I am asking newbie questions.. Please don't laugh....

I have 1993 Maxima SE.. only 70K miles..
I drive around 6-7 miles and then opened the hood.. I feel the engine is hot... The dash board temp gauge is showing normal (in the middle)..
I mean hot I can't touch any part of the engine..Even the wires ones connecting ign coils are warm...
Of course there is no smoke. Is it normal to have such a hot engine after 15 minutes drives or is it am over attentive I was thinking the guage sensor is not able to detect the over temperature condition...!!! But in the low range cold to medium it looks fine

2nd question is on the fuel/air mixture... Does the rich or lean condition affect the way the engine behaves or specifically the way engine sounds...????

guys please help me with answers..

 

Well, with all the controlled explosions under the hood, it's pretty safe to assume that things are going to be hot even with just a little bit of driving. Trust your temperature gauge...it's your friend.

I'm not following your second question...could you rephrase it maybe?

 

warm is normal, like he said trust the gauge. When you start to smell rotten egg or tuna, and you temp neddle is pegged, and there is brown liquid running from you radiator, then you should worry.

 

Yeah.. I mean if there is more fuel and less air (Fuel rich) will the sound of the engine is different from Noraml fuel/air mixture..
also if it is less fuel and more air (lean condition) then would the sound/behaviour of engine is different...

The reason i am asking is now I hearing this grrrr sound under the hood(it not very loud but you can hear it) from the engine if I am waiting at a stop light...

I was wondering whether it has to do with engine running fuel rich or lean condition

Thanks

 

Slightly rich or lean will make no difference in the sound. Too lean and you get knock, and that is certainly audible. The GRRRR is something else.

 

medium to large woodland creatures in your trunk or backseat?

 

Poodle stuck in the wheelwell

 

i was thinking more of a badger caught in his spare tire well, or perhaps under his passenger seat

 

That grrrr could be your fan turning on...the fans in Maxima's are generally louder than something you hear on a Honda or a Toyota. When mine idles and the fan turns on, it's pretty damn loud, and I have a fifth gen. Hope that helps.

 

 

Lol! That made my day.