For the second time this week my temp gauge started to go to the H range. Both times i was in stop and go traffic. It does not happen when I am on the hwy or street traffic is moving smooth. I checked the radiator fluid level and it was full. I inspected the car for leaks and did not find any. The fan is also working properly. Before I take it to the shop I would like to know what type of problem I am dealing with. Any advice on what the problem could be would be very helpful. Thanks.

 

is it manual or automatic?
when you say stop and go, does it include driving constantly al low speeds (20-30mph)?

 

Considering you've checked that the fan is working, the next logical step is checking/replacing the thermostat as previously stated.

 

Automatic. Yes it does it when driving at constantly low speeds.

 

Thanks alot, will do.

 

when the car exhibits the overheating signs, would you happen to be running the A/C ?

 

I was not running the A/C when it happened. I was in very slow traffic. When traffic sped up the problem went away.

 

Mileage? Any slow drips coming from anywhere? My water pump leak was very slow and barely noticeable. I didn't notice any drops in fluid level until a week after my initial overheating.

But like the guys said before. Test that thermostat first.

 

Ok, the reason why I asked was because I had a similar problem with my car last year; it would overheat in slow traffic, but only when the A/C was on. I checked the relays under the hood, in the box near the battery, and I found out that the 'Rad Fan 1' relay was burnt. I had thought that the fans were operating correctly, but for some reason, that relay was busted causing the temps to rise when the A/C was switched on.

If both of your fans are operating correctly, then I'd assume that your relays are fine. You might want to consider a coolant flush as has been suggested, or you can try to 'burp' the car yourself in case there may be any air in the system. You can do this by starting the car with the rad cap off and running it for a few minutes to let the air out. Add additional coolant to the reserve tank if necessary.

If all else fails and the thermostat did not work, it is also possible that there is a blockage in your radiator. The good news is that the radiator is pretty straightforward to install yourself or, if you would rather take it to the shop, labor should not be too much. In a more serious / labor intensive scenario, your water pump could be failing - do you have any coolant drips coming from the passenger side of the engine / oil pan area? My car was doing this, and I didn't have the time to tackle it myself, so I had it replaced for $375 about 1.5 years ago. So far, everything has been fine.

 

I am 99% sure It's the thermostate that is stuck closed and It's not letting portion of the coolant through the car. If the thermostate was opened it would constently flow and the needle would stay at the C point or rise a bit when your driving but not at normal temp ranges. I would check and make sure that you have enough coolant in the radiator,First off make sure the car has been sitting over night and check the following morning when everything has been settled and the car must be off and It should not be started. Check and see If the radiator Is at the full capacity and the resovior Is at MAX. Good luck and Let us know what happen.

 

ok, I have no idea how this is going to help you but here's what happened to me last year:

In Feb I bought a 96 Acura TL 3.2 everything looked fine. In March or so I was driving in rush hour something like 65 degrees outside 10-20 mph at some point the traffic started moving faster and my eyes fell on the dashboard where ... the temp gauge was almost red and started dropping fast to half. I got scared but for the next 3 months all was fine.
In June, I was coming back home 90F outside, 90-100 mph for a while, 3 miles till home, 60-70 mph in traffic - steam, I look at the temp - all the way on the red. I stop, pop the hood - the upper radiator hose was cut by a stray piece of metal . I called friend to bring me some scotch tape and some distilled water - in 5 minutes I was home. I changed the hose and the thermostat and a few days later I went to a shop to change the coolant.
One month later, warm weather, I drove kind of fast and then I hit rush hour the funniest/scariest thing started to happen: as soon as I would drop under 40 MPH the temp would vary between half (normal) and ALMOST red; as soon as I would go faster (beyond the point where the diff would lock), everything was back to normal.
I sold the car soon after that. Against all odds, the headgasket was fine.

Two things were intriguing:
1: it would only happen after I would drive fast (>80mph) for a while and with the AC on
2: the occurrence was strangely connected with the diff locking/unlocking.

I never found out what was wrong but it was one really strange thing ...

 

just replace ur thermostat and that should do it and make sure ur fans are working aswell....if not then try going for coolant temperature sensor.... and keep us posted!

 

Thanks for all the replys. I will start with the thermostat and go from there. Will post when a solution is found

 

yeah plus1 on the thermostat......but since it only happens in low speeds leads me to suspect maybe the waterpump might not be working at tip top shape..

 

^^^^ correct, but when the cars moving on a higher speed, it gets all the cooling it needs from the front

 

I'm thinking the water pump as well. the impeller blades made be corroded and not moving enough coolant at low speeds to sufficiently cool the engine.

 

Hearing the mentions of the waterpump made me look at my car again. I looked under the car again after letting it sit for a over a day. There is coolant on the ground at the passenger side where the water pump is at. How much am i looking at paying to get it replaced? Thanks for the suggestions.

 

It should be anywhere from $300 to $450. Definitely shop around and do not take the first price that you're given. For example, one shop around here quoted me $700 !! I eventually got it done for $375 including fresh coolant.

