DCUnited10

Hey guys, I don't know much about cars but I figured I'd ask you all. My 2003 Maxima started missing really bad on the expressway yesterday. I looked down at my temp. gauge and it was all the way up! Then the engine started smoking. So I pulled off and popped the hood. It looked like smoke was coming from around the radiator... does it need water? Coolant? Where does it go? Or what else could the problem be???

I'm all ears, thanks guys!

SilverMax_04

There is a good chance you were seeing steam (and not smoke) from the overheating.

There are a number of possible causes to what you experienced -- including, but not limited to the follwing (others will likely chime in with different possibilites):

- One of your cooling system hoses failed, leaking coolant and causing the overheating.
- The radiator cap failed, not keeping the coolant under pressure and allowing it to boil at a lower temp, producing steam and overheating.
- You allowed the coolant level to get too low, causing overheating.

Those are (IMHO) the 3 most likely possitilities. You should check the coolant fluid level in the radiator and the condition of your hoses at a minimum. You will likely need to replace the main hoses that connect the radiator to the engine. The heat and steam may have damaged the other smaller hoses that are much more difficult to replace.

Good luck.

cdmapro

yikes. so how did you get home? i hope you towed it and didn't just drive it.

silvermax is on the right track. but your misfire indicates a very serious overheat. I fear you may have warped a head.

get the cooling system fixed and change the engine oil before starting it again. after a few hundred miles take the oil filler cap off and look for white foam inside the valve cover (white foam means coolant in oil). after 3k miles send an oil sample to blackstone labs for analysis to check for internal coolant leak. warped heads usually leak coolant into the oil.

good luck!

SilverMax_04

Good reply -- all points are right on and good advice.

If the head is warped and coolant is leaking into your oil, the cooling system will not be able to maintain pressure. A quick check would be to wait about 30 minutes after sutting the engine down and then remove the radiator cap. If there is no pressure in the system, you definitely have warped heads (or a leak somewhere else in the system.)

X07MaxX

Another precautionary step you should take and its Dirt cheap and easy to do yourself i recommend changing the thermostat as well. just to be on the safe side.