Overheating Issue

[dreamingat30fps]

Well I had to go pick up my gf from work the other day because she said the EX was overheating. When I got there I noticed the reserve container of coolant was empty. Since I didn't remember if this use to be full or what I ran to the nearest gas station picked up the only coolant they had (hope its the right one) and filled it to the max line.

Drove home everything was fine. Today we went to go eat and while she was parking it started to heat up again she said. So before we went back I looked at the coolant and it was where we left it. I drove back this time and no issues. At this point I'm starting to think shes crazy. So when we get back I stay on the drive way to try to replicate the issue. Sat there maybe 5min and nothing, rev'd it a bit, nothing. I look in the engine and the driver fan is working fine, however all of the sudden passenger fan kicks in and now temp gauge starts to climb FAST.

I find it odd that it climbs so fast which makes me think maybe something wrong with the thermostat or something. Anyone experience this issue or have any thoughts on what might be causing it? To top it off extended warranty ran out in Nov FML.

[XIS]

there is a hose at the top of the radiator and one at the bottom. I 'think' if the thermostat is the issue (like it is stuck closed) - then the water at the bottom hose will still be cool and the top hose will be fricken scorching hot. Another test is to squeeze the top hose and feel if the water doesn't move or if it surges when you release the hose. If that is all it is, you can change that puppy yourself and consider yourself lucky!... unless it was driven too far/long when it was overheating. Don't want to blow that head gasket so get it checked out pronto.

[dreamingat30fps]

What was odd to me is that it would heat up that quickly. Like everything was perfect then within a few seconds it shoots up and I have to turn off the engine. Also I was looking around the engine while it was heating up and nothing really seemed all that hot to me.

Honestly haven't been too happy with it recently. My dash is cracking all over the place (never had any car crack like that), getting weird squeaks and now this, but worst of all is the resale value on these EXs appears to be abysmal.

[XIS]

strange... I would check those hoses like I mentioned. It does sound like a thermostat. It would heat up like that and when your gauge is shooting up, that is when the thermostat would normally open to let in the cooler water.

Also strange about the dash! I live in the desert where temps OUTSIDE the car get over 115...inside, well - I am fairly certain it even gets hotter. My dash is still nice and soft. My seats still are doing well also.
As far as resale, I hadn't planned on selling her, so I wasn't sure what it was worth. It looks like mine would go for $16K+ here with the miles/options it has and condition it is in. I bought it for $21 or $22k 4 years ago, so I think it is holding its value fairly well. I agree that Honda / Acura / Lexus seem to hold their values longer, but Infiniti is not far off. Not as many fan-boys definitely affects resale!

[AWGD8]

I had a friend who toasted his engine (Isuzu Truck) driving long distance with parking break halfway engaged....


- check thermostat
- check for any coolant leaks
- was the original coolant OEM or the right kind for the car?

[dreamingat30fps]

No idea what kind of coolant was in it, however as far as I know it has always been serviced at the Infiniti dealer where I bought it. Now the extra coolant I added the first time it heated up I have NO idea if its correct, it was the only one they had at the nearby gas station.

I do not see any coolant being spilled on the drive way, however I do believe it was low that first time when I added some, where it went however I have no idea.

I tried the hose thing and while it was still cool I was able to squeeze it no problem, however I was not able to try it once it starts to heat up. I'm afraid to do it by myself as once it starts to heat up it goes VERY quickly and I'm afraid I wont have time to check those hose and monitor the temp so I can turn it off before it gets too hot. However I may try again when my gf is home.

I have actually seen the dash cracking issue on several EXs. While I was looking at cars recently I always made sure to check any EXs I came across and I would say half or more had the same exact cracking issues. I also find that the dash on the passenger side like the front part of the dash just above the glove box gets very "sticky" when in direct sunlight. Almost like it melts or oozes something, never seen anything like it before.

[AWGD8]

Your car symptoms has a big chance that you might have a stuck closed thermostat.

[CDNicecube]

Just a thought about the coolant you added. Did you mix it or,was it pre mixed? If it was pure coolant, it might actually evaporate faster than when mixed with distiller water....

[dreamingat30fps]

It was pre mixed.

[dreamingat30fps]

Well FML took it to the local shop and they said the radiator has a leak. They want like $900 to replace it with hoses and thermostat also. Not sure what I'm gonna do since we have been thinking of trading it in anyway.

[EXceptional]

You call your girlfriend a FML ? Maybe get rid of both the car and the girlfriend ?

What's the mileage on this burden of yours? Whereabouts do you live? You might wanna trade it in, since a private sale demo might turn up the problem as the potential buyer takes it for a drive around the block... or if he/she gets it inspected.

Our seats are soft and supple... and our dash is intact... and we have not had one problem with the engine since we bought ours in 2008

[dreamingat30fps]

We must have very different definitions of FML as I have no idea what that has to do with my gf.

