Well I live in Houston and its freaking hot, I noticed my car has not been running as good. Is there any fluid I should replace so the extra heat does not do any damage. I was thinking about flushing the radiator but I do not know how. But is there anything else I should do?

 

Flush the radiator at least every 3 years, 2 years is preferrable. Use 50/50 antifreeze-coolant/distilled water. Put some Redline Water Wetter at the flush. http://www.redlineoil.com/products.htm

If you use dino juice oil, stick with 10w-30 year round. Castrol GTX is preferred. 5w-30 conventional will evaporate, even in the winter. Trust me, Atlanta is hot just not as hot as Houston.

If you use on the shelf synthetic oil, i.e. Mobil 1, 10w-30 would work year round. Stick with a quality filter, Bosch, Mobil 1, STP, or Amsoil SDF.

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks alot, I think I will do all of this soon.

 

Living in Louisiana, heat can be a problem just as in Houston. Flush your cooling system often (annually is recommended). You can get the Prestone flush kit that splices in to your heater hose so you can hook a garden hose to it to make flushing more thorough/easier (that's what I did with mine). Cost a couple $ at Autozone or Walmart. Also, anti-freeze does not dissipate heat as well as water, however, it does increase the boiling point of water. If your cooling system is in good condition (water pump, seals, radiator cap, cooling fans, no leaks, etc...), you can decrease the amount of anti-freeze to below 50% for increased heat dissipation by the increased water. Living where we do, we don't need the protection from the anti-freeze for -20 degree weather (a 50/50 mix offers protection for most of the US, and is not specific for the southern region). And if your cooling system works, the added increase in boiling point from the anti-freeze is a moot factor (because a pressurized cooling system has increased boiling point from being pressurized). Don't go below 20% anti-freeze, though. This is because of the corrosion inhibitors it contains that are vital for an efficient cooling system. Water Wetter (like mentioned above) is added insurance. I use it, but have no way to tell if it is actually increasing the efficiency of my cooling system. Just seems like cheap insurance after the reviews I've read on it.
Make sure your radiator fins are unobstructed, and that your cooling fans work properly.
Change oil frequently. 5w30 is recommended by Nissan as a general oil suitable for all climates. However, 10w30 is suitable for our climate according to Nissan's viscosity chart. And the heavier oil will hold up better in the blast furnace type heat we have. I have no use for oil flowing at -60 degrees, I need it to hold up to the heat.
Just my thoughts...

Dave

 

Thanks Dave, I think I am going to flush my radiator today, and in a couple weeks my oil, thanks man.