My 1990 Nissan Maxima is smoking, it smells.

Tiny
ANONYMOUS
  • MEMBER
  • 1990 NISSAN MAXIMA
  • 148,000 MILES
My 1990 nissan maxima is smoking, it smells like something is burning, the temp gage is spiking, and its making a hissing noise. Is this the radiator. I dont want to fix it and find out its somrthing else
Sunday, December 23rd, 2012 AT 8:50 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
The cooling system has a fault and the overheating could have damaged the cylinder head instead of only a leak. You would need to check and diagnose what is wrong.
Wait for engine to cool down, remove radiator cap and top up coolant.

Check for leaks, repair if any found.

Do not close radiator cap yet. Wait for coolant level to drop and top up. Start engine for a minute or two and top up coolant as necessary. When coolant level drops, keep topping to bleed system. Do not start engine for more than 5 minutes with radiator cap off as coolant would be pushed out when it heats up.

Close radiator cap and run engine till operating temperature and keep checking for leaks. Wait for radiator fan to come on. Stop engine and wait till it cools and check coolant level again. Top up if necessary and bleed again, might be necessary to bleed a few times till all air are purge from system. Ensure the recovery tank coolant level is correct, slightly overfilling it is recommended for now.

Good luck, hope engine has not been damaged due to the overheating.
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Sunday, December 23rd, 2012 AT 9:37 PM

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