'03 FX35 over heating...

M

mcraerc

Member
Location
N. VA
****Update**** So the dealership finally figured out it was the thermostat. So it's $325 for a new thermo and system bleed. WOW that was hard!!!

****Update 2**** I am going to kill one of these guys!!! The dealership called back. The car is still over heating.

----Orginal Story------


Last weekend during a long road trip our 03 FX35 suddenly lost power and the check engine light came on. After pulling over I noticed the car was leaking cooling fluid. Check under the hood and the coolant reservoir was over flowing out the top spill over hole.

Had the car towed to the dealership and now they are telling me there is nothing is wrong with the car. They pressure check'ed the system and said it is good to go. They cleared the overheat code and that is it. I thought it was a thermostat issue, but what do I know. The dealer said its not the thermostat. What are they missing?

Also, in the morning my wife claims she can hear water rushing around in the dash before the car heats up.

What gives?
 
puhahacj said:
Maybe air spots in the radiator?
Click to expand...


Would pin-hole leaks cause the air gaps in the radiator? The FX has 78k and has made several long road trips. When the issue happened we were going up a steep highway grad and had the car top carrier on. Cruzing at 75 mph and about 2800-3000 rpms.

We had the system flushed back in January.

Is it worth my time to replace the radiator cap and Thermostat just to be safe? They are fairly cheap and easy fixes.

Thanks for the input...
 
when was the last time you got a radiator's fluid flush? that might tell you if any line is puntured or clog.. and also will help clean the lines..
 
Thermostat???

Is it possible for a thermostat to malfunction and get stuck in a certain position and not show up as broken? What else would cause the car to eject/boil out all the coolant? Then run fine the next day...

Since the dealer is sticking to their story of "nothing is wrong" I am going to have to do my own trouble-shooting.

Thanks again,
 
mcraerc said:
Would pin-hole leaks cause the air gaps in the radiator? The FX has 78k and has made several long road trips. When the issue happened we were going up a steep highway grad and had the car top carrier on. Cruzing at 75 mph and about 2800-3000 rpms.

We had the system flushed back in January.

Is it worth my time to replace the radiator cap and Thermostat just to be safe? They are fairly cheap and easy fixes.

Thanks for the input...
Click to expand...

Rubare said:
when was the last time you got a radiator's fluid flush? that might tell you if any line is puntured or clog.. and also will help clean the lines..
Click to expand...

That.
 
I had this problem on an 01' Elantra once........replaced the thermostat with no positive results.......then I opened the cap with engine running warm, no fluid spewed out (wear goggles, thick gloves and body suit to protect yourself first). Relieved the air, then refill with coolant.

---------- Post added at 02:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:13 PM ----------

Caps Off
Start your engine, leaving the radiator cap off so the pressure doesn't build up. Let the engine run until it reaches its operating temperature of about 88C. This will probably take about 15 minutes.
Check the level of the coolant. You may find that the level has gone down as the air trapped in the radiator kept the (initial) level artificially high. When this air was released, it opened up more space in the radiator, allowing more antifreeze into the system. Add more water and antifreeze, in the same 50/50 ratio, to top up. As the air bleeds out, the coolant may bubble and spit from the opening on top of the radiator. Be careful as the coolant is now hot. Wait for a brief period then replace the cap.
 
Dealers response to over heating...

So here we go...

Dealer claims that air might have creped into the system last time they flushed it. The pressure checked the system up to 65psi, I guess the system normally operates around 16 to 20 psi. They did another flush and did not charge me for the visit. That was surprising. There is still a water rushing sound in the dash when the car is just started pulled out of the drive way. Goes away once the car warms up.

Since this is the wife’s car I am taking it to a local mechanic and having him change the thermostat and radiator cap. Should run around $150. Should give her a piece of mind at least...


****Update**** Driving home the car started to overheat again!!! Not taking it back to the dealership. Taking it my local guy to get some kind of fix. This is getting out of hand.

-MTF
 
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When doing our systems there is an air relief valve on the line, left-rear of the plenum. Hopefully the dealer doing your system knows what they are doing.

Or do it yourself ///77111&postcount=4
 
I am not exactly sure how that would help. Esp since I just had the dealer flush the system. I will give it a try but I am having the thermostat changed today. It’s an easy cheap fix that may work. If not at least I know it’s not the thermostat. Then I will take it back to the dealer and deal with them. We'll see...


**** Update**** My local guy wanted $350 for the thermostat. I told him to hold off. Apparently bleeding the cooling system on the FX is a giant pain in the a$$. 16 points in the system to bleed. They also said the blockage test came back inconclusive??? Took it back to dealer and they gave me a loaner til they fix the issue. What a pain!!!
 
