Nissan - 240SX :: 1991 - Overheating Intermittently - Temp Gauge Needle Rise To Danger Zone?
May 10, 2011
My 1991 Nissan 240SX (only 85K miles!) has an intermittent overheating problem that began last November. Needle usually right in middle, but occasionally would quickly rise to danger zone. In Nov., I got new radiator and pump, as well as all new spark plugs. Was OK for about 3 months, then started overheating occasionally. In shop a day and a half while they tried to find the cause. Gave me a new thermostat. Then test showed there was a leak in head gasket. Instead of expensive repairs, I put 8-oz bottle of K-Seal in cooling system. Reviews all over the web gave me confidence it would seal all leaks. But within 5 minutes, it overheated. Tried again later, same result.
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I have a 2002 Nissan Frontier with a non supercharged 3.3L v6. The truck is a crew cab, long bed and 4x4. I have had this truck since I bought it used in 2004 with 26k miles. The truck now has 196k miles and I have done a little modifying to make it a bit more off road capable.
I have done all the work to the truck myself, until last fall when I finally broke down and took it to a dealer, who was not able to find my problem, but I will get to that...First of all, the truck has steel bumpers, a winch, a tool box, onboard air system and large tires, all of which make the little 3.3L work hard. However, for three years since I quit making modifications, the truck ran perfectly cool and the temp needle never once went above the normal operating position, even through thick sand at the beach, mountain trails and towing heavy trailers, until last summer.
Late last summer, on 90+ degree days, I noticed the temp needle would start riding above normal when I had the AC on. It didnt matter if I was on the highway, the city streets or idling in the driveway. When I turned off the AC the needle went back to normal. This started happening occasionally at first (once every 2 weeks) then towards fall it started happening more frequently, almost every 90 degree day. Soon after I noticed the problem, it would happen even with the AC off, but not get quite so hot.
After a few weeks of this, I started chasing the problem. I replaced the radiator cap, the thermostat (tested the old one and tested the new one before installing,) I took the radiator to a rad shop and had it boiled and flow tested, I replaced both coolant temp sensors, and then finally the water pump. When none of those repairs made a difference I built new radiator fan shrouds and that made no difference. At this point I was starting to get discouraged so I borrowed a scan tool from a friend and drove around for a few weeks with it plugged in. I was reading live temperature readings of the coolant and verified that the gauge was working correctly.
The truck ran about 200 degrees with the AC off most of the time, then, when I turned the AC on, no matter if I was sitting in park or driving on the highway, the temp would steadily climb until it got to 222 degrees and I would shut off the truck, at that point the needle was near the danger zone and according to several nissan dealership, the highest normal operating temp is 204, but it should stay around 195. At 205 degrees, the needle would start to move above the normal position, so the gauge seems to be fine. As summer turned into fall, the truck started running cooler as the days began to drop into the 70's. I finally got fed up with chasing my tail and took the truck to a dealer with my main concern being a blown head gasket or cracked head.
The dealership inspected the head and tested the coolant for hydrocarbons and said that the head and gasket are not the issue. They advised that the only other thing it could be is my fan clutch. After that dealership visit, the days were cool so I drove the truck all winter without changing the fan clutch. Then, 2 weeks ago, on a 70 degree day, I hooked up my truck to an empty trailer (maybe 1000lbs) and towed it 15 miles. When towing up hill with the AC on, the temp needle started moving. I immediately went to napa and replaced my fan clutch. Confident that was the issue, I drove the truck to the mountains for a camping trip last weekend. While climbing the hills at 40mph and about 2500 rpm, the temp needle climbed to the near danger zone.
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Having an intermittent problem on my 2002 Chrysler Sebring LX (about 132,000 miles). Often I can drive around and everything is okay. However, it seems like every 11 days or so, the temperature gauge starts to climb above the halfway mark and toward the danger zone. Only once has it gotten all the way up to the red danger zone and illuminated the warning light, and that was the very first time. It was fortunate that this happened the exact moment I reached home and parked in my driveway.
When the temperature gauge starts to climb above the halfway mark, I've tried to turn on the heater to cool it down, but this doesn't work. The heater just blows cold air. So far I have been taking the following steps:
1) Stop driving and park the car for 10 minutes or more.
