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2006 Murano Overheating, new radiator same problem

27K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  Icyburns1 
#1 ·
I have a 2006 Nissan Murano, started overheating on the freeway on a trip about 45 min from home a few weeks ago. I took it into get looked at and they couldnt replicate the problem told me to bring it back while it was doing it after they tried to replicate for a day. I took it back in last week and the guy is very thorough, took temps from all different parts of the engine before and after overheating started building data on it. After keeping it a few days and running tests he deterrmined Radiator was very plugged up and I had it replaced thinking i was good to go. Got it back today and on the way home same thing happening all over. Under any load and high temperature outside it begins overheating if I slow down and pull off and turn the heater on it cools back down quickly but now I'm afraid to drive it anywhere for very long I dont want to ruin the engine.

anyone have similar problems or any ideas on what it could be? He seemed to dismiss thermostat due to being able to cool it back down quickly but I need help on this!!!
 
#2 ·
Your punctuation makes understanding one critical sentence very difficult. PLEASE write clearly and precisely. Run-on sentences confuse everyone.

Here's the problem....

"Under any load and high temperature outside it begins overheating if I slow down and pull off and turn the heater on it cools back down quickly..."

Not clear.

Let's try breaking this down and see if I understand.

1) Under any load and high temperature outside it begins overheating. (end of sentence.)

Is that correct? If so, does it overheat at (a) SLOW speeds, or at (b) HIGHWAY speeds, or (c) BOTH?

If it overheats only at slow speeds, I suspect your electric radiator fans are not coming on. If it overheats at high speeds, I suspect your thermostat is sticking. If both, I also suspect the thermostat.

2) If I slow down and pull off and turn the heater on it cools back down quickly. (end of sentence)

Correct?

Good move on your part to know that turning on the heater is like adding a small radiator. This doesn't change the diagnosis, but it tends to indicate that the thermostat is not sticking shut, as in that case, turning on the heater would not help much if any.

Does that help?
 
#5 ·
Sorry about the lack of puncuation in the original post. I will clarify.

1. At first it would only overheat at speeds of 55mph+ or a steady climb, basically about 2000rpms or above the temp guage would start to climb steadily. As the outside temperature increased it would then also overheat at slower speeds.

2. When it is overheating, turning on the heater lowers the temp fairly quickly. The other thing that has dropped the temp is putting it in park and revving the engine which im guessing is increasing the flow of coolant.

I have replaced the radiator as the old one was plugged in and out as well as put on a new radiator cap just in case. If you think a new thermostat could do the trick I have changed them on other vehicles, I didn't have the shop do it because I believe I can do it myself and save the extra money.

Appreciate all your help:)
 
#3 ·
I get his logic on dismissing the thermostat but at the same time I would never swap a radiator without also swapping the thermostat since they're cheap and you're already spilling coolant all over anyway. Dealer quoted $250 to do swap a thermostat in another thread but people here have said it looks like an easy enough DIY.

@zebelkhan had very similar issues in this thread and was heading toward replacing a thermostat when the thread died, leading me to believe it solved his problem:

http://www.nissanmurano.org/forums/66-problems/13104-how-replace-thermostat.html
 
#4 ·
For clarity, I should follow up.

When I doubted that the thermostat was sticking shut, I didn't mean to say that I thought it was fine. It may be sticking or hanging up but may not be stuck COMPLETELY shut. It still could be failing to open fully.

I fully agree that if you change the radiator, it's an excellent idea to replace the thermostat at the same time.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for your gracious reply!

I'd sure change that thermostat. There's not a lot left to mess with.

One clue that I look for is whether the overheating is highway or town. Most cars with electric radiator fans will cool adequately on the highway from the wind passing through the radiator, and this is generally true even if their electric fans don't work. However, once they slow down, the lack of fans results in overheating.

You have the reverse situation going on, so reduced coolant flow through the system seems like a probable cause to me.
 
#7 ·
If you can change it yourself I would definitely suggest just trying the thermostat at this point since it's a cheap part and I can't see what else could be causing it. The Murano water pump is chain driven and when they go they make a lot of noise so I doubt it's a pump issue. With the radiator replaced there's not a lot else left in the cooling system.
 
#9 ·
I am responding here to your question from me in another thread.

http://www.nissanmurano.org/forums/66-problems/13104-how-replace-thermostat.html

Your problem sounds similar to what I was experiencing. I am not too clear from your description but did your temp gauge ever climb all the way to the top? In my case, if I let it, it would go to the upper ticker mark but not further. What is more, the engine compartment never "felt" any hotter than normal. Of course I didn't really take any actual measurements.

What seemed to solve my problem (and it could have been just a coincidence) is that once I had a problem with getting my car started. To fix that, I pulled out my IPDM (Intelligent Power Distribution Module) which is nothing but a glorified fuse box mounted under the hood on the right side (passenger side) wheel well. One by one I removed all relays and clean their contacts and snapped them back into place. I did the same thing with all the fuses in that box as well. Once I reinstalled the IPDM, car immediately started, and overheating issue seemed to go away.

A few months later I traded the car in so I do not have long term testing results but while I had it temp gauge appeared to stay normal.

I say it is worth a try. Good luck.
 
#11 ·
2008 Murano does not exist... :) You must have a 2009 model. If you do, cylinder head gasket was problematic on some of them. I would take the car to a competent shop and have the engine compression tested, and the cooling system pressure tested.
 
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