 

2 things:

You guys are fast!!

&

Thanks.

 

I have a question about all of this. I've read probably every thread on overheating issues for one that I have right now and I haven't been able to find a resolution. If the water pump is the problem -- there would definitely be some type of leak, right? I'm not a pro or anything, but I think that if the water pump was a problem there should be some type of fluid coming out -- or at the least, if it wasn't leaking, that the problem would be concentrated on one particular type of behavior -- like driving at low speeds.

On my car, everything seems to be hit and miss. I've replaced the thermostat, flushed the coolant, checked out all of the hoses, worked to make sure there is no air in the system (there's no bleed port on this car), checked out the fans and their relays, and inspected the radiator. Nothing seems to fix the problem (or seems to be the problem).

If I start the car cold, it will take about 20 minutes or so before it starts to overheat. It will do this at low speeds in stop-and-go traffic, or it will do it while driving on the highway. After the temp starts to rise, however, it will drop back down to close to normal rather quickly. The problem primarily happens when I accelerate. It happens whether I'm running the AC or not. I'm completely stumped. The only problem it seems like it could be at this point is the water pump and its impeller blades -- but I haven't seen or talked to anyone that's actually seen that happen.

On thread mentioned earlier suggested that he changed his catylitic converted out and that fixed his issue -- but the bolts on mine are rusted on, so I'm hesitant to remove it since it seems like a real shot in the dark. Any ideas?

 

Maccdog, you say you checked the hoses. Did you check the lower hose to see if it's soft and spongy? It may be collapsing when you accelerate. I'd think the problem would only show up when you're going up hill, but maybe the acceleration is enough. (It's possible these hoses have internal wires to keep this from happening. I haven't replaced mine in a while, and don't remember. So it may not be an issue at all.)

 

Yes, I checked the lower hose and it is fine. I think the water pump also seems to be working. When trying to flush excess air out of the system, I raced the engine a bit and there is flow coming through the radiator. I'm really at a complete loss here.

 

I'm parting out my car, thermostat for $12 shipped. It does sound like thermo, or broken waterpump.
Dr J

 

Sorry, it's not a thermostat issue. I took the old one I had and gutted it out so that the coolant would flow directly through and the problem persisted. The thermostat I have in the car right now is brand new. Looks like the water pump is working well, also.

 

well the water pump might be pushing coolant but might not be doing it enough....like i had a 240sx that overheated....i replaced the thermostat hoping that was it because i knew i didnt tighten the belt running the water pump pulley...but i replaced the thermostat and it was still overheating...usually if you dont tighten the belt properly it breaks the water pump....to sum it up....my water pump was still circulating coolant but wasnt doing it at its best...therefore even though you say the water pump is working it might not at its peak...

 

Update,

Took it to the shop and had the water pump and thermostat changed. The problem is still there. They said that the engine was also flushed. What else could posssibly be causing the problem? Like I said in the first post, this only happens in slow traffic. It happens quicker during slow traffic on hot days. Thanks again

 

that sounds like your radiator block, so when you driving slow the temp rises, and when you start to go faster the needle go back down. You can open the hood and touch the radiator after you park(be careful) and feel for a part of the radiator that's cooler the rest this would indicate that you have a clogged rad.

 

Thanks, the shop wants me to bring it back today. I will tell them to check for that.

 

Hi.
I started experiencing this issue this past weekend. 90"s stop and go traffic. Never had s car with electric fans so I was baffled when I saw two...and only one was turning. Wasn't sure if one kicks in then the other at some point or were they both supposed to be turning.

From reading this thread I'm thinking if I turn the a.c. on the other fan should come on. If not check the thermostat which seems to be buried between the coolant and washer reservoirs.

Any tips on how to change the thermostat?

By the way, this is an 06 Maxima 3.5

thanks

 

You're in the wrong forum buddy. This forum is for 95-99's only. Post your question in the appropriate place. When you search, you should pick your generation Maxima, not leave it open to all years and all forums.

 

Thanks for a newbie bumping an old thread haha...but I have the same problem (I'm turbo'd in south texas so MUCH heat here)

I have no A/C in my car, but during stop and go traffic, i'll overheat. While driving (max drive i did was about 1 1/2 hours) no overheat. Only sitting and not moving did the needle go way up. I have upgraded fans cause of my turbo set up. I don't hear them turn on until the needle is way up. Scares me, but other than that, car drives perfectly fine. I currently have 206,xxx miles on my motor. No leaks that I've seen (i'll look closer later) but as far as i know, i'm not losing fluid. Possible thermostat??

 

Also, I never had a problem like this before turbo set up, so i'm sure the more power equals more problems....LOL

 

Was it tuned after the turbo was put on?

 

Of course

 

And how you unclog a radiator? I would imagine simply drain fluid, let water flow through til it pours out? Then close up holes and fill with coolant?

 

You have to reverse flush it. The coolant normally flows from the top to the bottom. You have to have the water flow from bottom to top.

 

^ ^ ^....thanks bro!