2) Fill the coolant tank under the hood with coolant. I'm putting in about half a gallon each time.
3) Continue driving.
After this process, the heater is again blowing warm air and the temperature gauge is staying at a safe level. It seems to persist for about 11 - 14 days then the cycle starts all over.
It happened last night following a drive of about 5 miles home from the gym. Since I had no more driving to do that day, I just parked it overnight to see if this was a fluke and if it would be necessary to add more coolant.
This morning I drove the same 5 miles. Temperature gauge stayed pretty low for about half the trip, but then rapidly shot up. I got to the gym before it reached the danger zone (it was probably about 3/4 of the way up). I parked for a little over an hour while I went inside to exercise. Then I again added half a gallon of coolant and drove home without problems.
The last time I had overheating issues, the coolant rapidly spilled out of the bottom and the overheating was not preventable. I got the radiator replaced. This was in October 2013. I've also tried some of that stop leak fluid. It didn't work, but I'm not so sure I used it correctly. I didn't flush the tank and I think I might have poured it in on a normal driving day (coolant pretty full).
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I have a 2005 Elantra GLS with a couple thousand miles over 100K. There is what appears to be an overheating issue with my car. When I'm driving it in city driving usually less than 45 MPH, the heater blows cold air. However, on the highway (greater than 50 MPH) it blows hot air and the temp needle stays in the normal range (just below the halfway point between hot and cold and more towards the cold). However, when I slow down and come to city speeds, the temp needle starts to rise and the heater blows cold air.
The needle went to the red zone this morning but as soon as it got to the red zone, it slowly came back down to the normal point (within 2-3 seconds). And @ the same time, the heater started blowing warm/hot air like it would be functioning normally. When the needle got the red zone, my car didn't stop or I didn't see smoke coming from the hood or anything like. It was almost like something (maybe thermostat) tripped and allowed the engine to cool.
After doing some research on this, the potential issues point to thermostat, coolant level, radiator crack. I haven't checked how the coolant level is doing but I will check that this weekend.
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I have a 98 Buick Century, with about 250k miles on it. Recently when I first start the car and drive a few miles the temperature gauge keeps rising until it is in the red zone and a warning light comes on. When I pull of to the side of the road after a bit it begins to slowly drop and I can begin to drive again. The gauge will then normally stay a bit above halfway for the remainder of the trip, the gauge has sometimes done a bit of jumping around between 3/4 and half sometimes though. The only work that I have had done on it recently is to have some work done on the ac system.
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At idle, on hot days (90+) after about a minute, the A/C cuts out and the temp gauge begins to rise. Gets about 3/4 of the way to the red zone, but never reaches it. I changed radiator cap, but still does it. Fluid level is fine; no coolant leaks that I can see. Called a mechanic and asked about a radiator flush. He said he'd do one, but it probably wouldn't work and I should just bring it in for a diagnostic.
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After a trip of about an hour to the Fryeburg Fair yesterday I noticed my temperature gauge needle was going way up. I was able to park my car and went to the fair for about 4-5 hours. Before we left I checked the coolant level as the car had cooled off enough to take the cap off. The coolant right to the top and was green. I checked my oil level and that was fine. On the way home my son suggested that I turn the heat on. I did so and the temp gauge went down to normal and stayed that way all the way back home to Lewiston, Maine. I'm thinking it might be the thermostat but thought I would for any other possible reasons my car is doing this. The car has about 216,000 miles and I did have the thermostat replaced a couple of years ago.....???
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Well, I'm still driving the same old 1998 Honda Civic DX two-door coupe, and I've got a problem with overheating. The temperature gauge needle doesn't get quite to the red, but it's popping up higher than usual, and I'm concerned to see it getting anywhere near the red. It usually spikes when I get off the highway and stop at a light, but it also does it occasionally in a drive thru, and recently, I discovered that when I give it a little gas in neutral, it brings the temperature gauge needle down to normal.
Here is the history of recent repairs and troubleshooting:
-About 3-4 years ago, I had a leaky radiator replaced, so the one that is in there isn't very old.
-Last year I had a mechanic replace the thermostat, the radiator fan, and the radiator cap when I started having this problem.
