Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Nissan Altima Nissan Altima Engine Failures
502 messages, Last post on Dec 08, 2009 at 8:56 PM
You are in the Nissan Altima Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
| I am thinking about buying a 2009 altima but am concerned about the engine issues that have been posted on this forum. Has Nissan addressed these problems so that the 09 model is problem free? | |
|
Replying to: electricdesign (Sep 23, 2009 7:18 pm) I appreciate all you have written, and read all of your, and the other, posts. That is why I did not ask what could be done to fix it. I asked 3 questions which I hoped would give me an idea of how far gone my car was, since I had no burnibg oil. In any case, my mechanic did some work, and we'll see how it goes
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: tripj (Sep 24, 2009 1:52 pm) Here are your answers in a nutshell: 1. Q. "Because I have yet to experience any of the oil problems usually associated with the "coolant/head gasket/precat" issue, is it possible that I got lucky and my engine hasn't been damaged by the precat debris?" A. Yes. You do NOT have the problem yet. but I would suggest that you monitor your oil level very closely. Once the damage starts, it can advance quickly. 2. Q. "Does this put me in any more favorable a position (long term) than those who are losing 1 qt of oil every 1000 miles?" A. Yes more favorable, but watch out for the problem by checking the engine oil level frequently.. 3. Q. "I really don't have the $ or time to deal with this. Is there any way to reasonably estimate how long I can live with the problem as is?" A. It depends on which problem that you are talking about. The leaking head gasket problem should be addressed as soon as possible, because you already have that problem, and it will only get worse. It can cause the engine to overheat, and eventually ruin your engine. The head gasket can not heal itself. The engine head will have to be sent to a machine shop to have the head surface milled flat. You can temporarily help to repair (1 to 3 months) the leaking head gasket problem by putting a half a jar of BARS LEAKS PELLETIZED HEAVY DUTY RADIATOR STOP LEAK (available at any local automotive parts house) into the radiator. This will seal the head gasket leak for a while. 1/2 bottle should be more than enough to temporarily fix the problem. Do not put more than 1/2 bottle into the radiator, as you do not want to clog the cooling system. Keep the extra half bottle of Bar's Leak in the trunk, in case you need to add a little more, Add no more than a tablespoon at any one time. I think the cost of replacing the head gasket is about $1600 to $2000, depending on where you go. I did the job myself and the machine shop work and parts cost me $533 and I used 48 hours labor (working slowly and carefully), Maybe you could try that and save $1000 to $1500, if so inclined If you are talking about the oil burning/precat issue problem, don't worry about it yet, as it has not happened to you, just keep a very close eye on the oil level, and write down any oil you have to add. A good engine should be able to go at least 2500 miles or longer before needing a quart of 10W-30 oil. I recommend that you use only FULL synthetic motor oil in the engine, such as Mobil One or Valvoline Super Syn & use a quality oil filter by Mobil One or Purolator Pure One. Only use the cheap oil if the engine starts sucking down (burning) a quart of engine oil every week, because if the engine starts using that much oil, the engine is toast anyway. Good Luck, E.D. in Sunny Florida
|
|
|
Replying to: electricdesign (Sep 25, 2009 9:24 am)
|
|
|
Replying to: tripj (Sep 25, 2009 2:09 pm) I will be calling my NJ mechanic on Monday to see if he has any insight, but I don't think I can afford to take it to a mechanic down here just yet( last time had to get 2 new tires and a water pump and thermostat in addition to the sealant and precat drilling- total about $800). I will continue to update.
|
|
|
Replying to: tripj (Sep 26, 2009 11:25 am) I am hoping for the best. |
|
|
Hi tripj, You have to fix your head gasket asap or you need a new engine. Your oil will be contaminated with coolant and ruin your bearings,cylinder wall, piston rings, etc. I fixed my head gasket in ALL Tune and Lube for $1200 total ($890 tear down+ $310 machine shop work ). The engine works fine for more than 18k miles/15 months even with 0.5 quarts/1k miles oil consumption. Remember to check "Struts, passenger and rear side engine mounts, and outer tie rod, timing chain tensioner (1 second rattle in cold start)" before you decide to fix or sell it.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: rondhol (Sep 27, 2009 8:12 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: electricdesign (Sep 28, 2009 6:28 pm) I have just relocated and am looking for a job myself, no money. This is not good.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: tripj (Sep 30, 2009 5:11 am) Once that is under control, look to see what the starting problem is. Fixing the coolant leak may help fix the starting problem. The causes for the hard starting or no start could be many different reasons. Good luck, E.D.
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Sedans Nissan Altima Nissan Altima Engine Failures
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2010 Nissan Altima
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
