has no leak-the cooling fans are working (but please check the condition of the fan blades)-the thermostat is not 'stuck closed.' Otherwise, your cooling system will always be in bypass mode (radiator bypassed) resulting in thermal runaway.-the radiator is working (but maybe marginal).

Probable cause (aside from water pump)-clogged or dirty radiator or damaged fins. May require forcing water into it or flushing to remove the dirt inside the radiator. Check the condition of the radiator fins. It's also possible that so much dirt/leaves/insects have accumulated on the radiator fins. You may have to clean it.-the Thermostat is not opening at the required temperature (180 degrees F or more). You have to take out the Water Inlet and Thermostat Assembly. Put it in a pot with water and heat it up. The thermostat must open just before the water starts to boil (If you have a thermometer, thermostat must open at 180 degrees F)

If all of the above were good, then I'm afraid it's your water pump

Good Luck!-

[daverich18]

Thanks guys for your suggestions. I will change the cap and go from there. The gauge has since seemed to settle back in its place but I will change it to avoid a future burst or splatter.

[daverich18]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. Im pretty sure I found the culprit though.

Update: Saw the gauge fluctuating again on my drive home this evening. So I take an investigative position and examine under the hood once again. I smell the coolant/antifreeze before even opening the hood. I see liquid on the battery and on other hoses. I take off the plastic piece that sends air into the engine. Ok, nothing happening but I see more liquid including all over the radiator. I turn on the car and press the gas a little to see if anything happens. Voila! green fluid starts to shoot out of the top of the radiator. It was coming from a plastic piece that says nissan on it thats attached to the plastic top of the radiator. Not sure if I can, but I put some "seal all" on the area since its just plastic. I guess I will have to spring for a new radiator in the near future. Anyone else experience this or know if its okay to seal that area? Not sure if there is supposed to be an opening there but it looked like a crack to me.

[loystock]

I'd rather have a new radiator than be stranded in the middle of nowhere. I hope that fixes you problem. However, it is possible that the cracked radiator was the result of overheating and not the cause. Overheating raises the cooling system pressure and the radiator cap is supposed to open at 11-14 psi. Pressure testing of the radiator is limited to 23 psi. Anything beyond that can damage the radiator. So it's possible that the cap did not open during the overheat condition...but something's gotta give.

I'm not trying to scare you but just be prepared for the worst. It's too early for a radiator to fail, especially on a 7-year old Japanese car.

[daverich18]

I really dont know what to do. I think for the mileage and driving conditions the vehicle would not even have this type of problem. I had an 2004 Explorer Limited with 130k miles and it never had any mechanical issues... I actually drove the Infiniti back home (Miami) to switch it for my 2001 Mountaineer (my other car). My younger brother, home visiting after college is driving it around since he only has 1 car and thats in TN. Got a call today, the car overheated...started to smoke. I dont know what exactly happened because I was not there. Im thinking there is a clog somewhere? I have seen somewhere online that they can get clogged..with what though, I have no clue. It is being towed to an auto repair shop in the morning and I will find out further details then. Might be getting a Lexus as replacement for that auto soon...

[Markc]

Hope it didn't overheat too badly, aluminum engine & overheat situation can equal disaster. Did your patch job hold? If the engine is still o.k, I'd definately be getting a new rad. Might even be able to get one from a wrecker.

[daverich18]

My patch job held fine. Apparently there was another hole/leak in the radiator that was pointed out to my mother who had the car towed in. A new radiator was ordered and is supposed to be put in tomorrow. Im just wondering what would cause the overheating. Im not down there (in miami) so it probably wouldn't occur to my mom to ask certain questions so that I will know if something else can happen in the future. Im moving down there is upcoming week so I will be further in the loop then.

[Markc]

Well, the hole/leak and subsequent loss of coolant would cause over heating.

[daverich18]

Thanks for all the input guys. New radiator was put in and everything is fine now. Gauge has appeared to level off and remain in its low position and the SES light has turned off. Only cost (my mom..haha) $140 total. So not too bad. Thanks again guys for your suggestions and input.

[Markc]

Hey you got away cheap on that! Or should I say your Mom did. You are going to pay her back aren't you?

[daverich18]

uuuhhhh.... No. Its my mom and she loves taking care of her kids..haha. But yeah I think she got a great deal on the repair job as well.