Nissan Maxima problems...

Serendipity

A few members here have been helping me, but I decided to post on the forum since I'm still not 100% sure what the problem is.

A while back we had a slight overheating problem in our Nissan Maxima. The weird thing is that it only happens in NYC traffic, when in Manhattan during rush hour, but once you get out of the city and move faster than 15-20MPH, the problem goes away. The gauge is not in the "hot" end of the H/C scale, it's just running slightly warm. Like a little bit over 50%. But my main concern is that the cabin and engine compartment get very hot. In the wintertime, even with the heater OFF and the temperature set all the way to Cold, the air vents blow hot air into the cabin and we have to open the windows. Again, this only happens when I feel the engine is "overheating."

The thing is, the car never did this before and the temp. gauge always ran on the "Cool" side, it used to be around 45%, all the time. But when we had the problem, the inside of the car got uncomfortably hot (like someone turned the heat all the way to the HOT side) and the temp. gauge was like 55%. It's not in the red but it's not like it used to run. Furthermore, when we open the hood, the engine is quite warm and I don't think it ever got that warm before. What really got our attention was the fact that the cabin got so hot that time we were stuck in traffic in Manhattan, all the windows were open and it was still hot inside!!

So this is an intermittent problem but only shows up once in a blue moon. A coolant flush AND thermostat inspection didn't solve the problem. I'm starting to think it's a heater issue but now I'm not sure. What could this be?

disneyjoe7

Does the fan come on? Idle the engine until it heats up and don't run the heater or AC does the electronic fan come on? Does the water hose get hot, and does it get hard? Is there any cool spots on the radiator?

Serendipity

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

Does the fan come on? Idle the engine until it heats up and don't run the heater or AC does the electronic fan come on? Does the water hose get hot, and does it get hard? Is there any cool spots on the radiator?

Yes, the electric fan does come on but only after a while. However, when you turn the A/C on the electric fan runs immediately (instead of after a while).

The top hose does get hot and has pressure in it, and the coolant seems to be circulating through the radiator.

bigaudiofanatic

I had overheating problems it was a head gasket. I gues a stock engine cant take 80 shot of nitrous to many time but i didnt know about it until about two weeks later.

Serendipity

To make things worse, a couple of days ago we had a flat tire and I had to put on the spare. When I looked under the carpet of the trunk, there was a pool of water - a lot of it too! Now there's this darn leak to take care of as it rained last night and there has been more water in the trunk...

It seems like the leak is coming from the SIDE instead of the top of the trunk, as the top part stays dry but the bottom (and spare tire compartment) is getting wet

disneyjoe7

appadv wrote: »

Yes, the electric fan does come on but only after a while. However, when you turn the A/C on the electric fan runs immediately (instead of after a while).

The top hose does get hot and has pressure in it, and the coolant seems to be circulating through the radiator.

Ok sounds ok, but something still wrong. So there any cool areas on the radiator? Is there any fog from the exhaust, or does it smell sweet? If not, you need to see a someone to fix it you may may a blown head gasket.

Or you need some tools a radiator pressure tool that will tell you the pressure high pressure could be a head gasket problem. A compressor pressure tool could tell you that also, but the 2 of them would tell you everything.

bigaudiofanatic

Darn now i know why i didnt get that quest. Sorry to hear about that man. Hope everything works out for you.

Serendipity

No cool areas on the radiator as far as I can tell, and definitely no fog from the exhaust. I don't think it's a blown head gasket as the coolant and oil are fine and the exhaust is clean.

A few mechanics have suspected that it's a heater problem, it seems like the slider is stuck to the "H" side as the cabin temperature is abnormally warm.

sucks2beme

The fan thermostat controls normal cooling. When the ac is on, it pulls in the
fan relay, overriding the thermostat. Did anyone run a system pressure test?
If it's not holding pressure, the system will run hot. For the engine, try putting
in some Red Line water wetter. It will lower the temp. Or add another
fan to the radiator, or change out the radiator. If it is getting old an clogged,
this reduces cooling ability.
http://www.2carpros.com/first_things/heater_failure.htm
Try this for why your is getting hot in the cabin.

