Engine Cooling problem
2005 Nissan Altima 4 cyl Manual 64000 miles
Dear Mr. Expert!
I drive a Nissan Altima 2005 and the engine has overheated twice in the last 6 months with no apparent reason (i.E. Normal temperature gauge reading), leading to oil/water contamination in both casesà  à   Â
The first was at 97,000Km mileage. The head gasket was blown and the cylinder head surface was affected. The overheating was due to the failed lower cooling thermostat/valve, and the temperature gauge didnà  à   à   t go up since there was almost no coolant in the radiator as the mechanic explained (due to internal leak). The repair job included replacing the gasket and straightening to the cylinder head surface. The 2 thermostats were replaced along with the water pump.
The second failure was at 102,000Km (5 months later). One week earlier I started to notice little coolant decrease which went large within a week (almost empty overnight). The temperature gauge didnà  à   à   t go up this time either and the engine didnà  à   à   t run on an empty radiator, since I was checking and adding coolant consistently. Upon engine disassembly, there was almost minimal to no damage to the cylinder head and its surface, but the engine block was affected and its surface needs to be straightenedà  à   Â
The concern is that there is no apparent reason for overheating, especially with the second failure. Could the temp gauge be broken, or ità  à   à   s all because the repair job wasnà  à   à   t done properly the first time? For the record, the engine block was NOT checked for straightness the first time.
Tuesday, February 16th, 2021 AT 10:25 AM
(Merged)