Yesterday, my 2005 G35 overheated suddenly about 5 minutes after turning it on after being parked for a couple hours. Also, I had driven for an hour on the freeway before that with no problems with overheating (that I noticed). The Engine Service light came on and the temp gauge was at max. I immediately pulled over and opened the hood. Hot water was spurting into the overflow tank, but I couldn't see water coming from anywhere else really. Waited a couple minutes and restarted the car, and it immediately started overheating, even at idle with both electric fans at maximum.

I limped it over to a nearby parking lot and called a tow truck, and towed it to a stealership because it was nearby, within my free tow range. I figured it was maybe the thermostat and would be a quick fix, but the service manager said the radiator was cracked, and the reason for this was that the "core support" was bent and broken, causing the radiator to be misaligned and eventually crack. They wanted at least $2k to replace the "core support" and replace the radiator, change fluid and also replace hoses and T-stat.

I did some research and looked up prices on radiators and found the "radiator core support", which is that big plastic piece that the radiator mounts too. I called the service manager back this morning, who first said that the radiator was not cracked but clogged, but that the "core support" still needed to be fixed as it may cause the radiator to not mount properly. When I asked him if it was the large plastic "radiator core support", he replied no, that is was made of metal.

I really don't know what the hell he is talking about, whether he is making up a part that doesn't exist, or is maybe referring to a frame piece. I can't find anything called the Core Support that is made of metal The car was involved in a front end collision with a previous owner, so maybe there was an incomplete repair done. In any case, they want $1300 for that fix alone, and he says the car won't be 100% without it.

In conclusion, It sounds like he is feeding me a load of bull. Even if this metal whatever the **** was bent, the radiator was working fine for the last year I had it, and at long as the plastic "radiator core support" is sound, a new rad should mount up fine right? I'm thinking about towing the car home or to a trusted mechanic I know for a second opinion. If it's just replacing the rad, I might even do it myself.

Anyways, sorry for the long post, but I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice you guys have on the matter.

 

For that much money and peace of mind, you are better off getting a second opinion. Maybe even a Nissan Dealership?

 

The core support is made of fiber glass, it could be that it was not fixed properly after the front end collision. Even if the service manager was right I'd still get the car out, there are many good shops around you that will fix it for much less. Check the SoCal section for those shops.

 

I'd fix it myself.

first, start by checking your thermostat. you have a top hose and a bottom hose going to and from your engine and radiator.

start the engine let it run till it gets nice and warm. and then compare the bottom hose to the top hose, grab it, see if its warm.. or maybe even hot.

if your thermo is bad, your bottom hose shouldn't get hot, it should stay cold.

My thermostat went bad and thats how I knew what to fix.

went to nissan and bought a nissan thermostat with housing for lilke 50 bucks i think...

swapped it out topped off the fluids and it was back to normal.

 

Thanks for the tips. Gonna tow it to a mechanic I know and trust and have him give it a check.

 

Ok follow-up time!

So I brought the car to my trusted mechanic, and he correctly diagnosed it as the Thermostatic valve. It was completely seized! He replaced the valve and the car worked perfectly fine!

Saved my *** a ton of money. The Radiator core support was indeed cracked at the bottom, and the radiator is a little wobbly as a result. However this could probably be reminded with a cheap homebrew repair.

So moral of the story, Infiniti of Mission Viejo are a bunch of lying or incompetent bastards!

 

There is nothing like a happy ending

 

Which one of those girls is you?

 

The one in the blue shirt and stripes..

 

So your real name, is #106258? Interesting naming scheme...

 

He's next in line, that's his number! Lots-o-handies

 

In other news, after I emailed the dealership essentially calling them jackasses, the service dept manager responded standing by his staff's diagnosis of a clogged radiator, stating that they are "common on cars with over 100k miles".

Does this sound like it has any credibility? Sounds like more BS to me.

 

Which dealership is the one ur talking about? I see your in Torrance, so I'm just wondering because I went to South Bay infiniti a few months ago to do a few service and they seem to know what's going on.

I was in the same situation as u a few weeks ago. In the end I just added coolant and everything was fine.

 

It was Infiniti of Mission Viejo

 

A couple summers ago my car suddenly started to overheat. Summer, gauge showing 106 outside, construction on the interstate meant that I was just idling. To keep it down, I had to turn off the AC.

Note, it was 106! Once traffic started moving, it went back down.

When I got to my intermediate destination, I couldn't repeat the problem. I took it to the dealer, who couldn't reproduce it at first (I had to fly out of town, so my father had to drive it to the dealer, and I corresponded via phone). Diagnosed it as a clogged radiator.

Replaced with aftermarket radiator for significantly less than an OEM radiator based on their recommendation. Had to get fixed since when I returned I was headed to colorado on vacation (where a DIFFERENT part failed, stranding me ).

No overheating problems since.

Based on research on this forum, I get the impression that the clogging may be exterior, where the air blows through, and not internal corrosion. I had flushed on a regular schedule.