Radiator cap

[cmills]

I have a 08 Nissan Altima (34,000 miles) that has had a coolant hose that leaks from time to time and it now has a head gasket that is seeping a little bit ( outside the head). I put a better clamp on the hose and it still seeps a little bit. I was wondering is it possible that a bad radiator cap could cause too much pressure and cause these leaks?

 

[mberry]

It's possible, yes. Sounds more like a bad casting on the hose connection. The newer cooling systems (I think) pretty much all have an overflow tank. I don't think the plastic tanks and caps on them can take much more pressure than the cap but I could be wrong.

On the other hand, have you asked a dealer about it or checked to see if there were any recalls or TSB's put out on it? We love our Pathfinder.

 

[cmills]

It's possible, yes. Sounds more like a bad casting on the hose connection. The newer cooling systems (I think) pretty much all have an overflow tank. I don't think the plastic tanks and caps on them can take much more pressure than the cap but I could be wrong.



On the other hand, have you asked a dealer about it or checked to see if there were any recalls or TSB's put out on it? We love our Pathfinder.

I was thinking that if the radiator cap didn't open it would not allow the coolant to go to the overflow tank therefore building pressure in the engine, I'll have to look but if level in overflow bottle changes levels when the engine is cold or hot, I guess that would mean that it is opening, unless it is sticking sometimes. Yes it has been to the local dealer and they even said they could see where the head gasket had been leaking but they said it looks like it is mostly dry and that they would have to pressure check it, which they did and they said that it passed. Then the service manager came and told me that they can't do anything about it if it passes the pressure check and that it is normal for the head gasket to seep on an aluminum block and aluminum head engine, I then said so you're saying if I go out there in the parking lot and look, every car that has an aluminum head and block should have a seeping head gasket, and he said after a certain amount of miles yeah, maybe



I did later call the dealer where I bought it (about 1. 5 hrs away) and they said if they can see that it has been leaking then it shouldn't be a problem fixing it. I will have to wait and see that it will start leaking again because they cleaned off where it was before, I would love to get it fixed and be done with it, but I just hope it is bad gasket and not something else causing it. It is just weird that the hose leaks some and the head gasket does some also, thats why I was wondering if there was someway it was getting too much pressure build up and if it has how do I know it hasn't weakened the other head gasket somewhere else. By the way I do think Nissan builds excellent cars and I have loved both I have had, would just like to get this resolved.



thanks,

Cory