Terrano 2.7 TD 2004 Overheating, long term

[Gary Allport]

Hi

New to the forum.

I exported a UK Terrano to Mozambique in 2010 (47k miles) which has been serviced in South Africa. About four years ago I took it to the Nissan agents for some work - on the way to the garage it ran fine and on the way back it overheated, and it has done so ever since. I have picked the mechanics apart but cant find out what they did to start this off but it's plagued the car ever since.

I see several reports of the same problem. It runs normal on the guage (needle centre) until it gets pushed beyond about 70mph. It is fairly hot here and it overheats more severely in temps over 27 degrees. Uphill it's worse and in low range on sand it's worse. The temp guage needle goes right over to the right, hits the stop and stays there.

I have replaced the water pump (which was fine), thermostat (runs cooler without) and head gasket without any effect. Last October an acquaintance borrowed the car and front ended it so i got a new viscous fan and radiator out of that - still the same. I put a second guage on which confirmed the overheating.

Any ideas? Is it possibly the turbo? Somehow I still feel that it was something 'done' by the Nissan dealership. Is this possibly just an engine management system setting they screwed up?

I think if this was going to cause a bigger problem then it would have done so by now. I have done 70k+ miles including three trips to Cape Town and back with it running overheating all day for 3 days each way.

The bottom line is that the car cost me £4k and has done 100k of the most horrible miles a car can imagine - so it owes me nothing. I can live with it - but it would be nice to have a happy car.

 

[jims-terrano]

After doing so many miles in such demanding conditions for so long and it hasn't died, are you sure it's definitely overheating and not a fault sender unit or something.
Which engine is it?

Have you tried fitting an electric fan with a manual override switch.

I was going to say is your radiator freem from mud and debris.

Is there anything mounted on the front obstructing air flow?

What did it go into the dealer for?

 

[rustic]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
I agree with Jim, if it hasn't blown up by now it is most likely running ok, BUT... who is to say when it is going to go.
Have you actually aimed an infra red non contact digital thermometer at various places on the engine.
Thermostat housing
Engine block
Top of radiator
Bottom of radiator



So, how much water / coolant are you using, ie do you top up? If over heating, you may well be using litres of coolant.
Have you had the system pressure tested, it could be a faulty radiator top cap.

Are you using a summer coolant, it might be that the dealer dropped the coolant and replaced it with plain water.... NOW that would explain everything.

You MUST have a coolant. In UK we use anti freeze, but it also acts as a summer coolant, and raises the boiling point of the coolant above 100 c

If you run the interior heater on hot, does the temperature fall?

You could try one of the non water based coolants.

As a complete bodge, you could add an additional radiator and electric fan somewhere...

Some things to look for.
Rustic

 

[stevew]

id be tempted to fit a after market temperature sensor and gauge see if it realy is over heating? and i would fit a elecric fan and have it on a switch ive got one on my maverick keeps it nice and cool you could fit one to the intercooler too

 

[weedave]

Hi,
Maybe check he thermostat gasket, they can break down and end up clogging the radiator.
Regards
Dave

 

[Banshee]

No reply needed sounds like Rustic has covered everything I was going to recommend.

The hand held infra-red temp readers are fantastic, I grabbed mine from the plumber at work :thumb2

 

[Gary Allport]

Dear All

Wow thanks very much for the prompt and helpful advice.

Rustic:
So, how much water / coolant are you using, ie do you top up? If over heating, you may well be using litres of coolant.
Have you had the system pressure tested, it could be a faulty radiator top cap.

Are you using a summer coolant, it might be that the dealer dropped the coolant and replaced it with plain water.... NOW that would explain everything.

You MUST have a coolant. In UK we use anti freeze, but it also acts as a summer coolant, and raises the boiling point of the coolant above 100 c

GA: it does use a small amount 200ml per month. I have not had pressure test but have replaced the rad cap (twice). I use Nissan's coolant provided in South Africa which had better be the right stuff as its v expensive!

If you run the interior heater on hot, does the temperature fall?

GA: I tried that - seems to make no discernable difference (and really v uncomfortable!)

You could try one of the non water based coolants.

GA: what are those?

As a complete bodge, you could add an additional radiator and electric fan somewhere...

GA: I have put an extra electric fan on the rad but with sep switch but made no diff. Bear in mind that it overheats at high speeds so the air flow is significant and I dont think extra fans aroudd the main rad amke any diff therefore. It does not overheat standing still or around town. Is it poss to add a rad with an extra fan somehow?

