# '01 Pathfinder overheating. headgasket?!



## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

All,

Symptoms; drive for about 15 mins at highway speeds, shortly after returning to stop and go traffic heater blows cold and coolant begins to boil. 

Replaced water pump (which I was fairly sure wasn't defective after I removed the original one), thermostat (same same, worked in boiling water) and radiator cap. 

Mechanic is leaning towards head gaskets, will do the coolant test for hydrocarbons to confirm. 

First question, what is a reasonable cost for having the head gaskets replaced?

Is this a job I should attempt myself? Does the motor really need to be pulled to do it?

Thanks for any insights!


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## KLL (Dec 2, 2005)

can it be related to a water lock or debris inside hoses which carries the water inside cooling system? did they tried to make the system air free?

how can head gasket cause overheating? there is no relationship between them. it can burn antifreeze and it can burn oil and it can lose the compression.but will not cause overheating.(as i experience)

heating can be occur, because of termostate, water pump, radiator itself, and coolant. if one is missing this cause overheating. it is strange that when there is boiling water ,there were no heat at cabin side. this is not related to headgasket?


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## dvdswanson (Nov 6, 2005)

did you pressure test the system? head gaskets are a moderate to hard job, harder with hand tools. can be done (if you are mechanically inclined) but time consuming. have you felt the pass. floor board to see if your heater core is leaking? how many miles are on it? there are all sorts of things that cause overheating problems, unless you are positive its the head gasket I would look at the other items 1st. did you check the fan clutch? or check to see if the fins are blocked on the radiator/condenser?


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## Xeno (Oct 5, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> All,
> 
> Symptoms; drive for about 15 mins at highway speeds, shortly after returning to stop and go traffic heater blows cold and coolant begins to boil.


Classic signs of bad thermostat (not allowing coolent to circulate(stuck closed?))

Was it installed correctly and was it the right temp thermostat?


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

*checked everything...*

Pressure tested the system... Heater core isn't leaking, no smell of antifreeze in the passenger cabin. Have purged the system of air several times. Flushed the system several times with various hoses disconnected to test flow of radiator, block, heater core. I think maybe there is a small leak in the headgasket (who knows left or right) and it burns off the coolant slowly enough that there isn't white smoke from the tailpipe. I was thinking mabey there was something that blocks flow when the coolant is already hot. The radiator flows ok with cold tap water (through garden hose) and looks clean through the cap. 

Bottom line the wife got sick of my tinkering and made me take it in. They were reluctant to commit to the head gasket diagnosis until they are able to run the hydrocarbon test on the coolant to confirm leakage of the head gasket(s).


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

not the thermostat. unless it's the rear thermostat. I believe the rear thermostat is working as the heat blows much hotter all of a sudden while driving (the rear thermostat opening and allowing coolant from the block to enter the heater core).


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## Daisley (Dec 8, 2005)

In your first post you stated that its ok at high speed driving, initially, and it overheats when you return to stop-and-go driving. Does it cool down again if you go back to higher speed? That would sound like a cooling fan problem, not enough air flow through the radiator..?


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

I doubt it's a cooling fan problem as I've idled it for 3 hrs straight without overheating. I think the culprit is most likely a small head gasket leak. I suppose I'll find out monday when the shop tests the coolant.


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## Animal (Mar 25, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> I doubt it's a cooling fan problem as I've idled it for 3 hrs straight without overheating. I think the culprit is most likely a small head gasket leak. I suppose I'll find out monday when the shop tests the coolant.


Normally a blown head gasket will leak in both directions; compression leaks in to cooling system and coolant enters the cylinder. Symptoms of the latter include excessive steam in the exhaust and a distinctive odor to the exhaust. However, it is possible to have a one way leak as you are suggesting. 
You could try removing the radiator cap and do a leak down test on each cylinder. This will show if compression is leaking in to the cooling system. Other symptoms of this condition are: 
- high pressure in the radiator (check firmness of return hose) while coolant is still cold/cool 
- constant bubbles in coolant capture tank 
- coolant level in radiator drops several inches low 
Though I don't believe this would cause the heater to blow cold. Normally this is an air lock or something wrong with the heater controls. Check the heater supply and return hose temperatures.