Car has about 60k miles on it which to me seems rather soon to have a radiator fail. Maybe having come from owning only German cars and all the issues that come with them my expectations for my first Japanese car might have been over ambitious.

Still debating trading it or not, I would not sell it privately, also considering doing the job myself with my father in law as the part itself is only like $200. However from what I have read the job seems rather involved.

[Teknical]

Sounds like a common problem with our cars. Mine did the same thing.

[XIS]

mine failed at 65K or so also... small leak at the seam. I changed it myself and had a heck of a learning experience...but I got her done for much much less than $900 !

[dreamingat30fps]

mine failed at 65K or so also... small leak at the seam. I changed it myself and had a heck of a learning experience...but I got her done for much much less than $900 !

I actually read your post regarding replacing the radiator... which is why I'm hesitant to do it lol!

From you experience was there anyway to do it without having to drain the AC system and have it refilled?

[dognil]

By the way looking into infiniti service manual today I found out that radiator cap on infiniti ex35 should be replaced every 30000 miles. Do you know if that has been done for your cars? I believe that could an issue, because the gasket in that cap could fail with the time and engine just can be overheated. I'm going to replace mine next time I visit dealership for maintenance, because it seems it has never been replaced before.

[dreamingat30fps]

By the way looking into infiniti service manual today I found out that radiator cap on infiniti ex35 should be replaced every 30000 miles. Do you know if that has been done for your cars? I believe that could an issue, because the gasket in that cap could fail with the time and engine just can be overheated. I'm going to replace mine next time I visit dealership for maintenance, because it seems it has never been replaced before.

Mine has never been replaced, however I can see the leak from the radiator towards the bottom of the radiator so I don't think its the cap in my case. However if I do replace it I will also go ahead and replace the cap and the thermostat just to be on the safe side.

[NJGuy]

Sounds like a common problem with our cars. Mine did the same thing.

Other than the three radiator failures mentioned in this thread, I think I've only seen one or two other incidents of them in our EX forum. I hope it doesn't become a regular problem.

[NJGuy]

Well FML took it to the local shop and they said the radiator has a leak. They want like $900 to replace it with hoses and thermostat also.

I was stumped and wasn't sure what the cause would be to your overheating issue. After hearing the mechanic's diagnosis, it now makes sense. Even after adding coolant, there were probably pockets of lots of trapped air that didn't get bled out. This probably made the temp gauge shoot up even after the refill.

[XIS]

I don't think there was any way to do it without draining the A/C... unfortunately!

mine failed at 65K or so also... small leak at the seam. I changed it myself and had a heck of a learning experience...but I got her done for much much less than $900 !

I actually read your post regarding replacing the radiator... which is why I'm hesitant to do it lol!

From you experience was there anyway to do it without having to drain the AC system and have it refilled?

[XIS]

I have never replaced my cap either. Not sure how it would affect it? If it failed, wouldn't it leak out the cap area and release pressure?

By the way looking into infiniti service manual today I found out that radiator cap on infiniti ex35 should be replaced every 30000 miles. Do you know if that has been done for your cars? I believe that could an issue, because the gasket in that cap could fail with the time and engine just can be overheated. I'm going to replace mine next time I visit dealership for maintenance, because it seems it has never been replaced before.

[dreamingat30fps]

Ok so decided to diy this one. Have the radiator coming in on Friday so we can work on it Saturday. Have a local AC shop who can remove and then recharge the freon. Anything else I should do while I'm at it? I tried to get a thermostat but doesnt seem I will be able to get one in time, maybe from the dealer but I'm afraid how much they will want considering they wanted $700 for the radiator lol!

I will update over the weekend and let you know if the patient survived.

[NJGuy]

If you don't have one already, I'd recommend getting one of those spill-free funnels to help with the air bleeding process and minimize any mess. I used one when I was refilling my cooling system during my coolant replacement.
http://www.lislecorp.com/divisions/prod ... roduct=606

Please let us know how it goes, and if you don't mind post up a couple of photos as well.
Good luck!

[dreamingat30fps]

Ok so patient survived! Overall I would say it wasnt an easy install, but it was easier than I expected (maybe because I thought it would be reeeeeaaallly bad). Between me and my father in law it took us maybe like 6 hours. However we did eat lunch and probably spent an extra hour trying to put the rubber grommets from the old radiator on the new one AFTER it was installed (yeah stupid mistake). Also I'm not mechanically inclined at all and although he's handy he hasn't changed a radiator on a modern car with all crap that's attached to this one and all the plastic bits so I think we did pretty good. I can't imagine a pro with proper equipment taking more than a couple hours, especially if they have done it before.

