QuestionQUESTION: Hi, I have a 1995 Nissan Maxima, 3.0L V6. It has 125,000 miles on it.
There seems to be this "grinding" sound near the serpentine belt area - I have a little antifreeze leaking, and also there's no heat coming into the cabin of the car. All happened 2 days after I had a loose belt in the "idler pulley" area re-tightened by a shop. I've been told the belts are not related to the pump and it was just "coincidence..."
The above problems started after this. My coolant level in the expansion tank was less than the LOW line - I put about 2/3'd of a gallon of coolant in a cold non-started engine through the radiator valve.
Again, can't rule out if it's a radiator or hose or thermostat or pump problem... but I want to be aware of what costs I can expect - one mechanic told me 4 hours of work x $80/hour - only 90 day labor warranty coverage
There is a Goodyear-Gemini service station a few minutes away from where the car is currently - not sure if this is a good place or how much they will want -
How far can I drive with this thing without creating any more damage? Also, didn't notice the Engine Temperature gauge go over the "halfway-midpoint" of the inner car display.
My oil change was just due this week too.... just switched to Mobil 1 synthetic oil on the last change - started using Lucas Fuel injector cleaner 1x month now too - I need to get at least another few years more from this car - I love it but I am afraid of what to expect! :) Thanks Von for your time and tips!
ANSWER: Mr. Clark,
The price you have quoted is reasonable since the waterpump is a pain to remove and replace. And, if it were me I would purchase a new one from Nissan and have it done. The pump is superior to rebuilds and if they only want to give a 90 day warranty the new one from Nissan is the best way to go. Yes, it is twice the money of a remanufactured but it will last as long as the original. I love my Maxima and over the years have had many Nissan cars with little trouble. I use Lucas about once a month too on my injectors. Also, I use the Mobil 1 5W30 synthetic on all my cars and love how clean it keeps the internals. Be sure the shop does not backflush the car when they change the pump since the excessive pressure will blow the heater core. And, when they fill it be sure they use a 50/50 mix of Prestone and demineralized water to keep corrosion down in the cooling system and radiator.
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QUESTION: First I rate you 11/10 for your knowledge and help! I've been looking at alot of your answers and they are so informative! Thank you for your first answer!
Looks like it's not just the pump :(
Now, I took it to one shop to have a look. They heard the water pump grinding and figured that was all... then we looked at the oil dipstick - and it was "muddy muddy brown" - he said there was so much antifreeze in the engine. The coolant that my landlord put directly in the cold radiator for the short 5 min drive to the 1st shop has been leaking through the weep hole.
The first shop said the engine is completely gone and non-recoverable. He said that the gasket and all the rods and etc (he wasn't descriptive here) told me it's useless to fix... he didn't open anything, just looked at the dipstick which was not even checked at optimal temp (I didn't even drive it to reach that temp in fear of no coolant)
Now others have said this :
"I would remove the oil pan and remove a rod bearing and examine it to see if the coolant has caused any damage. More than likely if you flush the engine really good and replace the head gasket, fill with fresh oil run a few minutes, drain the oil and refill again with a new filter, you should be OK. If the engine has never run hot, I mean NEVER run hot, you might be able to replace the water pump and cure the coolant leak. Drain the oil, have the engine flushed and refill with fresh oil. Drive it about 500 miles and change the oil and filter again."
That shop who told me without inspecting anything except the dipstick is asking $1800+taxes... for engine and labor.
My father told me to find something just in case if this engine isn't good - under 100,000 miles - and less than $500... all together with labor under $1000....
I have only been filling the radiator with water, it's been leaking almost the whole amount by the next day - just drove it on 2 5 min drives. I filled the overflow tank to FULL - that was empty too...
Again, I never myself noticed any white or black smoke coming from the front of the hood - I did notice the temp gauge go slightly over middle to 3/4's but never to max. It did die on me once in the parking lot the first day but never again... all I hear is the water pump bearings grinding.
I was told that the VQ30DE is a good engine and hopefully it is not dead.... I really love this car and as others have said at least it happened in 2007 rather than 08... hopefully things can be fixed so I can go back to school.
I am going to tow this car possibly even to a Vocational Tech School who might do the labor for free as long as I get the parts... not sure...
The maxima interior and body is excellent - it looks brand new almost - just this engine is the problem... looking forward to your opinions! Thank you Von and hope your new year continues to be blessed!
Ok waiting for your thoughts on this - take care!
AnswerMr. Clark,
OK, if you remove the pan and pull a rod and main bearing you will be able to tell if the crank is cooked from antifreeze contamination. The rod and main bearings will look like copper and the babbit material will be gone. Basically, the bearings are steel on the back side and then copper plated with a coating of tin/lead babbit. This soft outer coating has excellent embedability so trash in the oil does not scratch or damage the crank. If the oil film breaks down this will overheat and melt off leaving the copper showing. If this is the case, find a used engine at a wrecking yard and have yours removed and the wrecking yard engine installed. The cost of Japanese engines, to rebuild, is quite high and a crank kit for your car is about $1000 bucks alone. So, a wrecking ayrd engine is the way to go. Find one that has low miles and a warranty, usually 90 days, and you should be fine. The VQ is an excellent engine, but a blown waterpump will contaminate the oil in short order and if you do not notice it in time it will cook the engine. I do not know how the vocational school would feel about a plug and play replacment. But, if you donate your old engine they might just be interested. That way they would have a VQ engine for shop demonstrations... Have a great New Year to you and yours.