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## Chris24 (Dec 8, 2005)

Whoever said a blown head gasket wouldn't cause overheating? That's crazy. Sure it would under the right conditions. Coolant flow could be hindered when the coolant flows into the cylinder instead of a water jacket. Oil spilling into the coolant flow alters the boiling point of the collant. Also, that oil can clog the radiator. The oil also alters the flow from the water pump by changing the consistency of the coolant.
Sure it could cause overheating. I've seen it myself many times.


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## Chris24 (Dec 8, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> Pressure tested the system... Heater core isn't leaking, no smell of antifreeze in the passenger cabin. Have purged the system of air several times. Flushed the system several times with various hoses disconnected to test flow of radiator, block, heater core. I think maybe there is a small leak in the headgasket (who knows left or right) and it burns off the coolant slowly enough that there isn't white smoke from the tailpipe. I was thinking mabey there was something that blocks flow when the coolant is already hot. The radiator flows ok with cold tap water (through garden hose) and looks clean through the cap.
> 
> Bottom line the wife got sick of my tinkering and made me take it in. They were reluctant to commit to the head gasket diagnosis until they are able to run the hydrocarbon test on the coolant to confirm leakage of the head gasket(s).


An easy way to check on which cylinder could be burning off coolant (which would tell you if and where the head gasket is blown), pull each spark plug and look for the one that has a greenish discoloration, has oxydation on it or even calcium deposits. You'll more than likely find one that is greenish in color. If you don't find any, don't discount that it could be blown. 

If it is this difficult to discover and your heater blows cold, I doubt it is a head gasket. A lot of coolant would need to be leaking or burning off to stop the flow of coolant to your heater core. I would aim more towards air lock or blockage somewhere. Have you flushed the system?

Chris


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

Chris,

I have flushed the system several times. Each time with a different hose disconnected to test the flow. Bottom radiator hose (on both ends) to test the flow of the radiator. Radiator bypass hose to test flow through the heads and the rear coolant pipe. And the radiator cap off to test the flow through the heater core. 

Every time it overheats the heater blows cold just before the temp climbs. You can hear the coolant boiling when you stop rolling.

Another question is could the rear thermostat cause this boiling? Say it's stuck closed... that means no flow through the block... so the coolant inside doesn't flow and begins to boil... this sends bubbles back into the water pump area and stops the flow of the rest of the coolant because of the impeller being surrounded by bubbles/steam? 

I didn't change/check the rear thermostat before taking her in. The wife was upset enough already...


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## Athfinder (Jan 9, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> Chris,
> 
> I have flushed the system several times. Each time with a different hose disconnected to test the flow. Bottom radiator hose (on both ends) to test the flow of the radiator. Radiator bypass hose to test flow through the heads and the rear coolant pipe. And the radiator cap off to test the flow through the heater core.
> 
> ...




How hany miles are on this thing??


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## Chris24 (Dec 8, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> Chris,
> 
> I have flushed the system several times. Each time with a different hose disconnected to test the flow. Bottom radiator hose (on both ends) to test the flow of the radiator. Radiator bypass hose to test flow through the heads and the rear coolant pipe. And the radiator cap off to test the flow through the heater core.
> 
> ...


Definitely could be. It would be worth checking.


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## Daisley (Dec 8, 2005)

This is a shot in the dark...might it be a rad hose that's collapsed inside, blocking the flow sufficiently to overheat the engine and stop heater function?


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

~79k miles. The radiator hose doesn't seem to be collapsed as in it's shape remains unchanged.


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

Mechanic called... there is exaust in the coolant. He's talking $3400 for the headgaskets... subject to change if there are unseen damages... ~6k for a used engine with 58k on it. 

Thoughts?


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## dvdswanson (Nov 6, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> Mechanic called... there is exaust in the coolant. He's talking $3400 for the headgaskets... subject to change if there are unseen damages... ~6k for a used engine with 58k on it.
> 
> Thoughts?



those prices are a little high :jawdrop: I've seen prices for a new motor for $3500, as far as the replace head gaskets it seems high also. are you sure he is a reputible mechanic? just for sh*ts and giggles I would call the Dealer and find out how much it would be to do each 1 of those.