The main things we messed up and anyone attempting to diy should note is like I said the rubber grommets on the corners of the old radiator have to be put on the new one BEFORE installing (we didnt even realize it had the grommets). Also some of the smaller hoses like the transmission fluid hose were very well stuck on the radiator side and we could not get them off given the space we had to work in. Solution was to take them off from the other end and pull them out with the radiator. Once its out they are easier to work with. Once done you have to bleed the system. We did not know this (or more likely overlooked it) so when we started her up she started overheating again. Luckily a friend of mine told us how to bleed the system. So basically we put on the heater on max, revved it to about 1500 and held it there with the bleeder screw slightly open (screw is on the top plastic part of the radiator driver side) for a while. I could see the temp gauge go up and down until it eventually settled and the normal temp. After that all was good. Hasnt over heated since.

Anyways some pics for good measure.

Before


Covers and intakes removed


Leak from where the plastic and metal meet


Empty her out


Out comes the radiator


Old radiator


New radiator

[XIS]

Awesome!! Good job and props for the photos. Being a professional photographer myself, I have no excuses for not taking photos!

Glad all is good.

[NJGuy]

Ok so patient survived! Overall I would say it wasnt an easy install, but it was easier than I expected (maybe because I thought it would be reeeeeaaallly bad). Between me and my father in law it took us maybe like 6 hours. However we did eat lunch and probably spent an extra hour trying to put the rubber grommets from the old radiator on the new one AFTER it was installed (yeah stupid mistake). Also I'm not mechanically inclined at all and although he's handy he hasn't changed a radiator on a modern car with all crap that's attached to this one and all the plastic bits so I think we did pretty good. I can't imagine a pro with proper equipment taking more than a couple hours, especially if they have done it before.

The main things we messed up and anyone attempting to diy should note is like I said the rubber grommets on the corners of the old radiator have to be put on the new one BEFORE installing (we didnt even realize it had the grommets). Also some of the smaller hoses like the transmission fluid hose were very well stuck on the radiator side and we could not get them off given the space we had to work in. Solution was to take them off from the other end and pull them out with the radiator. Once its out they are easier to work with. Once done you have to bleed the system. We did not know this (or more likely overlooked it) so when we started her up she started overheating again. Luckily a friend of mine told us how to bleed the system. So basically we put on the heater on max, revved it to about 1500 and held it there with the bleeder screw slightly open (screw is on the top plastic part of the radiator driver side) for a while. I could see the temp gauge go up and down until it eventually settled and the normal temp. After that all was good. Hasnt over heated since.

Anyways some pics for good measure.

Nice! Thanks for the follow up, and for the pics as well.

[AWGD8]

Thanks for uplaoding those pics OP!

So i just picked up my car yesterday to fix the passenger side hood latch assembly and cables and also replaced the lock key assembly on the driver side. (hood latch will not close the passenger side hood and the driver side door could not be manually opened by the blade key.)

One thing I noticed when I asked the other service writer who picked up the phone before I went there to drop the car off was she mentioned about radiator parts. The guy I talked with did not even mentioned any radiator issue.

So when I drop my EX35 for the fix, I talked to him asked about the radiator parts and he said " yes we noticed a small leak in the radiator. " Although, I did not see coolant dripping in my garage eversince, I went ahead and fix them. Car is still underwarranty.

So after picking up the car, I read the invoice detail and they put " customer smell coolant from engine area" - Radiator drain/bleeder leaking (poor sealing c*** and gasket) -

I had coolant change a year ago on 03/19/2014 and this parts should have been checked?

Why would my service adviser not tell me about this when they first diagnose the car for my hood and key issues?

[NJGuy]

One thing I noticed when I asked the other service writer who picked up the phone before I went there to drop the car off was she mentioned about radiator parts. The guy I talked with did not even mentioned any radiator issue.

So when I drop my EX35 for the fix, I talked to him asked about the radiator parts and he said " yes we noticed a small leak in the radiator. " Although, I did not see coolant dripping in my garage eversince, I went ahead and fix them. Car is still underwarranty.

So after picking up the car, I read the invoice detail and they put " customer smell coolant from engine area" - Radiator drain/bleeder leaking (poor sealing c*** and gasket) -

I had coolant change a year ago on 03/19/2014 and this parts should have been checked?

Why would my service adviser not tell me about this when they first diagnose the car for my hood and key issues?

Not sure why your service advisor didn't mention it earlier, you'll have to take it up with him.

Did they replace the gaskets on both the drain plug and bleeder screw? Either way, the original gaskets were probably fine until the first coolant change. I'm not sure what your service dept. practices, but I have a feeling that they reused the gaskets last year instead of replacing them. They probably didn't leak immediately after the coolant change, but were "used up" enough so that they started to fail soon thereafter.

With a small leak like that, I'm not surprised that you never saw any coolant on your garage floor. The coolant probably dripped on the plastic undertray and dried out before it could drain through. In my other car, the radiator sprung a small leak but the coolant would dry out before ever reaching the ground.

[AWGD8]

Thanks NJGuy for the input. This is the first time I went to a different Infiniti dealership. I do not think I will go back to the old one. The old place probably used the old seal. One time I had an oil change there and went home and looked under the car and saw one of my O2 sensor wire harness hamging. The other time I had scratches on the front fender, cannot probe if they did it or not.