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Old 10-01-2017, 04:13 AM   #1
kayeng
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Question Radiator dried up but reservoir still has sufficient amount.

Hi. Is it ok to ask for tips in this forum?

I'm using a Nissan Sentra 2002, 180K mileage, running 30K a day for average of 3 days a week, has not been serviced for about two years.

Last night the temperature would go up to almost critical level when the car is at idle (red light), then it would almost immediately go back to normal level once the car starts moving at 20 or 30kph, then heat up again at a red light when the car is idle. It behaved like that consistently. It also heats up to almost alarming level when I'm trying to park. In other words, if the car is idle or when it is being parked (which means it's moving very slow), the temperature goes up.

When I got home I saw the coolant was at sufficient level in the reservoir, but the radiator was dry. I had to empty a whole bottle of coolant in the radiator until I saw liquid reached near the mouth/radiator cap level.

I didn't check if the fan was working and I have yet to drive the car since filling the radiator with coolant.

Is it normal that a radiator would just dry up like that?
Any thoughts and tips?

Thank you.
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Old 10-11-2017, 07:57 AM   #2
Crvett69
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Re: Radiator dried up but reservoir still has sufficient amount.

sounds like you have a leak somewhere. i would check the fan and replace the thermostat. you keep heating it up like that you will blow a headgasket or damage the engine. not sure it a 02 sentra has a air bleed screw you have to open to bleed the air out from behind thermostat or not. is the reservoir a small bottle off to the side with just the 1 hose from the radiator going into it or a larger container with several hoses going into it? if its the small bottle it sounds like your rad cap or the hose going to reservoir is bad. the radiator is supposed to put coolanr into it as it warms up and draw it back out as it cools down, is its onlt putting it in might explain why rad was empty. also if you can park it over clean dry pavement or cardboard and run it for a while and see if it has a leak
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Old 10-12-2017, 04:03 AM   #3
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Thank you crvett69

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