tiresmokinV8

I have a odd heat problem. Now that its cold out im using the heat on my 96 maxima with manual hvac controls. Car warms up like normal and sits at the perfectly horizontal spot on the gauge. Have it on full heat and heat will come out and gets perfectly hot when moving but once i stop depending on how long the light is itll go back to ice cold especcially first thing in the morning when the cars just getting to normal temp it wont hold the heat long once i come to the stop. The gauge stays normal so its not the engine going back cold just the heatercore. Once i start driving though itll slowly put heat out again.

nsnrider

iTrader: (59)

check coolant level. Also might have air trapped in the system that will need to be purged.

Reality sucks

iTrader: (3)

I would first check system for a leak. The coolant had to go somewhere.

tiresmokinV8

Ill check the coolant level tomorrow and feel the hoses with the engine idling when the heat goes cold.

JwaxMax99

iTrader: (14)

You have air in the cooling system.

EvoTillIDie

iTrader: (1)

When was the last time your coolant was replaced?

tiresmokinV8

Checked the coolant before I left for work. Resivour tank was right at the max level line so I pulled the rad cap to check the radiator. I couldnt see any coolant so I added a good quart before it got to the top. Now I know coolant expands when it gets hot hence the resivour but it should pull it back in when it cools down (radiator cap not holding pressure?). I noticed it took longer to warm up to normal temps. Ussually itll be at normal halfway to work (~15min drive to work) but today after adding the coolant I was about a mile from work before it hit the normal temp mark. Oddly I only got one of the 8 lights today and didnt sit to long at it so cant report if it goes cold when sitting. It didnt at that light. No idea when the coolant was flushed. Ive had the car since winter of 09 and my buddy had it before me since sometime in 07. Neither of us flushed it. Inside the rad looked clean though and so was the resivour. I might just flush it anyways since I have a couple gals sitting on a shelf that I didnt use when I did my v8 swap on my sonoma.

maxed_out_99

You have air in the cooling system or a clogged heater core line.
The thing is you added coolant so now you have to bleed it for sure. With the 4th gen you have to have the front wheels about a foot higher than the rear to get coolant to the core.

Flush the system. Run the engine with the cap off until you have blazing hot heat then turn the heat off replace the cap. And make sure the fans kick on and the temp is warm all the way around the radiator

tiresmokinV8

Drove home and let the car cool then checked the coolant in the radiator it was low again so I filled it back up and put the cap on and ran it. Noticed it starting to seep at the barb where the hose that goes to the reservoir connects. It was cracked along the whole top half of the plastic barb where it meets the main neck at the radiator cap. I cleaned up the area and epoxied it. Explains why it wasn't pulling coolant from the reservoir and why it kept getting low. Hopefully the epoxy holds. Its for plastic. Im selling the car in the spring for something a few years old and low miles so I really don't want to replace the whole radiator just for that crack. Ill flush and bleed it this weekend when I have more time.

maxed_out_99

im glad you figured it out. this is the exact reason why diagnosing a car over the internet is so difficult.

good to see it was a cheap easy fix

Quickywd01

iTrader: (16)

You can get a new radiator for under a hundred dollars and it's so easy to replace a little kid could do it so you definitely could do it. There's tons of info that could help you become an expert overnight. BTW don't get rid of the 4th gen max, you'll miss it once you get your pretty new car. It happens to many people.

tiresmokinV8

If I can find a radiator for under 100 Ill probably just replace it but last night I looked around and the autoparts stores around me want $140+ for one. Even the yards want $120+. I like the maxima and its never given me any fits but its just rusting too bad. Fix a spot and another spot comes up. Replaced the drivers rocker panel twice and the passenger once and Ive only had it 3 years, buddy did the drivers while he had it and did a crappy job which is probably why I had to do it again this past summer. Been looking at 07-08 Acura tl-s 6sp so if I can find one then that should be a nice trade off.

tiresmokinV8

Would a radiator for an automatic work? Just has the trans cooler in it that would be left not hooked up obviously but are the hoses and mount the same? The ones for a mt are 120+ but he ones for an at are abundent and saw a few in my area for 50 bucks.

