Hello all I am new to this forum so if I am doing anything wrong or there is a better to do it please let me me know.

Ok I bought a 2002 Nissan Maxima a few months ago and a week ago a noticed a bit of steam coming out front under the hood when I checked it there was a crack in the radiator so had it changed. Just this morning I noticed that it is still leaking coolant. The temperature is not going past half and im just topping off the coolant until I can get this resolved.

Another thing I have noticed is a bit of heat coming out like under the windshield. From what I read in the forums this might be a bad heater core. But anyhow I welcome any help.

Thank you.

Sorry left something out.
I topped off the reservoir tank and that seems to stay put.

 

does it smell like sweet coolant in the cabin? of so it might be the heater core. first of all i would check the heater hoses going to the firewall, if those leak they can sometimes throw coolant onto the windshield. check the water pump, rad hoses, etc as well. probably best to get the system pressure tested too to rule out everything but the heater core, because the heater core is a bish to do on 95% of all vehicles (remove the whole dash). so youre either spending a weekend replacing it yourself, or taking it up the **** for nearly 10 hours of labour at a garage

you can bypass the heater core as well, one of the 5th gen guys probably know more on that than me. you can try bypassing it and see if youre still losing coolant

 

Today I am leaving work early to try to check all the things you suggested. I have smelled coolant and I thought it might just have been the coolant that squirted on the engine block when the radiator ceacked but I cleaned that up and it is still smelling a little.

I would be interested in a bypass to hopefully moves get through this quickly because at the moment I am low and cash and time, working full time and school full time.

 

as far as i know for most vehicles, you remove the input and output hoses going to the firewall for the heater core, and using a piece of PVC pipe connect them. you need clamps around them obviously

 

Make sure it's PVC and not just a dual barbed end plastic hose connector. That plastic stuff will melt at temperatures the coolant reaches.

 

Alright a little update so I had a little time to look into the issue. I initially thought heater core but I cranked the heater on blast and its working.

I got home let the car cool a bit and started checking the hoses and the top one was hot while the bottom one was cool in comparison, so from other forums I have read seems like it might be a bad thermostat.

Going to change it tomorrow, hopefully that will be the end of it.

 

...or the system hasn't been purged of air correctly

 

Wait - I thought you said that coolant was still leaking?? But that the car wasn't overheating???

The thermostat isn't going to cause a leak or coolant smell. It is going to cause overheating.

 

Ok I guess I was just confused. Both hoses are hot and the car seems fine but when I turn it off it basically dumps all of the coolant. At this point I am going to take it get checked. I can't have it with a lot of downtime. I also couldn't get a clear view of where its coming out of. Where is the weep for the water pump? I am sorry but new to all of this.

 

No prob. Weep hole is on the passengers side underneath the timing chain cover. If there is water dripping out under the passenger side it is likely that..

 

Alright guys so I took it to a mechanic to get checked because I could not get a clear view of where it was leaking.

The leak was coming from the timing chain cover and it is leaking like crazy. When its cold doesn't leak but once its hot it pretty much leaks all of the coolant you put in it.

So he told me that the only real option is to get the motor pulled out and have it resealed.

Any suggestions?

 

Idiots and rip off artists.

It is almost certainly your water pump. There is a weep hole to allow coolant to seep out when the orings on the water pump go bad.

Go somewhere else that knows about Nissans. Expect to pay $600 or so for the job.

Or you can do it yourself. Not really a fun job because it is so tight.