Serendipity

sucks2beme wrote: »

The fan thermostat controls normal cooling. When the ac is on, it pulls in the
fan relay, overriding the thermostat. Did anyone run a system pressure test?
If it's not holding pressure, the system will run hot. For the engine, try putting
in some Red Line water wetter. It will lower the temp. Or add another
fan to the radiator, or change out the radiator. If it is getting old an clogged,
this reduces cooling ability.
http://www.2carpros.com/first_things/heater_failure.htm
Try this for why your is getting hot in the cabin.

I'm not a car person, so we've had a trusted mechanic check the radiator and everything was fine. Same thing with the pressure in the system and the radiator fan. Shouldn't be issues on a newer car anyways. Our 1989 Maxima lasted for ages and didn't have as many problems.

Face here suggests that it may be the "flapper" in the HVAC system getting stuck and putting out more hot air than normal - I suspect this is the issue as most of the time the engine temp. is right between H and C (normal) but the cabin temperature is too hot.

Serendipity

I'm most likely wrong, but it seems like the problem is with the little slider on the center console under the radio. It moves from the cold to hot side, but even at the C end it's not cold in the cabin. I remember the last time we had the problem it was winter and very cold outside, but we had to roll down the windows because it was too hot.

snow

Im not sure about your car without looking at it personally or at least a manual for it but it may be that the sensor that tells the fan to come on is not functioning properly, most likely installed in the radiator or it could even be that if your heater sliders buttons or switches are vacuum operated the vacuum lines may have developed a small leak and are not opening or closing the valve in the hose or the ducting that controls the hot and cold air opening or closing all the way.



REGARDS SNOW

Serendipity

Let me get one thing straight -

On a cool day, without the A/C turned on and the slider set to C, what should the cabin temperature normally be? Shouldn't the cabin temperature be comfortable? That was never the case with this car, from day one.

Neighbor's Toyota Camry is nice and cool inside with the slider set to C and A/C off. But on the Maxima it's warm inside.

Edit: If the problem was with the radiator, shouldn't the temp. gauge be close to H or in the red? That's why I'm suspecting something else.

snow

appadv wrote: »

Let me get one thing straight -

On a cool day, without the A/C turned on and the slider set to C, what should the cabin temperature normally be? Shouldn't the cabin temperature be comfortable? That was never the case with this car, from day one.

Neighbor's Toyota Camry is nice and cool inside with the slider set to C and A/C off. But on the Maxima it's warm inside.

You may get some hot air coming from the engine compartment if you are moving and the slider is pushed over to the hot side without the fan running, but no hot air should be coming in if A. your sitting still with the fan in the off position or B. if your moving and the slider is pushed to the cold area. If this is happening then the door that opens and closes is not working properly whether its manually operated with a cable or vacuum operated. If its cable operated then the cable needs replacement. If its vacuum operated than either the vacuum hose has developed a leak thereby not having enough pressure to close it all the way or the pump itself needs replacement.




REGARDS SNOW

Serendipity

No, there is no hot air coming in when sitting still with the fan in the off position OR when moving with the slider pushed to the C side. However, when in heavy stop-and-go traffic and the fan turned to high, the cabin is quite hot.

snow

appadv wrote: »

No, there is no hot air coming in when sitting still with the fan in the off position OR when moving with the slider pushed to the C side. However, when in heavy stop-and-go traffic and the fan turned to high, the cabin is quite hot.

Is it hot outside when this happens? and if so do you have the recirculate or fresh air option engaged?



REGARDS SNOW

Serendipity

snow wrote: »

Is it hot outside when this happens? and if so do you have the recirculate or fresh air option engaged?

It happens when it is cold outside. But irregardless of temperature, the cabin is usually warm in traffic.

Also noticed that if you put the car in Park while waiting in a few minues of traffic, the engine runs cooler. Why I don't know.

snow

appadv wrote: »

It happens when it is cold outside. But irregardless of temperature, the cabin is usually warm in traffic.

