trouble shooting cooling system 101

[Chris Simmonds]

I think I'm about qualified for this, here goes:

1) Check a hose coming off of the heater core near
the passanger side firewall and crank the car.
Flduids should come out if not, the water pump blade
may have severed from the shaft resulting in the shaft
spinning and the water not being circulated.

2) Check the water pump to see if it's leaking out
of the weeping hole, if so it needs replacing.

3) If you have a det: There is a tube above the
knock sensor that obver time becomes brittle, check
for leaks.

4) Make sure your radiator is full and your over fill
is on max, add accordingly. Check for leaks. If this is
the prob, now is a good time for a nx, gti-r or bigger
aftermarket set up.

5)With the car running see if the tube from the
radiator to the motor is underpressure and or hot,
if not that may be the problem.

6) After the car gets to operating temp check to see
if the radiator is hot all the way accross. If the
passanger side is hot and the driver isn't it may be
clogged. I recommend flushing once, if no gom repleace
it...the fins are about an 8th of an inch apart to you
can't expect to cure it with a flush everytime.

7) Check to see if the hose from the radiator to the
thermostat is hot, if not fluids are not circulating.

8) Pull the thermostat and place it in how water if it
reacts then it's fine, reseal and re install, if not
the part is 6 bucks non OE.

9) Check the fans. They should come on when the car warms
up and during load.

Couple of tips:

1)Don't run on H, the head is the first to go.
2)If in traffic in the summer and your heading for H blast
the heat, or even defroster. This allows circulation and
3)gets the condensor going.
4)Wire a togle switch to run the fans from the cockpit,
this write up is in the archives.
5)Running the AC will turn the fans on as well,
do so if they seem unresponsive.
6)Install a 300zxtt rad cap, like 17 bucks at nissan,
10 bucks non OE, it's 16lbs compared to the se-r .9 bar
(under 14lbs).
7)Run a 50/50 or 5/25 mix of coolant and water, try water
wetter as well.
8) A quick check to see if your have a cooling prob too
is to blast the heat, if it blows cold, see steps 1-9.
9)Try not to shop at Napa, it's a grip believe you me.

Hope this helps.

Chris
Too hot to handle too cold to hold...
well maybe not the later.
bbdet