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## Athfinder (Jan 9, 2005)

Thats BS. Sorry to hear of your troubles. I've never heard of an issue like this on a relatively low mile Nissan. Thats why I drive one and not a GM/Ford/Dodge.
Is there something about the vehicle's history that could have caused the block or intake to get cracked (accident/salvage title) or was it in a flood? Was it driven particularly hard by you or a previous owner?
Again, this sorta thing just shouldn't happen...


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## Animal (Mar 25, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> Mechanic called... there is exaust in the coolant. He's talking $3400 for the headgaskets... subject to change if there are unseen damages... ~6k for a used engine with 58k on it.
> 
> Thoughts?


Parts (gasket set) are less than $300, less if you only need one side (which I would bet the mechanic was planning to do). If a head is warped, there's some machine shop work say another $200. Labor, with a hangover shouldn't take more than 6 hours @ $200/hr (being real pricey here) is another $1200. I'm only up to $1700, I am trying to inflate the price and can only get half way there. 

The going rate around my area is $800 - $1000 for head gasket replacements. 
This guy sounds like a... :loser:


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

To clarify... the motor needs to come out to do headgaskets? Thats where the labor is. The dealer quoted ~$2300 for labor alone.... If there is major work to be done on the heads there's more $$$... I would rather not pull the motor myself... And the point is that if the major $ is in the motor pull/install then do both heads to be safe. He would rather put a good used in but the engine alone is $3k. So that puts the total around $5-6k with labor. 

I purchased the Pathy for the reliability factor. She's quickly turning into a lemon in my eyes. What really hurts is that i don't have a choice about fixing since I still owe a bunch!


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## Animal (Mar 25, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> To clarify... the motor needs to come out to do headgaskets? Thats where the labor is. The dealer quoted ~$2300 for labor alone.... If there is major work to be done on the heads there's more $$$... I would rather not pull the motor myself... And the point is that if the major $ is in the motor pull/install then do both heads to be safe. He would rather put a good used in but the engine alone is $3k. So that puts the total around $5-6k with labor.
> 
> I purchased the Pathy for the reliability factor. She's quickly turning into a lemon in my eyes. What really hurts is that i don't have a choice about fixing since I still owe a bunch!


Don't go to a stealer... I mean dealer to get this type of work done. Not only are they typically the most expensive, IMO but some of the worse mechanics. I'm sure I will have offended someone by this, but I am nearly as sure I am not referring to whoever is, just the ones I (and many others here) have had the misfortune to have done business with. 
Suggestion: ask around for references to a good mechanic. $2300 for labor is way too much - or are you speaking of Canadian ... if so, then is just simply too much. -IMO

Edit: What does the other $1100 include?


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

I don't know what the books quote for labor time on a head gasket job. Supposedly >30 hrs.... How long does it take to pull engine, heads, and reinstall all properly? 

The mechanic who is quoting these prices has always treated me fairly in the past. This is one of those jobs you don't want to have to do again. If the honest price is what I was quoted then that's what I'll end up paying. I would love to shove her in the lake but I'm sure my ins wouldn't pay.


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## Animal (Mar 25, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> I don't know what the books quote for labor time on a head gasket job. Supposedly >30 hrs.... How long does it take to pull engine, heads, and reinstall all properly?
> 
> The mechanic who is quoting these prices has always treated me fairly in the past. This is one of those jobs you don't want to have to do again. If the honest price is what I was quoted then that's what I'll end up paying. I would love to shove her in the lake but I'm sure my ins wouldn't pay.


30 hours! It doesn't take that long to pull an engine, replace the head gasket and reinstall the engine. The engine could be torn down and rebuilt in that amount of time.
Can you provide some examples of how the mechanic has "always treated you fairly? What else have you needed? When was the last time it was in the shop (with this mechanic)? Not that this guy would do this, but some mechanics (particularly dealers) have been know to insure their jobs by making business.


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

I'm not saying it honestly takes that long to do the job, but most shops quote labor hours from a book. Not the actual time it takes to complete the task... Three shops quoted about the same for labor. 

The shop that has the pathy now hasn't worked on her before. They've done some work on other cars for me. 

