Q: 2000 Sentra GXE common issues (incl. head gasket + dipstick issue)?

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pinksheep415 - 07 Mar 2008 23:14 GMT

Hi Everyone,

I have a 2000 Sentra GXE w/ about 110k miles, and it's been having
overheating problem for few days. Also, there's no hot air when I
turn on the heater. The first time I noticed the problem was when my
sentra won't start moving after getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic
for about 5 mins. I pulled over, turned off the car and started it
again, then it started driving, then I noticed the thermostat was all
the way up almost reaching High. I turned on the heater all the way
up, but there was no hot air coming out. After I got off the freeway,
I checked the coolant level in the reservoir, and it was almost full.

I got a new radiator about 2 months ago, I don't think radiator itself
has problems. The mechanic noticed the upper radiator tube(hose?) was
boiling hot while the lower one was just warm. The first time I
brought it to a shop, the mechanic replaced the thermostat. I had to
take the car right back to the shop, because replacing the thermostat
didn't solve the problem. My mechanic hasn't figured out what went
wrong. He checked the water pump and the propeller, and there's
nothing wrong with those. I've done some research online, and one of
the possible reasons is damaged head gasket and it seems to be a
common problem w/ the same year same model.

I've experienced another common problem w/ 2000 Sentra: broken
dipstick. Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to solve the problem
with a pencil and crazy-glue. My mechanic friend had to struggle with
it for hours and hours to get the rest of the dipstick out.

I was told the estimated cost of the head gasket repair is $1500. Is
it worth it to spend that much money for repair when the value of my
Sentra is just around $3000 since it has high mileage? Does anyone
know the average life? Has anyone experienced same over heating
problems? Can anyone tell me what other common issues with Sentra I
should expect?

Thanks very much in advance!!!

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still just me - 08 Mar 2008 05:09 GMT

>I was told the estimated cost of the head gasket repair is $1500. Is
>it worth it to spend that much money for repair when the value of my
>Sentra is just around $3000 since it has high mileage? Does anyone
>know the average life? Has anyone experienced same over heating
>problems? Can anyone tell me what other common issues with Sentra I
>should expect?

It might be worth replacing it if it's bad. But, your evidence is
hardly conclusive. Replacing it on a whim would be a very bad idea.
Honestly, I think you need a better mechanic... one that will
conclusively _find_ the problem before trying to fix it. As the saying
goes, this ain't rocket science. A good mechanic should be able to
nail this down quickly.

Now, first, the upper hose is always hotter. The reason is that hot
coolant comes into the top of the radiator and cool water flows out
the bottom. See this: http://tinyurl.com/2q5sbf. It's also possible
that the coolant isn't flowing at all. A better (cheap) test is to
feel the radiator. The top should be hot. If no coolant is flowing, it
will likely be cool.

Second, the fact that you have no heat from the heater is a major clue
that you have a flow problem. If everything else is working properly,
then you may have an air block in the system preventing flow. I don't
know the Sentra cooling system that well to tell you if they have an
issue with this - some cars do. You may have also another blockage
somewhere or simply an unrelated heating valve problem.

Third, I'm concerned about where you say "my sentra won't start moving
after getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic for about 5 mins. I pulled
over, turned off the car and started it again, then it started
driving,". What do you mean by "won't start moving" ? Did the engine
stall from overheating? If so, you may have done some serious damage
to the motor. Again, a mechanic should be able to check for signs of
this.

Fourth, there are tests that can be run to pump up the cooling system
and see if the head gasket is leaking.

Bottom line: My WAG is that someone screwed up when replacing your
radiator, either by not properly bleeding the system or in some other
way. You need a mechanic who knows what they are doing. If the same
guy who replaced the radiator is now doing the other work, I'd find
someone else. Have the new guy figure out if the first guy screwed up
the radiator replacement / cooling system and fried your motor. Be
sure to document everything.

Reply to this Message

pinksheep415 - 11 Mar 2008 00:13 GMT

> What do you mean by "won't start moving" ? Did the engine stall from overheating?

I stepped on the gas, but the car wouldn't go. So I pulled over on
the shoulder, I turned off the ignition, started the car again. It
seemed to be fine and started going, but that's when I noticed the
thermostat was all the way up. So I got off the freeway and turned
off the engine.

About 2 months ago, my car had rough idle for about a day, then the
next morning the car wouldn't start. I called AAA to have it towed to
a shop, and the person who came with a tow truck was able to start the
car by stepping on the gas pedal while turning on the ignition (after
few minutes of struggling). When I brought my car to a shop, this
mechanic didn't see any problems clearly, but replaced the radiator
anyway, because the coolant level was noticeably low. This is a
mechanic who has gotten lots of good reviews online, and I'm plannning
on taking my car back to him. The mechanic who's been working (or
checking) on my car this time is another mechanic. Do you think I
should take the car back to the guy who replaced the radiator, or
should I try to find another shop? Lastly, what do you mean by "Be
sure to document everything?"

Anyhow, thanks very much for your time. I appreciate the long & very
helpful response.

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