this weekend i noticed my temp gauge was at the maximum "hot" reading on the gauge. i dontk now why...anything i can check to see why it is freaking out?

 

check your coolant level in your radiator. could be your water pump going bad, leaky radiator, a number of things. probably just need some more coolant

 

You'd better find out soon. Aluminum heads don't like to be overheated. They start to curl up like potato chips.
When was the last time you did a full coolant system flush/refill? Still have the original thermostat? Clean out the junk between the radiator and the condensor?

 

I'm not sure, I don't have any coolant, my dad said to put in some water for now...is this a bad idea?

I dont know when we did any of the other thigns you listed, can I do thsoe myself?

 

water is better than nothing......coolant is only like 5 bucks so you should try to get some soon. did you check the level before putting the water in? you dont want a radiator full of just water! you should be able to do those other things yourself

 

well, my dad took the liberty of filling the coolant tank with a little bit of water. he said somethingabout coolant being 50/50 water/coolant, so it shouldn't be a biggie. i'm taking the car in to nissan for the 100k mile check soon and they'll flush all that junk out. the coolant resivour looked a little dirty inside.

also, i noticed my radiator fans were not moving, is this normal? do they only turn on a certain times?

my temp gauge needle also fell off of it's spot on the pin that turns in the gauges. now i'm not sure if the engine is normal or not...should nissan be ablet o fix the problem without seeing my gauge needle? b/c if this is the cause, when I get back the car, i'll just let the car run for 15 mins and move the needle to the center.

thanks for all the help

 

The fans should come on at 195 F. If the temp really went high, and they didn't you have more problems. Of course, if you have almost no coolant then there's nothing to heat the temp sensor. If you bring it to Nissan, make sure they do a full flush, and not just drain and refill the radiator. There is a drain plug on the block that should also be pulled. If you've never had the cooling system properly serviced before, it's full of crap. BTW, the water in the cooling system should be distilled (just like the battery). That's how it comes from the factory, and for good reason.

 

distilled? ****.

too late..will it blow up on me

 

No it will just leave mineral deposits behind. I wouldn't worry about it if you are going to get it flushed soon.

 

I had the sensors and alot of other things=$$$$ replaced and it turned out to be a fan relay.

if you want more info just email me and good luck

 

Yeah, when mine started acting crazy, I found out that is was only the sensor... Also check your exhaust... if it seems to be running hotter than normal, then the engine is running hot, if you can walk past your muffler and feel extrme heat through your pants leg, then that is too hot, you should be able to get close enough to exhaut to put your hand near the muffler(about 5-10 inches back...) and determine if its running too hot or not.

P.S. Check this board and your email... I have a question for you about the lights... Thanks.

 

You should have your thermostat checked to. That is the readon mine overheated when it did.

 

like Sarah said. and if the coolant was more than a little low, something else is wrong, it had to go somewhere.

have you had the waterpump replaced?, thats seems to be the likely candidate for more than a little coolant loss.

if it is the pump it is probably worthwhile to do the timing belt too if you got 40k or more on it. a good flush will be a good idea, if you flush and go for new coolant it would be a good time to go for some water wetter. 30/70 with wetter gives the best cooling, but we northern folk need better than -15f protection.

 

well for me the only time the fan comes on is if i turn the a/c on. Other than that my fans dont really come on ever. I have never seen it turn on with out the a/c on. Could i have a bad relay? sensor? all of a sudden my max over heated. Opened the cap and coolent came out. before i opend the cap i heard a hissing sound coming form the motor. What could be the problem>? and help?

 

since when do they put distilled water in a battery. There is no elctrical potential with distilled water so I'm not quite sure how that battery is functioning. Car batteries have a lead electrode which is bathed in sulfuric acid. Distilled water is nothing more than purified water that is free of electrolytes that will corrode the cooling system. The fact that heat intensifies the rxn only makes undistilled water worse for the cooling system. If you didn't use distilled water just flush the system and do it the right way next time. good luck.