Newbie with a few questions

[MR. BIGGZ]

Hello Guys/Gals,

Newbie here with a few questions after doing searches. I am a proud owner of a 99.5 3.3L Nissan Pathfinder SE with 95k miles. After doing searches on this forum for my questions and finding a lot of valuable information I still have some questions I was hoping to get some advice for.

The pathfinder has been overheating so I took it to a mechanic he said I'm missing an A/C Relay fan from the front of the engine. I have done several searches and cant seem to find the part I was hoping someone had a picture of their engine bay so I could compare with my pathfinder to see where the fan is located at? And if indeed that is the problem or is the mechanic giving me a misdiagnosis? The odd part to the overheating is I have to add coolant everyday so it does not overheat, but I cannot find any leaks or where all the coolant is going? I'm puzzled.

The second problem I am having I believe maybe the engine coils. When starting the pathy the motor takes several turns to kick over, and the pathy is very slow to accelerate so after searching this forum and others I believe it may be the ignition coils is there anyway to diagnose which coil it is so I don't have to replace all six?

I am a student so money is tight; however, I am not afraid to get under the hood and work on the pathy on my own. I am not the most mechanically inclined person but I sure like to work on her. Any advice is appreciated thank you for welcoming me to the forum.

[W O T]

I dont know anything about your overheating problem as I dont have that year.

I also wouldnt just shotgun some ignition coils at it on a whim. If youre cars running poorly and accelerates like poop, then it will be throwing a code (is your check engine light on)

Id get the car scanned if you have one, or instead of buying one to save cash, seek someone one craigslist with a scanner and have them scan it to retrieve the code to pinpoint the problem, might charge you $10-$20

Much better than simply shotgunning parts at it

[MR. BIGGZ]

Hey thanks for the quit reply WOT, I do have an intermittent check engine light. After reading some posts, I see that Autozone will read the codes for free is there any truth to this?

[freedomm60]

I work for Autozone and yes they will check your code for free! Sounds like your problem could possibly be a fuel issue maybe a fuel filter or fuel pump.

[MR. BIGGZ]

Hey thanks freedomm60 I was contemplating changing the fuel filter as this maybe an easy fix I will drop by autozone for the codes to be read and a new fuel filter. Thanks I think I'm on my way to fixing my problems. If I could only figure out where my coolant is going?

[Lars]

Pretty sure a 3.3 only has one coil, not 6. And if you have to top off the rad every day you have a significant problem, either a blown head gasket or a leak somewhere in the system. You should either pressure test the cooling system yourself, or have it done.

You can do a simple check on the head gasket by pulling the dip stick or oil cap if either look like a chocolate milkshake, you have a blown head gasket. I had a very small leak on my '98 Pathy 3.3 when I bought it, ended up being a bad waterpump - was leaking out of the puke hole on the bottom of it. Check under the hood when the engine is at running temp, if you see any steam anywhere, that is where you are losing coolant.

[Lars]

Oh, and freedomm60 - Autozone in So Cal told me that they stopped checking engine lights due to a lawsuit... YMMV

[Chuck Tribolet]

Look for white powdery stuff, like flour. That's what coolant looks like whenit drys up.

What circumstances make it want to overheat?

Straight down the freeway?Idling at a stop light?When the coolant goes down?

Start with a cold engine. Top up the rad. Check the overflow bottle, get it downbetween MIN and MAX, note where it is. Drive a few miles, but not enoughto overheat. What's happened to the overflow bottle? If it got fuller, bethinking radiator cap.

Chuck

[MR. BIGGZ]

Thanks Chuck, I do see the white stuff in there. It typically overheats going uphill or just driving around town on hot days.