plasma71104

I'll start off with the basic information:

Car: 2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S

Engine Size: 1.8

Miles: 80,000

Problem Area: Cooling System

I changed the thermostat 2 weeks ago, so I don't think that is the problem.

The radiator cap was replaced a week ago.

Here's the problem:

About after 30 minutes of highway driving (avg speed 55mph) the temp gauge will rocket up towards the "H", and then comes back down. By the way, before I changed the thermostat the temp gauge would rocket up more quickly and stay longer at the High level.

When I stop and look under the hood a couple things pop at me.

1. The coolant in the reserve tank is boiling. It also overflows and leaks out through the cap due to the boiling nature. When I remove the cap it smokes, obliviously. I don’t understand this, but it didn't boil as bad with the old cap. It smoke a little and boil a little bit, but not like this. The con of the old cap was the temp gauge went high sooner and more frequent.

2. I don't know the name of this hose, but it is the long thin hose that connects from the top of the radiator to the bottom of the reserve tank. While, I can hear a hissing like noise coming from it.

3. The high pressure radiator hose (I think that's the name, it’s the big hose that connects at the top of the radiator to the water pump- the bottom hose goes to the thermostat) is unpressurized. What I mean by this is that I can squeeze the hose. I can even remove the radiator cap right away without waiting. In a normal situation you should always have to wait.

4. The radiator is dry because the coolant is mostly in the reserve tank. Before I leave I always check the coolant level, so I know I started with enough.

5. Here is something else. As mentioned before the reserve tank overflows and the radiator is dry. When I am not planning on driving the car I don't pour coolant into the dry radiator. After a long while when I check the fluid levels I find the reserve tank is normal (sometimes below the Min line) and the radiator has enough coolant in it. It "sneaks" back in.

I am not too sure about the cooling cycle, but the antifreeze/coolant isn't making a complete cycle back into the radiator, but instead it seems as it bypassing it all together. Could that be the water pump, a clog in one of the hoses, the radiator (maybe a clog in the radiator) or even a sensor?

Two more things:

1. There are 2 fans and they work fine.

2. I don't think it is the head gasket since there are none of tall tales of a bad gasket; no white smoke, no white gel in the oil. But that car is prone to cracked head gaskets.

Any info will be appreciated. Thanks.

Some basic info first: 2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S/1.8 Liter

80,000 miles. Live in South Florida (it it matters).

The engine won't cool. When I am driving slow or in idle I see it move to the exterme high (hot) end. Then it comes back down to normal. Up and down.

I was driving on the interstate today the temp gague went to high and the engine lost power. First it bucked a little causing the check engine light to come on. It didn't stall, but was close to it.

I believe the problem is somewhere in the cooling system.

If you care I will give a little more detail:

A brief history, it may help to understand the point I am trying to make. About 8 months ago or so I began noticing the A/C wasn't cooling all of the time as it should. It was blowing almost warm air. It wasn't as cold as it should have been.

About 4 months things started happening. The temp. gauge started to go up as the engine was getting hot. It got very high, so I pulled over and waited for it cool down some. The coolant in the reserve tank was boiling. I did this about 4 times (Each time the coolant was boiling) trying to get home. About 10 minutes later I was driving and things looked ok then it got hot again and the engine buck a little causing the check engine to come on. At that time the car lost power. It didn't stall, just lost power. I pressed on the gas and nothing. I notice the RPM was flicking between 2K and 3K. I pulled over turned off the car for a few minutes. Afterwards it started up and ran fine. By the time I got home the engine lost power 2 times-each time I had to pull over and wait. All of the time I pulled over the coolant in the reserve was boiling and of course the temp gauge was hot.

When I made it home I waited until it cool down. There was no coolant in the radiator. It was bone dry. There weren't any leaks anywhere and never was. Nothing was sprayed on to the engine. The reserve tank was in between the min a max line. I filled the radiator with coolant. Afterwards it was fine. It wasn't getting hot anymore. My AC was even working fine after that. It's blowing cold air like it should.

About 2 months ago I was driving and the temp gage started moving again. I was at a red light and the high pressure (top radiator hose) hose popped off. I was able to put it back on and the coolant in the reserve tank started to boil again. But now the reserve tank is over the max line. The radiator was dry again. I put in more coolant and like the last time it seemed to had fix the problem. Still no leaks. A week after that the temp gage goes up and down. It goes high in idle or slow driving, back down at normal speeds. Sometimes the AC becomes warm when the temp goes up.

3 weeks ago I got the raditor and cooling system flushed by professionals. The next couple of days nothing was going on with the temp. After 3 of 4 days it started up again---up and down goes the temp gage. About 2 weeks ago, after experience some of the same problems the engine almost stalled out. I turned off the car and restarted it and it ran fine. After it cooled for awhile the top radiator pressure hose was flatten- squezzed together. That happened once. Even since that time it appears to be normal.

For the past month: After I turn off the car I can hear coolant in the high pressure (top of radiator) hose trying to escape. It is a bubbling type sound in the hose. The coolant in the reserve tank smokes when the lid is taken off, but it isn't boling liked it did. Also, it is above the max line. After awhile the coolant will go below the min line. The hotter it is outside the more problems it'll have.

P.S.-- The check engine light usually goes off by itself after 3 days or up to a week. When the engine gets high and bucks the light comes back on.

I was thinking about getting a new hose and changing the thermostat. What can be the problem? Thanks again for reading.

I get a 1099 MISC from work, if that matters.

I already know I will not qualify for an installment plan with the IRS because I don't meet all of the requirments. I had an installment agreement plan last year and still haven't paid the whole thing. I plan on paying the balance tomorrow. Right now I have no other way of paying AIG, I mean the IRS thus unable to complete the filing process because Turbo Tax only gives you the option of:

1. Direct Debit- I can't do that; 2.Mail a check by the April 15- Can't do that right now; or 3. Request an Installment plan- I can do that but it will get denied. What would happened if request an installment plan knowing I can't qualify for it just so I can file my taxes? So far I am planning on checking the option of requesting an installment plan so i can move on with the filing process and calling the IRS and to explain my situation. I will deal with whatever happens in the next month or so.

Thanks

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