Water pump or Cat?
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 48
Water pump or Cat?
Symptoms-
Soft moaning from front bottom of engine immediately after start. Goes away for awhile but comes back in steady cruise at 60 a few minutes after start. Then goes away for good after that... but...
Sudden onset of noticeable loss of power, car hunts between 4th and 3rd going up interstate mountain grades where it didn't before, but fuel consumption remains about what it has always and...
Coolant temperature gage goes up to top of operating range when worked hard up a hill. Never did that before. Does not overheat in stop and go traffic jams.
Recent work- Changed plugs to bosch platinum. Changed half shafts both sides. About 1 year ago, rplaced fuel evap emissions control canister due to CEL.
I'm ready to replace thermostat and water pump, but it occurred that these symptoms may also indicate a party damaged cat converter. What do you guys think?
Soft moaning from front bottom of engine immediately after start. Goes away for awhile but comes back in steady cruise at 60 a few minutes after start. Then goes away for good after that... but...
Sudden onset of noticeable loss of power, car hunts between 4th and 3rd going up interstate mountain grades where it didn't before, but fuel consumption remains about what it has always and...
Coolant temperature gage goes up to top of operating range when worked hard up a hill. Never did that before. Does not overheat in stop and go traffic jams.
Recent work- Changed plugs to bosch platinum. Changed half shafts both sides. About 1 year ago, rplaced fuel evap emissions control canister due to CEL.
I'm ready to replace thermostat and water pump, but it occurred that these symptoms may also indicate a party damaged cat converter. What do you guys think?
everyone here is going to tell you to throw away those Bosch plugs. Bosch plugs can actually harm the VQ. Never use anything but NGK plugs. I would try that first.
Besides that, I doubt its your cat or your waterpump. Your thermostat might be going bad and could explain the over heating. The loss in power could easily be due to the bosch plugs tho.
Besides that, I doubt its your cat or your waterpump. Your thermostat might be going bad and could explain the over heating. The loss in power could easily be due to the bosch plugs tho.
Last edited by black_maxed95; Jul 5, 2008 at 10:30 AM.
not sure which bosch plugs you have but general they are not in the proper heat range for our cars. Get some NGKs coppers are less than $2 a plug.
Do you have a CEL?
Before the water pump (large task, or expensive if you have a shop do it), change the thermostat, and/or do a coolant flush.
Bad cat has a distinctive smell to it also, rotten eggs. smell around and see if you smell it (coming out of the exhaust)
Do you have a CEL?
Before the water pump (large task, or expensive if you have a shop do it), change the thermostat, and/or do a coolant flush.
Bad cat has a distinctive smell to it also, rotten eggs. smell around and see if you smell it (coming out of the exhaust)
ALWAYS check the easy stuff first. Do you have coolant in your reservoir? Coolant on ground/leaking? Check your thermostat. DO NOT push your car if the temp is all the way up you could damage your engine. Throw bosch plugs in trash and get some NGKs from NAPA or somethin
Junior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 49
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 48
More on symptoms
Radiator was replaced a year ago, no problems since, replaced because a fan blade had dropped off the hub and rubbed a hole in the back of the core. Found that because of the weeping drip on the ground.
I'm heard about the Bosch plugs but have used them in several other vehicles including my 93 Maxima without trouble, so I discounted the warnings on the Forum. If the plugs are the wrong heat range (single electrode type) I'm surprised enough trouble hasn't rained on Bosch to get them to discontinue recommending their product for use in ours. I may pull them and put the NGK's back in. It had NGK platinums in before I changed the plugs due to a suspect miss, which turned out to be a bad CV joint on a replacement half axle. Plugs looked good but with 145,000 of which 80,000 were mine and unknown pedigree before I bought it, I decided it wouldn't hurt to replace the plugs. Power loss seemed to be there before the plug replacement. I can't say I've seen any difference.
Also, there may not really be a power "loss", it seems to be very sensitive to premature downshift on the turnpike in the mountains, if I open the throttle the least amount on a hill it downshifts. I've seen faults in the throttle position sensor on a Pathfinder I had. It did the same thing this one is doing now as far as easy downshift, but it's temperature didn't climb simultaneously.
As far as trying the simple things first, I agree, but I am on a limited time budget, have to get the car back in shape before tomorrow afternoon. So I was going to shotgun the problem, throw money at it to get it back to 100%. I'll try the thermostat first. The design of the water pump does not appear to lend itself to the kind of failure I've seen. More like the thermostat won't fully open or something is blocking flow. That moan bothered me though. I've heard the same sound from other vehicles when the power steering pump was on it's last legs. I've never experienced a power steering failure with any vehicle, just seen others. I haven't tried the radiator hose temp test yet. Finally, there is no loss of coolant, it remains steady.
Worst case, I take my Miata toy car to Virginia this week instead of the Maxima.
I'm heard about the Bosch plugs but have used them in several other vehicles including my 93 Maxima without trouble, so I discounted the warnings on the Forum. If the plugs are the wrong heat range (single electrode type) I'm surprised enough trouble hasn't rained on Bosch to get them to discontinue recommending their product for use in ours. I may pull them and put the NGK's back in. It had NGK platinums in before I changed the plugs due to a suspect miss, which turned out to be a bad CV joint on a replacement half axle. Plugs looked good but with 145,000 of which 80,000 were mine and unknown pedigree before I bought it, I decided it wouldn't hurt to replace the plugs. Power loss seemed to be there before the plug replacement. I can't say I've seen any difference.
Also, there may not really be a power "loss", it seems to be very sensitive to premature downshift on the turnpike in the mountains, if I open the throttle the least amount on a hill it downshifts. I've seen faults in the throttle position sensor on a Pathfinder I had. It did the same thing this one is doing now as far as easy downshift, but it's temperature didn't climb simultaneously.
As far as trying the simple things first, I agree, but I am on a limited time budget, have to get the car back in shape before tomorrow afternoon. So I was going to shotgun the problem, throw money at it to get it back to 100%. I'll try the thermostat first. The design of the water pump does not appear to lend itself to the kind of failure I've seen. More like the thermostat won't fully open or something is blocking flow. That moan bothered me though. I've heard the same sound from other vehicles when the power steering pump was on it's last legs. I've never experienced a power steering failure with any vehicle, just seen others. I haven't tried the radiator hose temp test yet. Finally, there is no loss of coolant, it remains steady.
Worst case, I take my Miata toy car to Virginia this week instead of the Maxima.
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