-A few months ago, I had the timing belt serviced (the entire kit, not just the belt), but since the water pump looked fine and the car has so much mileage (275,000 miles), I opted not to replace the water pump. (I regret that now. I usually replace the water pump with every other timing belt, but I've learned my lesson.)-I've been to several shops to get a diagnosis, but they have a hard time getting it to overheat at all, so they can't diagnose it.
One guy suggested the water pump might be worn out (inside, without leaking outside). Another guy suggested that "if it was the water pump, you would know it's the water pump." Each mechanic has done a pressure test on the cooling system and a flow test on the radiator, and they all say they are fine. One mechanic theorized that I might have a very small head gasket leak, but nobody else thinks that is the case and there is no sign of coolant and oil mixing. Besides, the temperature gauge has never been in the red.
-One mechanic who tried to diagnose the problem recommended replacing the plugs, plug wires, rotor, and distributor cap. After doing that, it is running better than it was, but that didn't resolve the overheating problem. He also retarded the spark timing, but it is self-adjusting, so it re-advances itself after a couple days of driving. I can hear what sounds like minor knocking, but it's always made that noise since it was new.
-Everyone who has tried to diagnose the problem says the thermostat is opening and closing as it should, and the radiator fan comes on and shuts off when it should.
I'm done getting second and third opinions, and I'm ready to start throwing parts at it. Do you think I should start with the water pump? What are your thoughts? Don't tell me to replace the car. I just bought a new motorcycle.
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A co-worker has a 1993 Nissan 240SX. It used to overheat continually. When he stopped at the side of the road the radiator was cool. He changed the thermostat and the problem continued. He bled the coolant system to ensure all air was out of the lines. Finally he took a 1/16th in drill bit, drilled several holes in the thermostat. When that didn't work he drilled even more holes.
Question 1: There must be a better way than this gum and duct tape solution. What is it?
Question 2: Wouldn't he be better off just to take out the thermostat?
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I have a 2001 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab XE with a V6 (without the supercharger). I bought it on Halloween night with only 42,000 miles. It now has 112,000 miles on it. I moved from Georgia to Kentucky and heard that I needed to have the cooling system flushed/filled to prevent it from freezing in the winter time. I then noticed that it would periodically "overheat." The temperature gauge would climb up to the line just below the "H" and then I would turn on the heater.
I read online about a "bleeder valve" on top of the intake manifold. I loosened it, squeezed the radiator hoses to get all of the air out and then tightened the bleeder valve. I then let it run until the thermostat opened, revved it up to 3,000 to let all of the coolant flow. Now, at various time with no specific reason, it will run fine and then just "decide" to overheat.
I can drive it on the interstate for fifteen minutes, park it in front of my house and then have to "tack it up to 3,000" just to get it cool. I've changed the thermostat and had the water pump tested. Neither of them are faulty. My mechanic vacuumed out all of the air from the system with a special tool the dealer recommends using and it still does the same thing. What's going on with this vehicle?
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Resurrecting my 940 TD after it's been sitting for a year and the temperature needle now doesn't rise as the engine warms up. Is there any trouble with sensors on these or should i be concerned about something else? It was working when I stopped using the car.
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2005 Hyundai Tiburon Keeps Overheating
I live in Washington State and have a 2005 Hyundai Tiburon with less than 110,000 miles. I have had it for 5 years, and have not had any issues with the car until recently (last 2-3 months). My car overheated on me back in May while out running work related errands. I was able to leave it parked downtown while my husband took a break from his job to come pick me up. Since then, it has continued to overheat every time I drive it.
The temperature gauge climbs into, or dangerously close to, the “red Zone” within the first 10 minutes of driving. The first couple of times the car overheated, if I was using the air conditioner, it would start blowing hot air instead of cold air and the air would stay hot. Now when I drive the car with the air conditioner on and it over heats, it continues to blow cold air (if that matters at all).
