Car: 2003.5 Sedan, AUTO 69,950 miles

Question: I was giving my car a checkup yesterday (50 miles before powertrain warranty expires). I noticed that my coolant reservoir (the "clear" plastic) had not a drop of coolant in it. The radiator itself looked like it had enough. The car never overheated or anything. But I was wondering if I should go get some Nissan coolant and pour a LITTLE bit in the reservoir.

Help me out fellas.

Also, there is a buzzing noise in the engine when i don't crank, but turn the key to ON. I know this is a "regular problem" that i had since new car.
but today i noticed that sound continues for 2 seconds AFTER I turn off the car.. wassup with that?DOMO

 

i have the same issues except its not completely dry but pretty damn low

 

there is a min and max line on the resovoir. put it just above the minimum. nissan recommends their expensive coolant because it is low silica but i have never had an issue with this VQ or past my VQ with using the universal prestone. make sure you are using as a mix of coolant and distilled water that you can get from a grocery store. i use around a 70/30 mix of water to coolant because of my location, if you are unsure just use 50/50.

 

No offense, but why even ask if you should put coolant in the reservior? The coolant would run you....what, $6.00 for a jug of 50/50 premixed!? If that is the worst dilema you have, then you're doing pretty good my friend.

 

If this is the first time you've checked in the 4 years, it's probably time you topped it up. I use the normal pre-mixed stuff also. Fill it to max if the engine is hot and min if the engine is cold. Check again in a few days and repeat as necessary.

 

Or you can add some water to the reservior. Coolant really isn't necessary. It's an overflow can.

 

i didn't know if the G35 is different from every other car out there
but then it's more like $12 @ walmart and $23 @ the dealer.

I got some Pre-mixed stuff from Walmart. Got the GM-Dexcool approved, it's orange, not neon green.. .. will top off the reservoir tomorrow..

one more question.. when the engine is COLD, i should fill up the reservoir to MAX right? well i'll go JUST below it, just in case..

 

When the car warms up it will push some into there so don't go to the max.

 

do NOT use dexcool.... just add some distilled water to it and maybe a little bit of antifreeze. antifreeze and dexcool is two diffrent types of coolant and should not be mixed. and dexcool is really red it just looks orange because its premixed.

 

Uh, okay, maybe it does need to be spelled out for you. Infinitis use the normal green ethylene glycol coolant, not the orange Dexcool coolant made for GM vehicles. They are two different formulas, and mixing them will likely cause problems, such as corrosion and buildup. Not to mention there have been lawsuits against GM because Dexcool corrodes radiators and has lead to coolant system failures ( http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...m_dexcool.html ). Bottom line, use the green coolant like Prestone or Peak.

 

yea.. talk about a shock when I opened up the reservoir.. i saw some green residue.. so i did not put the "dexcool APPROVED" antifreeze.. I just put in some distilled water. That's it. Maybe I'll get teh Prestone 50/50 next time.

Good idea? dang.. good think I asked you guys first. Could've sworn that all newer cars came with the orange stuff...

 

I'm really surprised no one mentioned that it would be a good time to flush the cooling system and install new anti-freeze.

 

I'd have to disagree. There's no point to swapping out coolant unless the coolant is beyond it's service capability. Buying a $5 coolant tester will tell you if the coolant is ready for a change. When you're testing the coolant, you can also inspect it for color and general clarity. It's been my experience that newer coolant factory fills have a very long service life (60K at least).

I'm all for maintaining a car, but there's really no need replacing fluids that don't need replacing. The same goes for a whole host of other "maintenance" items dealerships/shops will try and convince you the car needs.

 

Then his car should be pretty well due for a change at 69,950 miles

 

So you guys have had no issues using non-OEM coolants? I'm looking to refill this week.

Thanks,
B