Amerikaner83

iTrader: (17)

Check out Importrp.com (they're a vendor here on the org), Iiirc they've got replacement rads for around 100 bucks, shipped to your door.

edit -

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...6-koyorad.html

and
http://forums.maxima.org/group-deals...t-pricing.html

tiresmokinV8

Thanks order a koyo hope that discount still works!

Amerikaner83

iTrader: (17)

send them a PM, they'll get back to you pretty quick

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

Sooo how many miles on your 96 Maxima?

tiresmokinV8

145k


Got a discount on the koyorad. Cut shipping 1/3 to make it 100 even shipped instead of 111.xx. Hopefully it wont take long to arrive. Going on a couple hour trip to a friends house next weekend.

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

I bought my I30 with 145K on the odo. You will honestly be hard pressed to find as reliable a car as the 4th gen, should you choose to get rid of yours. 145K is nothing. Good care will get you 300K+

There's a thread here somehwere where a guy and his 2000 or 01 is on 400K, still running like a champ.

nsnrider

iTrader: (59)

that is true but the OP's problem is not the engine, its the rusting issue and that will not get better, only worse.

OP: 6 speed tl-s are nice cars with a solid engine.

tiresmokinV8

Oh I have no doubt on its reliability, no issues other then cps, knock and egr sensor, and o2 sensors. Have all the maintence receipts from the previous 2 owners, but the body is just rusting away and its not worth enough for body repair like that. I do need to replace the sunroof track this spring though too. It broke a month ago and now since its salty out the maxima is my only ride so the sunroof is closed so itll do for now until I can remove the headliner and rebuild the sunroof.

tiresmokinV8

Thanks, I drove my friends buddies 07 tl type s 6sp for a weekend when we were all camping and I was the designated driver ( I don't really drink and my Sonoma wont hold 4 people very well hahha) Its a sweet ride and drives very well. Driven a few company car TL's before at work but they were autos and not type s both of which I didn't even know were available on those cars hahah. The newest gen of maxima's are pretty nice too, my uncle has a black on black fully loaded one but no manual option.

tiresmokinV8

Since we're talking replacement parts you guys have recommendation on where to buy replacement hood struts? Mine haven't worked at all since I bought the car. Thought I read to stay away from general parts store ones.

Quickywd01

iTrader: (16)

I got mine off ebay and they are still like new. Paid about $20 for the pair.

tiresmokinV8

Bought a pair of strongarm struts off amazon for 28 shipped.

bobflood

Monroe #901389 from Amazon; $25; 2+ years ago and still doing great. Good luck.

tiresmokinV8

My trip got postponed to this weekend so last weekend I installed the new hood struts to make the rest of the day easier (Strongarms work and fit awesome). Changed the oil with new synthetic, filter and greased the tierods. Replaced the radiator, hoses thermostat. Hoses seemed orginal since they said nissan on them, thermostat I think has been replaced before since it said motorad which is what the new beck/ackley one I picked up said on it. Radiator fit like factory no problems. I kept the front end in the air from the oil change to help aid in bleeding the coolant. Everythings good to go now and have been driving it all week because the sonoma's away for the winter. Car does take noticeably longer to warm up to normal temps now. Just barely getting there once I hit the work parking garage 14mins from home all city. But its also mid 20's now in the morning compared to mid 30s.

EvoTillIDie

iTrader: (1)

I'm going with air in the system

Amerikaner83

iTrader: (17)

Glad to know all is well. The only thing is, I would have gone OEM with the thermostat. There's been documented issues with non-OEM Thermostats before...ijs

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

Isn't that the problem right there? Go OEM man. I have always found it curious that OEM thermotstats tend to be helluva beefy compared to aftermarket ones. Perhaps this is why.