My super handy husband (a certified motorcycle mechanic) has done the following in an attempt to fix the car:
•Checked coolant levels
•Topped off coolant
•Bled coolant system and added yet more coolant
•Replaced the thermostat
•Replaced the radiator cap
•Water pump was replaced November 2012 (not even a year old yet)
The radiator cap was the most recent fix. It was replaced on a Wednesday evening after testing it and finding that the existing one was not maintaining the proper PSI. The car drove great around town for two whole days without any issues (Thursday & Friday). Saturday, I decided to take it on a longer drive out of town to see if my good luck would hold…it didn’t. I drove a total of 30 miles round trip and my car started overheating after about 20. I limped back into town and barely made it back to our apartment.
My car continues to overheat!! What is going on?! So confused and frustrated I’m hesitant about taking it to a mechanic who, my husband is convinced, will just charge me to check all of the things he has already fixed.
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Just had a new timing belt put in with water pump. Drove it home and the temp gauge flew up to red zone. Took it back they said air pocket in system. Bled the system. Drove home and same thing happened. Nothing changed. Temp gauge elevates past normal and into red zone when I idle or drive slow without air conditioning on. The weird thing if the air conditioning is on the gauge stays at normal longer. What is the issue? Is it a bad water pump or thermostat? Or something else.
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I have a '93 Ford Tempo 2.3 liter with a/c ....it OVERHEATS ... love the car, but when I sit in traffic, the temp needle goes up almost to the redline, I have to shut the car off .... it happens all year round ... if I'm driving up a hill the temp starts climbing, if I turn the heat OFF the temp climbs, in summer when I put A/C on the temp climbs ... I've put 3 Thermostats in, a new Water Pump, there are NO leaks in Radiator, I've replaced Hoses ... no I'm not a mechanic, I've brought it to garages ... other than the overheating issue it's a good lil car, uses maybe 1 QT of oil every other month ... when I lived in SC had the same car....SAME PROBLEM...had a 1995 Windstar that did the same thing, replaced radiators etc nobody could figure it out, or didn't want to....what is it with Fords!
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I Have a 2003 Honda Civic EX that is running rough and the windows stopped working and the temp gauge doesn't rise. Would this be do to a bad/failing alternator or something else?
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I purchase my 05 GX470 last April,
Had the timing belt and water pump replaced as part of the deal. Lately in the cooler temperatures around the freezing point I've noticed that the temp gauge does not start to rise until I've driven about five minutes, longer if I go thru a drive thru and the truck is idling in the line up and the heater fan does not come on until I've driven about 10 minutes. The temp gauge takes about 15 -20 minutes of driving till it hits normal or half way on the scale. This seems longer than what I consider normal, at least for the heat to come on.
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I have a 2004 Grand Prix and it is displaying the symptoms of overheating but the temp gauge is not going above normal operating temp. I replaced the thermostat twice, and after driving for about 10-20 mins coolant comes out of the overflow. I'm at a loss, I'm thinking temp sensor(?) But I don't want to keep throwing unnecessary money into it. The fans work fine, the heater blows as it should.
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After about a 5 mile drive my '05 6 cyl Santa Fe always smells hot. The temp gauge needle always stays mid point. Coolant is good and is changed regularly. No oil in coolant or coolant in oil. No cracks in recovery bottle or hoses. All hoses tight, has been pressure tested and is ok. No heater core leak, no visible leaks anywhere in the engine compartment or under the car and no green patches on the radiator. After about a week of driving the recovery bottle level is down about 3/4" but the radiator is full to the neck. Where the coolant is going and how to locate the source?
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I have a 2007 6.0 that this has happened to twice now. It's fine around town but I never hear the can come on. Friday when on the interstate my my temp gauge started to rise past normal operating temperature before fan came on. Is this normal? After the fan came on it stayed at normal temp for the rest of trip....
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I recently got this car from a friend, and when checking all the lights I noticed that only the high beams work, not the low beams. I replaced the lamps, and checked all the fuses, but the low beams still don't work.
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2.5 months ago I had a coolant flush in my 2007 explorer Eddie Bauer. The last 3 days last week the temp gauge went from the middle where it usually sits, to maxed out in the red. Stays there for about 45 secs and then drops back down.
Is it coincidence that I had a flush and maybe they didn't fill it all the way back up or is it somthing else ?
One other thing- even when it sits in the middle of the gauge I can sometimes hear the engine sucking in air like a vacuum so I guess at certain times its running hot but just doesn't raise the gauge just yet.
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