Also noticed that if you put the car in Park while waiting in a few minues of traffic, the engine runs cooler. Why I don't know.

Well the engine is idling faster while in park than when it is in drive simply because theres no load on it and since its running faster it translates into better ciruclation for the cooling system so it will run cooler. But if you have your fresh air option on rather than recirculate and your fan is running and the slider is over in the cool posistion it should blow in the same temperature air that the outside is not hotter. If the engine is getting hotter than normal and the cooling fan doesnt kick on fast enough to keep it cool than the problem lies in the sensor/s that is most likely screwed into your radiator it tells the fan that is on your radiator to come on after it reaches a set temperature. Have you tested it at all? The little electrical fan that is on your radiator may have died and not even be coming on at all and that certainly could be your problem also.



REGARDS SNOW

joeparaski

I don't know about the Maxima (I'd have to check some info at work) but the water pump may have one or two broken impellers, hence the poor circulation resulting in high heat when the engine is at a low idle.

Joe

disneyjoe7

FYI if the heater core is leaking then the radiator pressure isn't going too hard, the water will boil at an earlier point.

snow

Some radiators have 2 fans on them to keep it cool if one of them quit then the one that is operating correctly may be enough to keep the engine from overheating but not enough to keep the engine as cool as it once did.


REGARDS SNOW

Serendipity

I checked the electric fans and they are running. In fact, that was the first thing I did back in October when we first started having this problem.

NotaSuv

On my Jeep i had the kinda the same problem...hot air blowing in and couldnyt figure out why and couldnt stop it....turns out one of my vaccum lines came loose and this was the problem...at least on my Jeep when the vaccum line came loose my cruise control didnt work correctly and I couldnt stop the hot air...when reconnected all was like new....just a thought as I have zero experince with the Maxima

Serendipity

Was your Jeep overheating? Or just hot air blowing in?

NotaSuv

appadv wrote: »

Was your Jeep overheating? Or just hot air blowing in?

Next car will most likely be a Jeep something, as they seem to be well built. Our previous Nissan Maxima lasted for ages, but this one's only 8 years old and it's already having issues.

just blowing in hot air....engine ran cool....without the vaccum line connected my slide control didnt nothing reguardless where I moved it.. it moved back and forth but didnt have any effect on the air coming out.....again this was on a Jeep wrangler.....just throwing my heater prob out there as I kinda surprised when I finally figured it out with help from mechanics on a Jeep forum....good luck.....love my Jeep but it is a GAS PIG..

Serendipity

Yes, this is what I am talking about!!

The engine runs at around 50% temp. (between H and C) but the slider on the climate control unit doesn't do much on the cold side. I moved it between C and the middle but the air coming out was still warm. Moving it to H made the air, to some extent, hotter.

NotaSuv

snow wrote: »

Im not sure about your car without looking at it personally or at least a manual for it but it may be that the sensor that tells the fan to come on is not functioning properly, most likely installed in the radiator or it could even be that if your heater sliders buttons or switches are vacuum operated the vacuum lines may have developed a small leak and are not opening or closing the valve in the hose or the ducting that controls the hot and cold air opening or closing all the way.



REGARDS SNOW

This was my problem.......no vacuum = controls didnt work

Serendipity

Will get the vacuum lines and radiator hoses replaced then.

Thanks!

NotaSuv

I would at least speak to a Nissan mechanic as to if the vacuum lines do indeed control any heater functions.......

Serendipity

NotaSuv wrote: »

I would at least speak to a Nissan mechanic as to if the vacuum lines do indeed control any heater functions.......

Nissan's own website recommends checking the radiator hoses and vacuum lines at 60,000 miles. So I guess that's what I have to do.

On another note, most likely our next car will be a Jeep due to their reliability.

Serendipity

Also,

Any suggestions on the leak? Really don't want to replace the trunk's rubber seal if water is just getting in on one side, but would rather use some kind of sealant if possible. Only thing is that it looks like the problem is getting worse (more water as of today).