Unfortunatly I am at the mercy of these shops... I tried everything I could think of to stop the overheating and failed. So I'm forced to rely on the honesty of a shop to fix her.


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## smassey321 (May 27, 2005)

I assume they followed the factory procedure to bleed the air out. There are 2 bleed valves on the top of these engines. Cold air from the heater is a symptom of air in the system. Even a small amount of air in the cooling system can cause these engines to act very strange. IMHO the head gasket may have been caused by the overheating and not the cause of the overheating.


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## KLL (Dec 2, 2005)

3500 for a gasket change?! well.. labor cost must be really high in United States.


i belive cost estimation done here is more accurate. it must be handled at most ~1500...


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

I'm sure the original overheating was the cause of the gasket breach. The better half was 32 weeks pregnant and didn't have her cell phone. The beast was overheating so she drove it the rest of the way home. No oil on the stick and very low coolant. 

Hopefully there isn't more to it than the gaskets. She runs fine when coolant is filled. (Until it overheats 10 mins later) I guess we shall see soon as I gave the shop the go ahead.

Thanks for all the input guys!!!


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## Animal (Mar 25, 2005)

Str8Leg said:


> I'm sure the original overheating was the cause of the gasket breach. The better half was 32 weeks pregnant and didn't have her cell phone. The beast was overheating so she drove it the rest of the way home. No oil on the stick and very low coolant.
> 
> Hopefully there isn't more to it than the gaskets. She runs fine when coolant is filled. (Until it overheats 10 mins later) I guess we shall see soon as I gave the shop the go ahead.
> 
> Thanks for all the input guys!!!


Pregnancy - that explains a lot. Is this the first? I'm sure you didn't need that expense. 

I blew the return hose off my radiator and didn't notice until the gauge was pegged. I still had to drive it a bit to where I could pull off, then some more to get to a phone. It was pre-igniting pretty good before I could shut it down (missed a flight too). I was certain the heads would be warped and the gaskets blown, but turned out they were fine. My point is that these engines take more abuse than the typical Ford/Chevy, but I am certain they have their limits. 

:cheers:


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

First pregnancy.... and I didn't need the expense. I'm in a transition from Active Army to straight civlian life and fund flow in uncertian for the next few months.... 

I'm hoping the damned thing isn't too bad. AND it better be the headgaskets.... If they pull the engine and find that the gaskets weren't the problem I'm going to go ballistic! (ALthough i'm sure they won't let me find out it wasn't the gaskets)


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## quick50stng (Dec 21, 2005)

I was having the same issues on my 97 Pathy with 3.3 liter. I changed the thermostat and overheating continued. I flushed the radiator until it ran clear and it still got hot. I bought a new radiator and it solved the problem. Just because clean water flows through using a garden hose doesn't mean everything is clear the radiator can still have a plugged tube.


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## problem01 (Feb 17, 2008)

*01 pathfinder overheating*

All,


This sounds all too familiar to me. About six weeks ago, my 2001 pathfinder which only has 82,000 miles started overheating and I could not understand why. I replaced thermostat, water pump, new radiator, and 2ndary thermostat. This didn't fix the problem. My mechanic concluded that the problem is "internal in the engine and that there is sediment build up restricting the coolant and that I need to replace the entire engine." This truly threw me for a loop but this is what I am doing. I hope this may help others come to a resolution. I am not happy at all but what can you do????????????


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## coolnesss (Dec 23, 2003)

In your situation, pouring in a bunch of stop leak - the kind that supposedly will fix head gasket leaks, may actually work, since it seems the leak is not enormous - and - if that at least buys you some time, it would be cool.


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## Str8Leg (Oct 2, 2005)

Been awhile but after about with about 4000 miles on the motor post-headgasket job there was no compression in the 1st cylinder. Another $3600 to put a used motor in. Now she's having the same symptoms as the original motor. 

So far the stealer has replace the radiator and the upper coolant hose (which he insisted was leaking from the prestone flush kit). She was towed in this morning for another round of pocket fleecing. 

The discouraging part is there doesn't seem to be any solid explination to this problem. Other posts have gone on for a few dozen responses with no viable solution. 

Anyone?


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