I have a leaking upper rad hose on my '04 SE w/87,000km. It isn't pissing coolant (yet) it's just sweating a bit.


(excuse the camera phone pic)

It only seems to leak a few drops per day, but you can see the coolant pooling up on the hoses below the rad hose.

I intended to put in fresh coolant before winter hits anyway, but it looks like I'll be installing a new rad hose as well. Is this a common problem? If it is a is there a fix for it, other than swapping and cleaning the area the hose which I will do anyway?

 

HADA 11 - Is the coolant seeping through a hole in the hose, or between the hose and the tube/pipe it is clamped to?

If there is a hole in the side of the hose, it must be replaced, and I wouldn't wait. It will only get bigger.

If, however, the coolant is seeping out between the hose end and the tube it is clamped to, the problem is not the hose; it is the clamp not squeezing the hose tightly enough.

If this clamp is spring-loaded (non-adjustable), I would take the hose off, clean the surface between the hose and the tube, then put the clamp back on.

If the seepage is still there, I would either replace the clamp with a new Nissan OEM clamp just like the old one (this is assuming the old one was slightly weaked from age), or (probably better), replace the clamp with one which has a screw-type adjustment that enables it to be tightened very firmly against the pipe. These are available at most automotive stores.

 

Those clamps are normally pretty good but you just dont know when they will give up on you. At my first rad flush, I replaced many of the OEM clamps with the stainless steel screw type.

 

I just got in from flushing the rad fluid. I pulled the suspect rad hose and there were no holes. However there was alot of ****e around the flange that was either some sort of sealant, or more likely dried out coolant that was causing the leak. I think there may have been some capillary action going on helping the coolant out.

I replaced the clamp with a SS Screw/Band Clamp.

FWIW I used Nissan Spec Coolant. Flushed the coolant system with distilled water until the water ran clear. I then drained the rad and filled it with straight coolant. The distilled water in the block + the coolant in the rad should give me close to a 50/50 mix.

If you happen across this post looking for info on coolant and haven't read the "Fluids and Lubricants" section on this site I suggest you look there for more info.

 

damn I have the same problem as well, I cant belive I havent had time to even adjust it.