Hello all, I recently got a 2004 6MT coupe with 161k. it has been smelling funny under the hood like burning flesh since I got it but i blamed that on just having a bad clutch that i planned to replace, since clutch had to be dipped a bit before it lost engagement. also when popping the hood while or after it was running the front of the engine would be wet with something. i didnt think it was an issue but i could be wrong. anyway today while driving it home after practicing in a parking lot (i'm pretty new to stick so this may have been part of the issue) it started making a funny revving noise in low rpms and smoking under the hood. when i pulled over, shut it off and popped the hood, coolant was leaking and smoking from the cap. i didnt see if it was smoking from exhaust (if coolant was leaking into engine) but i dont think it was. the engine was really hot (probably overheating) and it was making a really high pitched noise. it cooled off for ten or fifteen minutes and then it wasnt smoking or leaking coolant anymore, so i drove it the last couple blocks to my house being really light with the throttle. the check engine light came on. i think the funny smell may have been burning coolant. research tells me i might have a bad heat core but i wanted to see if it would be a potentially easy or very expensive fix before i get it towed to a shop. anyone know what is going on? thanks!

 

1. Check your coolant levels. Try to estimate how much is leaking and how quickly.
2. Check underneath your car. Is there any leaks underneath it, or is it dissipating in the engine? If the engine is smoking white smoke, you may have blown a head gasket.
3. Start the car and let it warm up to idling temp. Open the hood and see if any coolant is "bubbling" in the overflow tank.
4. Try running it without climate control on, making sure it was set to lowest temp before turning it off. My car gushes coolant if the heater is turned on but is fine with the heater off. Those damn g35s man...

 

Gotcha. Checked for white smoke and leaks, but havent seen anything. Replaced thermostat and drained coolant and it seems to be doing ok, even though it sounds a bit rough. I haven't driven it anywhere yet just in case since the CEL is still on (anyone know if it would go off automatically or do I have to reset manually? it's still throwing overheating codes). side problem- tried to remove coolant bleed valve a second time to make sure there was no air after coolant change, and i completely stripped the plastic bolt. Any ideas for how to get it out?

 

You should reset the CEL just to be on the safe side, unless you have an OBD2 scanner you can just disconnect the battery overnight to clear the code.

When I refilled my coolant I didn't flush it properly, which is causing my engine to run hot if it's driven over 10 minutes or so. I attempted to drain the coolant from the bolt underneath the splash guard today but completely stripped that as well. Is there another bleeder where you can drain the coolant from?

 

I have a scanner, will just use that. Will it reset drive cycle? I have to get 75 more miles in a couple weeks to get emissions tested and car registered.

there is no other bleeder but i have heard about just disconnecting the hose which seems sketchy to me. That sucks that the bolt got stripped, I had a hard time with it as well. Is there a tool that can be used for this kind of thing? I don't want to break the hose but I really need to get that bleeder out.

 

See if you can grab the cap with some vice grips or pliers and turn it out slowly...but be careful to brace the plastic t body of the valve. You can also try drilling shallow holes (not through the cap) in the cap and using needle nose pliers to turn the cap out.
My bleeder valve disintegrated when I went to open it because the plastic was too brittle. This led to me removing the hoses to get all the pieces...which was a lotta unexpected fun. Walmart or local auto shop sells a generic prestone radiator fill kit for under 5 bucks and use the T valve to replace the whole bleeder valve (I dont think the screw cap is the same size) or just get a new part from Nissan parts counter if you can get the cap out. If I had time, I would have sourced a metal valve to never have to worry about it again because they are so easy to over torque shut and strip if you use the wrong screwdriver.

 

I hope you’re still on this website because I’m having the exact same problem and I can’t find what how to fix it. I just changed the thermostat but I went on a test run and it started overheating again. Did you ever find a fix ?

 

Do a coolant pressure test to see if it's even holding pressure.

Does your heater blow hot air?