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Flush may not work if you already have sediment built up in the radiator core. There are multiple passages... perhaps not all of them are clear. Also, check to see if the fans are working (check with A/C off so the A/C system will not try to help by kicking the fan), water pump pulley is not seizing and like you said thermostat.

Look to see when it overheats first. If it is when sitting but cools down when driving, look at the fan and coolant temperature sensor. If it when idling, look at the radiator, waterpump, and thermostat. If you are losing water (without overflowing) and it is all the time, look at intake manifold or burnt head gasket (this may happen if you let the car overheat.

More symptoms will help in diagnosis.
 
****Update 2****

****Update 2**** I am going to kill one of these guys!!! The dealership called back. The car is still over heating.

They now think it is the radiator. I asked about the water sound in the dash and they said they will check the heater core (MTF). How can you honestly run a dealership w/ a full service shop and not have any real mechanics. I guess they hire a bunch of dudes that just fix what the computer tells them to fix. Man this is frustrating!!!

Since my car is out of the power train warranty (78k) and I have brought the car in a couple time for the water sound in the dash (while under warranty), if I have a cracked hear-core or bad radiator how do I get them to pay for it? I feel like no matter what I say these guys are not going to take any blame for missing these sign a long time ago. Now I have to pay for it. (Infiniti of Chantilly is the dealership btw)

Your thoughts?
 
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Call a regional or corpo Infiniti person and tell them the stealership stinks and its a recurring problem. They're usually better than some idiot technician.
 
pain in the a$$

So I called the Infiniti customer service help line and submitted a formal complaint regarding Infiniti of Chantilly. They still don't know what is wrong and are waiting on a factory Tech to help them out. WOW!!!

***** UPDATE 3******* So they are replacing the radiator (free of charge) to see if that fixes the issue. Thanks for the Corporate Infiniti advice. I called a regional rep and they are helping me deal with the local dealership. They even offered to pay for the thermostat charges. With 78k I was expecting a harder fight with them to replace everything that is messed up.


**** UPDATE 4********** Problem fixed!!!! so far. They replaced the radaitor and thermostat for $100. The factory stepped in and picked 75% of the thermostat cost and all of the radiator cost. So far the car is running fine without overheating or pushing out any coolant. We'll see.

Infiniti is really stepping up here.
 
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Bet you thought it was fixed!!!!

So I have had it with Infiniti...

They never fixed the car. As it turns out I had a pin hole leak in the head gasket (one way) and when the car gets hot enough it leaks exhaust into the coolant and causes the car to overheat (No coolant in oil or vis versa). It took the dealership 6 weeks to figure out what was wrong. Thank God they gave me a loaner.

So now that they have replaced the thermostat, radiator, and who knows what else that was not the root cause, they have now told me that I have to pay for half of the head gasket repairs. Also, if there is any more damage to anything else I have to pay 100% for that. WOW... This is even after the Service Manager told me his guys were out trying to get the car to overheat, which they did several time I was told.

I have calls into to the Infiniti Consumer Affairs people (Evelyn, East Coast Rep) and they have not called me back, yet.

So here is what to look for if your FX is having heating/cooling or overheat issues.

Indicators we had: (all issues were treated under factory warranty around 45-60k mark) Now I am at 78k.

1. Air/Water wooshing sound in dash. (Caused by head gasket leak) Dealership would just flush the system and charge me $300 a pop.
2. Overflow of coolant (caused by air getting into the system by leak in head gasket). Dealership would just flush the system and charge me $300 a pop.
3. Loss of heat in winter due to air in the system. Dealership told me there was no problem with the system. Took back and they replaced thermostat, then radiator and so on.

Looks like I will never buy another Infiniti or Nissan. I can't believe Infiniti dealerships are that ignorant to their own cars. This should have been caught on the second or third visit when the vehicle was under warranty. Love how they find it when the car is out of warranty.

If I wanted this kind of service I would have bought a GM. :laugh:
 
I guess is a Virginia deseace when it come to bad Infiniti dealership in VA. I take my car to the one I. Tyson's corner not the best one out there customer service is poor. People don't know what they are doing. They call me and tell me I have to pay 1000s of dollars for whatever is it that need to be fixed.. I asked the guys really? Last time i check my car was still under drivetrain warranty. The guy told me, oh! Let me check.... !!!!!! Are you freaking serious shouldn't you check and do your homework before you call the custo er and start asking for money..?? Very disappointed on the services of Infiniti dealerships in VA. Plus in order to get the work done right I have to explain by detail was wrong with it cause their techs keep saying that the car has nothing wrong. I've learned so much about my FX due to the fact that I just gotten used to do my homework before I take it to the delearship..

Thank you IS.. Most of the time I get all my info from here so I can teach the techs at the dealership.

---------- Post added at 10:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:17 AM ----------

I think members here in IS that have experience bad customer service in VA by the Infiniti dealership should make. List and try to report them..
 
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