Strange heat problem- 2006 Maxima

[patrickm1587]

My wife has a 2006 Maxima, v6, auto. It only has around 63,000 miles on it. The strange thing is that when you come to a stop, it stops putting out heat. If you're moving it works fine. It doesn't make a bit of sense to me... Anybody got any ideas?

[the converted]

Sounds a bit like a bad thermostat. Have you noticed if it is running cooler in general?

[mr0x]

What is the temperature of the coolant? It's the temperature gauge on the dash? Is it in the middle or does it fluctuate?

If the thermostat was stuck open, the opposite would happen - when you're moving the wind would cool the coolant. If it's stuck closed, then it would just get hot all the time.

[patrickm1587]

The heat hand doesn't move. It just doesn't make sense to me.

[the converted]

No the opposite doesn't happen speaking from experience. The engine makes almost no heat at idle so the valve needs to close to keep it hot. If the heat only gets warm and not hot while moving and the car takes a while to heat up that's what I would look at. The only other thing I could think of is if the fan just isn't blowing as strong at idle which could be an alternator on the way out.

[mr0x]

converted, I had the opposite when my thermostat was stuck open but it wasn't on my i-30 though.

patrick, if the heat dial doesn't move, thermostat is stuck open.

[seyath]

My wife has a 2006 Maxima, v6, auto. It only has around 63,000 miles on it. The strange thing is that when you come to a stop, it stops putting out heat. If you're moving it works fine. It doesn't make a bit of sense to me... Anybody got any ideas?

Patrick, it's a very common problem for the 6th gens. The design of our radiators, and overflow tank sucks and air bubbles get mixed in with the coolant. Hence while you are running and coolant is circulating the heat works flawlessly. Once you stop, the air bubbles block the coolant from flowing freely.

Some of the 6th genners park their cars on a steep hill so that the radiator cap is the highest point in the coolant system, then rev the car up until they "bleed out" all the air. Personally, I have had success with this method once (60k mi) but now it failed (140k mi). You can get a coolant flush done for $50-60 and it will solve the problem, which is what I'm doing now.

Hope this helps.