Have you actually aimed an infra red non contact digital thermometer at various places on the engine. Thermostat housing Engine block Top of radiator
Bottom of radiator

GA: no I've not done that and would be grateful for an indication of what temperatures might be expected

Other answers are:

It went to the dealer to have an electrical problem traced. They couldnt find it and so I then took it to an electrical specialist who found a short circuit.

It's had a new rad, and thermosts housing and gasket (the right one). No blocakges that i can find.

I have fitted a market tem gauge which mirrors the dashboard gauge up to the red line, then it shows a less dramatic temp increase but still regularly up to 110-120 and into the red on the extra gauge.

It feels like either a circulation problem (better without thermostat) or there's a source of additional heat. Can the turbo do that? The overheating is very marked in kicking off. The temp stays exactly stable up until a certain point then it suddenly kicks in - for instance cruising at 70-80 on level ground it's stable but a slight hill and the needle swings. I am wondering if it is when the turbo kicks in?

Thanks very much indeed for all the thoughts. Much appreciated.

 

[jims-terrano]

How does your after market temp guage get its reading from, does it connect to the existing temp sender unit?
If it's a circulation problem have you tried flushing the engine through with a hose pipe. You'll have to rig up something yourself to do the job.

What was the elctrical fault and where was the short?

 

[Gary Allport]

Jim

The electrical fault was under the driver's side dash.

I did ask for the engine to be flushed when they changed the head gasket and the mechanic said he'd doen that and is reliable. But I owuld be v interetsed in doing it myslef just to make sure (cant hurt can it?). Hows the best way of going about it?

Not sure where the extra gauge connects - will check.

Any turbo thoughts? Dead end?

G

 

[Banshee]

Based on the previous reply I'd firstly try running it with the rad cap off and try that.

Also how sure are you that the water pump is a good one, and have you checked the tension and belt to it?

 

[don simon]

GA: I have put an extra electric fan on the rad but with sep switch but made no diff. Bear in mind that it overheats at high speeds so the air flow is significant and I dont think extra fans aroudd the main rad amke any diff therefore. It does not overheat standing still or around town. Is it poss to add a rad with an extra fan somehow?

Hmmm. Experience would tell me that even in warmer climates, a Spanish summer for example, the temp should drop at speed when fan is knackered.
If it doesn't overheat around town or when at standstill, logic would kick in and say that it's not overheating but that something is giving duff information. Duff sensor or duff guage.

 

[stevew]

it could be the heat from the turbo with it happening at cruising speed when the turbo will be constantlt engaged charge temp will be high also the inter cooler soaks up a lot of heat from the engine. maybe a front mounted intercooler :nenau

 

[zippy656]

Dear All

Wow thanks very much for the prompt and helpful advice.
.

That's this site all over.


But to be honest, looks a little slower than normal.

 

[emjaybee]

And coming in from left field...

...is it possible that the wiring has got reversed and it reads hot when cool and cool when hot?

:nenau

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

And coming in from left field...

...is it possible that the wiring has got reversed and it reads hot when cool and cool when hot?

:nenau

That's just backwards (geddit) :lol

I reckon it's an electrical fault too, if someone has been messing with wires in the passenger footwell, that's where the ecu is on mine.

 

[emjaybee]

That's just backwards (geddit) :lol

I reckon it's an electrical fault too, if someone has been messing with wires in the passenger footwell, that's where the ecu is on mine.

It's amazing how you can be tripped up by the bloody obvious.

I replace the interior cab and load space festoon bulbs on my MB Sprinter with LED for more light. One worked, the other didn't. Swapped them over to see if it was fitting or lamp problem. Now the other one worked, but the first didn't.

What the f***?

Cleaned contacts, tried in other fittings, now it works, now it doesn't. What the hell? Bench tested the lamps...

... aww, nuts...

...LED.

Light Emitting Diode.

DIODE !!!!!

:doh

They only work with the current going the correct way!

Sometimes we all look to hard.

 

[jims-terrano]

Personally i would be checking where the second temp guage picks up its feed from. If it uses the same sender unit as the original I would be looking at either replacing sender or find another way of measuring the temperature.

Of course after all this discussion you could be right with the turbo working hard causing the extra heat especially in a hot environment.

 

[rustic]

That's this site all over.
But to be honest, looks a little slower than normal.

That's because we have less experience of warmer weather lol:augie

 

[solarman216]

My thoughts are that, if it was really going as high as your gauge suggests then you should have done a head gasket at least by now, if not seized the engine, so I would be looking at electrical issues, Rick