I have a Maxima, 1987. What a great little car. And nace to have found the forum I have needed.

At normal driving I find my heat gage about 3/4 of the way up. The engine doesn't seem to be over-heated. Nothing I have done has gotten the car to run any cooler (if it is infact over-heating). People tell me this car is famous for running hot. With a one+ gallon capacity I wonder if this isn't indeed a fact.

 

I never had an overheating issue except for the time the water pump belt tensioner snapped off. but that didn't linger, it went from C to H in a matter of minutes.

maybe you have a sticking thermostat, or the water temperature switch (thermal transmitter) is bad? it's not a severe issue if it's not pegged all the way over on H or if you don't smell burning coolant. burning coolant isn't a smell you can forget, and neither is a faceful of radiator steam. blahhh!

Dan

 

when my thermostat was on the way out it started running like this....I replaced the thermostat and it droped back down.

 

Thanx guys. I did replace the thermostat some time ago, flushed the rad and steamed the rad comb, to no avail. No 88, I have never smelled an overheated condition ... at least not with this one. You can understand how we humans put so much stock in what a gage says, be it an unlogical reading.

What great little cars these are. Damn if it ain't a sports car.

 

it is.... just with 2 extra doors in the back....

the 3rd gen maximas have a sticker on the back doors that say "4DSC - Four-Door Sports Car" or something like that. but the 3rd gens have a different body, not boxcars like the 2nd gens.

 

a couple things you could also try.... when the engine's running, what's the voltage like? too low or too high voltage will cause the gauges to read erratically. also, when you did the thermostat, do you remember what temperature you got? I think these cars use a 170 deg. thermostat, but I'm not sure. you can also disconnect the wire at the water temperature switch and make sure the needle stays at C, then ground it and make sure it pegs all the way past H. if you need one, a water temperature switch for these engines runs about $10 at most places. also, when was the last time you flushed the radiator? I know you mentioned doing that in the past, but they recommend doing it every 2 years. then when you have the coolant drained, switch to a lower temperature thermostat. that'll make it run a little cooler. my sentra runs a 170 and the gauge normally points about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way up.

maybe you're weaned on a temperature gauge, but consider yourself lucky. my blazer doesn't have one. just a temperature light, a little red glowing thermometer symbol, right next to the little red oil can and the little red battery and the dude wearing his seat belt. it kinda makes me nervous because there's no sure-fire way of making sure the sending unit and everything are in good condition. I hafta rely on the light coming on. at least when you look down and see that the needle is moving above C, you know the sending unit is ok.

but like I said, if you're overly concerned, try flushing/filling and switching to a lower temp. thermostat and seeing what that does. 3/4 of the way up isn't dangerous, but it is a little higher than normal.

Dan

 

also check your timing....if thats way off then it can cause the car to run hot

 

I flushed it last month. The voltage is 14.2. What concerns me most is that the fans are running all day. How long can that go on. With or without the thermostat installed it runs at the same temp. Should I call a witchdoctor? There is a thermo switch at the rads top right side. It I unplug it and cross the connectors the right (passenger side) fan kicks on. But when the temp reaches 1/2 of gage range we have both running. Should that right-side fan be independent it some circumstances? Never seen it running solo in its own.

Also (not a Nissan question), is there any way to remove those tiny scratches that collect on the windshield from someone running a hardened wiper for years?

 

Aboutthe windshield issue, you can fix this the same way you repair windrash and aged / hazed glass - suto restorers use the technique all the time for hard to find, or expensive glass...

Polish it. If the scratches are deep, use a slightly more abrasive polishing compound first, then buff it out...

Should remove all blemishes except chips and cracks, and restore the glass to like-new...

 

hmm, if you run it without a thermostat installed and it still overheats, you've got a more serious problem.

when you run it without a thermostat, can you physically feel the radiator hoses getting hot? maybe they'll get warm, but they shouldn't get hot cos cold coolant is circulating. they should stay cold. if that's the case, chances are you need a new water temperature switch. it's a $10 part that screws into the back of the intake manifold. it's a little thing that you'll need either a deep 12 or 14mm to remove, with one spade terminal connector on it. just take it out, put some teflon tape on the threads of the new one, and screw it in.

if that's not the case, maybe part of the cooling system is clogged? check the water pump and its belt too. the water pump isn't the easiest thing to get to on these cars, but there's a problem that needs to be taken care of. i

 

Did you check for air in the coolant system? Sometimes that can cause you to run a little hotter.

 

As the previous post mentioned... air in your system? I think there is a bleeder screw to let air out as you add coolant/water into the radiator. Located near the EGR valve? I'll check on that later.

AL

 

I've never handeled the rad hoses but I'll give it a try. If I uncap the rad and rev it coolant indeed rushes up and out. I guess that means the punp is working - at what rate no one knows. I bet the only thing keeping a pump from pumping would be a loose belt (it checks okay) or rotted fins on the pump's drive. That is something I wouldn't labor to check. The fans kick in at about 60% of the gage's length. I checked the temp with one of those hand-held digital sensors once. It read 180 just as the fans started up.

I'll try polishing the windshield. Someone once told me that polishing would render swirling patterns that would actually make its transparency and glare worse.