xpl0sive22

hey there.... well it seems that i got my self a not-so-good maxima... theres something seriously wrong with the cooling system. First of all, the heater doesnt work worth ****, but thats not really the problem. The problem is that i opened my hood a couple of days ago, cause i noticed that my engine was steaming... i checked the coolant... and it was gone... i was like ok, maybe it just ran out, so i go to the gas station, buy a bottle, put it in. I get home... the coolant is gone... and i think there is a tiny hole in the big black pipe which connects the engine and the radiator, cause there was some white **** seeping out of there... so basically, when car is just sitting there idling, the engine starts heating up, and the temperature rises, then i start driving, and it seems to go down a bit.... so what do i do? is my radiator ****ed or what? please help, and sorry if this has been answered, but the search is diabled, and i dont have enough money to donate, since i have to spend it all on fixing my ****ing car, so anyways help! i need this car to get to work and the last thing i need is for it to over-heat...

MISTER BIG

well for starters, replace the hose that you seen with a leak, cuz your coolant WILL leak from their.
if you cant see it leaking from any of the hoses, rad, resevior... then you have problems, because a bad head gasket will cause the coolant to reach other areas, oil gallies, combustion chamber....

nelledge

iTrader: (6)

You're probably not going to have any heat until you fix the coolant leak. If there's no coolant, there's no way to bring heat to the heater core. I wouldn't think the coolant loss was a huge money issue just yet. If it was leaking into the combustion chamber, you would probably notice steam at your exhaust. To check if it's in your oil, simply look at the dipstick. Oily and brown... good. Rainbow prisms... bad. Fix the leak. Air cooling may work on the highway in cold weather, but you're screwed if you let the engine overheat.

xpl0sive22

well the whole engine bay seems kind of wet. i mean maybe thats just water from the rain and ****, but i dont know... i was at an intersection, and the guy next to me said that my radiator was leaking since i had liquid dripping down from my car... maybe he's right... ill look into that today.

92slacky

Get a couple of gallons of water and a funnel fill the radiator cap it, put some water in the clear reserve tank connected to the radiator turn on the engine, get it to operating temperature and look around for the leaks.
If coolant is escaping from the end of a hose tighten the clamp, cracked broken leaking hoses replace, they're cheap. Find the leak!
Turn the heat on . There should be a valve attached to the black water hose going from your engine to the firewall of the passenger compartment.
I'm from Miami so I don't pay much attention to heat , but there should be a movement of the control on this valve as you move the slider on the heat control. If the valve doesn't open you are not going to get any heat.

Good luck

xpl0sive22

well i fixed the radiator stuff, basically just changed the upper hose and took out the radiator and flushed it a couple of times... but the heat dont work worth **** still,,, what do i do? i heard that thermostat is sometimes the problem so, where is it located and how do i fix it?

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

you have to get the air out of the heater core.
which depending upon your year and model the procedure will vary

dantegl

i have a similar situation, my ride doesnt overheat, but i have next to no heat, and ive suspected for a while it was the heater core. i have a 1990 max SE, if some one could lead me in the direction of how to get the air out of the system that would be great

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

39" up the nose

Maxima-4DSC

iTrader: (1)

there should be an air **** on the top of the manifold. run the engine and slowly open the valve and let the air pi$$ out..