Nissan Repair: nissan maxima, nissan maxima, bad shape

Question
QUESTION: hey Calvin its Anthony again so i changed my thermostat and its working but one thing troubles me i was driving my car then it overheats again but this time i turned the heater on and the temp drop super fast to normal temp what would still cause it to get hot

ANSWER: Hi Anthony -

When you turn the heater on, the coolant gets channelled into a very small radiator in the car's duct system. There is a fan behind this radiator and when you turn the heater on, the valve opens to let the hot collant through and the fan provides you with heated air. This reduces the load on the radiator and the coolant actually gets cooler.

I still say it is your radiator, probably not at full efficiency, clogged at the bottom, or fins in bad shape.

Hope this helps -
aloha
calvin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok thanks Calvin this is my final question lol I just brought a brand new radiator and my question is should I rinse it out with water first before I install it and can I use the from the outside water hose?

Answer
Hi Anthony

Usually it is a good idea to rinse it a bit.

Garden hose water is fine. Remember that the ratio is 50% water and 50% coolant. Usually on your type of vehicle I buy one gallon of coolant and then fill the rest with water.

Hope this helps -
aloha
calvin