LA_phantom_240

Okay, so the time has come to put my 240 back into action and in the preparation i ran into a problem. I cant get much of a reading out of the temp gauge. It will rise to maybe halfway to the 2nd bar from the bottom... thats after like 20 mins of running... so idecided to try to see if some air was caught up behind the thermostat, and loosened the screw on the intake mani and got hot coolant all over my hadn, but no air, so i figured i was all good in that department. the gauge worked the last time i really drove the car.. less than 6 months ago. I was thinking maybe my temp sensor went bad, but i dont get a check engine light. Is there any way i can test it or something? ANy suggestions of wtf is up with my 240 would be helpful

Levi SPL S14

you may need to just bleed the system.

LA_phantom_240

um.... i dont wanna sound like a newb and ask how to do that, cuz ive read how to do it, but every time i try to do it, it seems like its been bled... could someone simplify it? I know that you need to take out the screw above the upper rad. hose where it goes into the motor. Got that down, but whats supposed to happen? cuz i can see no bubbles and when it gets hot, it squirts out.. is that a good thing?

LA_phantom_240

Okay, here's a question, how do you test the sensor?

revolutionz_s13

your check engine light wont come on if your sensor is bad...the only way you can test it is take it out and put heat near it to see if it reads anything....i dont believe they are expensive, but check into it.
As far as bleeding the system, here is how I do it....take off the cap to the radiator(while the car is still cool). start the car and run the heat on full blast. when the car gets to operating temperature, squeeze the hoses and run the RPMs up a bit, and you will see little air pockets start to come out. after no more air bubbles come up, fill the coolant to the top of the radiator, and put the cap back on so it doesnt have a chance to get any air in the system...works every time for me.

LA_phantom_240

coolbeans... i talked with a local nissan dealership, and the sensor is 25 bucks... On a side note, while installing my stereo, my temp gauge read a l;ittle higher than usual, so im thinking that the system is bled but it takes incredibly long to heat upat idle.

re037

maybe the thermostat is stuck open?

LA_phantom_240

ya know what... i never thought of that. You may be on to something there

im4streetracing

dont get it from NISSAN!! i just replaced mine and got it from napa and it was $13

LA_phantom_240

nah i think my thermo is just stuck open. Oh yeah, and for anyone who reads this thread. Whenever you install a new thermo in your car, drill a very small hole in the plate that seals it when it closes, so that in the event air gets trapped behind the thermo, and causes it not to open, the air can escape and the thermo will work right... it just about eliminates bleeding your system. My dad taught me that a long time ago, and we've never had a problem with that... which explains why ive never seen him bleed a coolant system in any of our cars...

Preston

Where at, can you show a pic. That's really helpful info and I'd like to do that seeing as I'm puttin in a Nimso thermo soon.

LA_phantom_240

well, not yet, but i can post a pic of a thermo and put a mark on where it SHOULD go.

Preston

Kool thanks

re037

hows the update?

LA_phantom_240

Couldnt get a good picture online, But where the plate is behind the spring, the one that opens for the water to flow through, should have a small hole (maybe 1/16") drilled to allow air to escape from behind the thermostat, which will cause it not to open if the system was not properly bled.
You should still bleed the system being that our system is easy as hell to bleed. but this is kind of a backup plan