Overheating ... Dealer trying to screw me?

[benji99]

So a couple of days ago I left my house in my 2005 Murano SE when a few miles down the road I noticed the temp gauge being higher than usual. It got to the 3/4 mark before I stopped and turned it off.

I let it cool down and was able to get it back to my house hours later without overheating. The next day (yesterday), I tried to diagnose the problem and came to the conclusion it must be the thermostat.

Reason I came to that conclusion is I drove it again to get it hot (and it started to overheat again but I stayed closed to my house) and when I pulled it back into the garage, the radiator felt only warm. I decided to let it sit for a couple of minutes before draining the radiator.

The fluid from the radiator being drained using the drain plug at the bottom was cool to maybe lukewarm. The other thing that seemed a little odd is that it drained relatively slowly (not sure what to compare it to, though).

I then tried removing the thermostat housing assembly but couldn't get to the second bolt and decided to take it into my local dealership today. (I also needed to get a couple of recalls done as well as the transmission serviced so I thought might as well do them all at once).

So I just got a call saying they want to replace the thermostat but the real culprit is a clogged radiator. The have asked for authorization to replace it at a cost of just under $700.

Now I know my way around cars some, and I believe if the radiator is CLOGGED, you don't need a new one ... just service it. Clean it, rinse it, etc ... you are having to replace the fluid anyways. They agreed that there are no leaks, no problems otherwise. Additionally, why would they want to replace the thermostat as well if they believe the root of the problem is the radiator?

Thoughts? I stuck to my guns (for now) and said I only wanted the thermostat done.

Thanks for listening.

[hokey777]

Sounds like they are trying to get what they can from you. If the T-stat fixes it, then your good to go (i think).

[Warhammer]

I suggest letting them fix the thermostat only. The dealership is not your standard radiator shop, so if they find a dirty radiator, their knee-jerk reaction is to swap it out. And, of course, dealership pricing on anything is ridiculous.

I'd call AutoZone and get a new radiator form them for a hundred or so then swap out the radiator yourself. Or you can take your existing radiator down to a radiator shop and have it rodded and vatted. That will fix it for sure. You'll still be out a couple hundred regardless.

Or, you can try to flush and fill yourself but the hard corrosion inside your radiator won't be phased at all.

Good luck!

[HVT]

A stuck thermostat (stuck closed) would cause it to overheat very quickly...not just hover in the 3/4 zone. It would go right to hot. Stuck open and it would run much cooler. It's probably not just a thermostat but you can ask them to change just that part and see what happens. However, if they were actually out to screw you, all they'd have to do is say "we did that and it didn't fix it". If I were so sure that was the problem, the easy check (on some cars....no idea how hard getting to the thermostat on the Murano is) would be to remove the thermostat and run it without it to see if that cures the overheating.
But my question to them would be....how can you say it's the radiator and not the water pump or thermostat. Is there a test that they did? Let us know what happens. And good luck!

[Pilgrim]

Not all modern radiators can be cleaned. The older brass ones were less thermally efficient, but they could be disassembled and "rodded out".

Many of he new aluminum-core radiators have a gasket between the aluminum and plastic end caps which are crimped into place - they are not serviceable. I'm not sure which category this one falls into, because the online parts store at Courtesy Nissan shows all the parts for the radiator separately.

That said, you can shop radiator suppliers, but if you have to have the dealer do the work, you're in for labor. Also, dealers are NOT IN THE BUSINESS of taking assemblies apart and fixing them - they replace parts. They don't rebuild starters or alternators, they don't clean out radiators, they just get a new part and install it. That's how they work.

One call to a local radiator shop would determine whether they can clean out your radiator or not - but the smart thing is to try the thermostat first. If it fixes the problem, I would darn sure do a radiator flush - maybe two - right away. You can do that in your driveway with a kit you buy at a parts store. If you do that, DO NOT let the antifreeze from the system puddle where dogs and cats can get at it - the stuff is lethal to them with minimal ingestion. Capture it and flush it down your toilet.

Rockauto.com has three options for radiators at $150 or under, Advance Auto Parts has the radiator for under $300, Courtesy Nissan online gets $417.

I'll bet the dealer is higher.

I'd go to an independent shop.

[BillArf]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

If you do that, DO NOT let the antifreeze from the system puddle where dogs and cats can get at it - the stuff is lethal to them with minimal ingestion. Capture it and flush it down your toilet.

Dilute and Flush that antifreeze

Flushing used antifreeze down the drain is the least-preferred disposal option, but it may be the only option available in some areas. Your waste water treatment facility should be contacted to ensure that they can accept the waste prior to using this method.

Although antifreeze is biodegradable, households on septic systems should NOT dispose of antifreeze down the drain. If your home is connected to a septic tank, give this product to someone who is connected to a municipal sewer system. Even in a diluted form, antifreeze can overwhelm and destroy the bacterial action in your septic system and drain field.

Procedures include:

1. Provide adequate ventilation by opening windows and doors and/or turning on a room fan.
2. Carefully pour about 1 gallon of diluted antifreeze down the sink, flushing with large amounts of water. Failure to dilute antifreeze may damage pipes or other parts of your plumbing.
3. Continue disposing in 1 gallon batches until completely gone. Don't mix products, and wait several hours between disposing of different types of products.
4. The best time to do this is during the working day when the sewage system is in full use so that this material passes through the municipal sewage system faster.

These procedures are intended for small quantities of used antifreeze from a household only.

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[Pilgrim]

Good notes, Bill.

I have discovered that in most towns, you are S.O.L. trying to dispose of antifreeze any other way than the toilet. 'Least desirable" doesn't mean there are ANY other options.

I once spent about two hours on the phone trying to find ANY option other than driving to our county landfill where they have a hazardous waste disposal site - and it's a 40-minute drive each way. No joy, no options - no one would take it, and that's in a town of 150,000 people. I have no desire to drive for more than an hour just to get rid of a gallon of antifreeze. The expenditure of time and money is ridiculous.

If the city wants me to use another method of disposal, they can provide a better option. Until then, it's going down the toilet.

That said (and venting over), perhaps there are more attractive options available to the OP - but I'd bet lunch that NO one recycles or captures the stuff at any business in town.

[BillArf]

I had a friend that dumped antifreeze into his home septic system. Caused major issues / expense for him. Anyway, disposal was mentioned in replies to the Op. I posted the informational here about antifreeze disposal as many people do not realize just how much damage a little antifreeze can do to a septic system, etc..

.

[Pilgrim]

Well worth noting!

Not that many of us (in a national sense) use septic systems, but it's well worth noting the potential problem for those who do. I grew up in the country with a house that used a septic system.