Potentially blown engine - losing coolant - HELP!

nima

nima

Member
Car
2010 FX50S
My car is a 2010 FX50S with about 121000km and still under extended (3rd party warranty), well maintained. The extended warranty is through First Canadian.

Last week while driving I noticed the rad fans are at full blast most of the time, got to my destination and found a stream of coolant flowing out from under the car. Towed it to my mechanic (not dealer), replaced radiator and refilled the coolant.
Drove it for 1 day and noticed the fan issue. Also noticed a "flushing liquid" sound when starting to move from the red light/full stop. Except this time when i took it back there was NO stream/leak from under that I could tell, but the coolant overflow reservoir was pretty much empty. The car does smell a bit like burnt coolant.
I have 2 Nissan master mechanics trying to figure out what exactly it is and here's a list of possibilities they mentioned:
- a leaky hose (easy fix)
- bad temperature sensors (only relating to the fan issue)
- bad radiator connection
- cylinder gasket leak
- cracked cylinder head = new engine

A bit of background:
- I've heard the "flushing" noise several times, I knew there was air in the system and been taking it to the dealer for that issue during the past 18 months - all they do is bleed it and return the car, saying there's nothing wrong.
Throughout the entire time since last year when I first noticed the sound of air bubbles in the system CEL never came on and there wasn't any other indication that the car was overheating.

PLEASE TELL ME I DON'T NEED A NEW ENGINE :cry:
 
You don't need a new engine...but you do. It's toast. Yeah, you kilt it.
It's fine assuming there wasn't so much air in the system that it didn't overheat due to the thermostat not opening.
You replaced the rad? Why? Was it leaking? I'll guess it was.
Coolant overflow was empty because it's drawing coolant into the system. They didn't get all the air out. Apparently, Nissan screwed both the 6 and 8 cyl. engines concerning what is typically an easy thing to do for most makes, which is filling coolant. Learn how to do it yourself and if you do, watch your temp gauge.
 
I had heard about this fault with Nissan's v6 and v8 engines, never believed it and never came across it - its ironic. replaced the rad cause it was toast. I'll find out the fate tomorrow. Gotta follow up with the warranty and see how far that'll go. And at the same time start scavenging for a new engine on ebay and local shops.
 
That sucks Nima. I suppose you have already had it to Vic's so he could lc at it.
 
I know Wayne, it really really sucks, couldn't have happened at a worse time in my life. Went to Vic for all my work and he broke the news today - I do need a new engine. There's a good possibility that my warranty will cover it. So now the battle with First Canadian starts.. wish me luck
 
Wow! Good luck Nima, hopefully that warranty will work in your favour. Keep us posted.
 
Sorry to hear about your engine woes man. Hoping that you can get it sorted quickly and get back on the road ASAP. Good luck!
 
Damn bro. That sucks. Are the V8s inherently weaker by design? Or do the owners simply beat the piss out of them more?
 
I picked up the car from my mechanic and drove it around, the rad fan came on pretty often but it didnt over heat, no leaks, the smell of burning coolant is still there. im gonna wash the engine compartment and see if the smell comes back. going to keep an eye out on the coolant level as well. I'm taking it to a friend of mine who works on exotic cars only (mostly lambos and ferarris) and he's agreed to do a more thorough testing.. but he's had extensive experience with V8 engines and says its most likely a head gasket problem which is not too bad a fix... fingers crossed
 
Steve, apparently the head gasket leak is not that uncommon, I have heard that from 4 different master mechanics over the past week. And it happens to a lot of V8 engines. Actually, my friend who I'll be taking the car to gets A LOT of v8 BMW and Mercs that need an engine rebuild for similar problems. He said the engine troubles almost always start right after the warranty period and can cost upwards of $10K for the v8 biturbo engines. So, from his mouth to God's ears that I wont need an entire new engine.
 
Last edited:
nima said:
I had heard about this fault with Nissan's v6 and v8 engines, never believed it and never came across it - its ironic. replaced the rad cause it was toast. I'll find out the fate tomorrow. Gotta follow up with the warranty and see how far that'll go. And at the same time start scavenging for a new engine on ebay and local shops.
Click to expand...
onthemove said:
You don't need a new engine...but you do. It's toast. Yeah, you kilt it.
It's fine assuming there wasn't so much air in the system that it didn't overheat due to the thermostat not opening.
You replaced the rad? Why? Was it leaking? I'll guess it was.
Coolant overflow was empty because it's drawing coolant into the system. They didn't get all the air out. Apparently, Nissan screwed both the 6 and 8 cyl. engines concerning what is typically an easy thing to do for most makes, which is filling coolant. Learn how to do it yourself and if you do, watch your temp gauge.
Click to expand...


Wait, what do we need to be careful of when adding coolant? Got me scared now, lol.
 
No, Nissan/Infiniti's are difficult to bleed correctly. I thought it was just a VQ issue but apparently it can impact the V8's. If you do a search on coolant bleeding for a G or Z, you'll see tons of threads where people have found it impossible to get all the air out. Using suction bleeders, parking on inclines, ramps, everything. I had some issues when I did it a while back but it wasn't horrible.

Surprising the temp gauge didn't move if the car overheated enough to damage the head/engine.

Zackai said:
That's the faulty design you were referring to?
Click to expand...
 
not only the needle gauge doesnt move, but the rad cap never popped either.
The coolant level has been steady since yesterday, but the rad fans turn on as soon as you start the car.
 
Zackai said:
Wait, what do we need to be careful of when adding coolant? Got me scared now, lol.
Click to expand...
If your just adding a little, wait till the engines cold and coolant has contracted 100%. If your replacing, do your do-diligence with fsm and research 1st.
 
nima said:
not only the needle gauge doesnt move, but the rad cap never popped either.
The coolant level has been steady since yesterday, but the rad fans turn on as soon as you start the car.
Click to expand...
I'm a little confused about this. Why r u under the impression that anything detrimental has occurred? Sounds to me like you had a coolant leak via the rad, replaced the rad and now have a fan issue. The knuckleheads that replaced the rad screwed something up on the fans/sensors/wires or Infiniti increased the complexity of what should be an easy deal and you need to reset via consult2 or whateverthehell they use for the fx50. Did they disconnect the battery before performing the work? Did they blow a fuse or something else because they didn't disc.? Check the fsm and see if there's a procedure for this.
If you have no coolant in your oil or vise versa, and your not leaking, your fine. Every day you get home, wait for the engine to get cold, pop the rad cap, add a little coolant and/or distilled water if there's room and one day there will be no room to add anymore. Keep the reservoir to the full line.
 
nima said:
Update:

Short story: replaced fans. day 2. no issues.
Click to expand...
Glad to hear that. Hope you didn't pay for them. What's the chance you had your rad. replaced and now, all of a sudden, your fans are an issue? Somebody f'd up.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top