98 Vanette - nag-o-overheat pa rin

[choycontreras]

I thought people were saying that this has already been solved in the later models?

Went with the loaded van to Grotto in Bulacan last Thursday and crawled through bad traffic late morning for about 2 hrs then the the AC gradually fainted then died - wala nang cooling then I suddenly saw na nag-80% na yung temp ko sa gauge!! Average kasi nito is around 30%lang e.

Had to stop the AC but with the engine still running for the temp to cool down.

Went to Antipolo naman later that day and met with not much traffic -30mins lang yata pero nag-ooverheat pa rin!!

What do you recommend kaya that I do?
- coolant reservoir full
- radiator full, no leaks
- the vans AC runs very well, it is just this instance when it met heavy traffic saka bumigay

[vinj]

Have you tried those overheat specialty shops? From what i know they have a remedy to the Vanette overheat problem... I heard before that they added and extra fan or relocated one of the AC parts (condenser?)... its already a bit vague to me but i remember it to be something like that.

When was your last tune-up? When we had a Vanette before, it would only usually opverheat when it was due for a tune-up (timing adustment, clean/change spark plugs, etc) and radiator cleaning which we did every 5K PMS.

[choycontreras]

Thanks, That was suggested to me when I felt that the aircon does live up to the Nissan reputation of a good AC, dagdag yata ng condenser and aux fanaway from the engine - instead of horizontal e lateral position - underneath the front passenger side.

Another one is a more permanent solution daw for both engine and AC - discard current radiator for a bigger one - surplus galing din daw sa Vanette from other countries - or other bigger radiators (wider/thicker) with bigger fans - Pwede na ba ito kayang option 2?

[non-vtec]

check muna yung a/c fan, baka its not working properly; either mahina or patay na talaga, kaya bigla uminit yung a/c mo. mejo matrabaho kse yung mga conversions, paminsan, hit and miss pa yung gawa.

[vinj]

I'll try to ask Tony, the shop head in NGQA, should i happen by, for his .002 on fixing the Vanette overheat.

You could also try having a new radiator fabricated, one of the NB peeps had Evercool make him a new radiator when his old one got busted (cost him 3K)... maybe you can specify a higher capacity radiator then get a bigger fan or add another fan as well.

On the condenser, i also heard that this was done on the L300 before to help engine cooling... Try to get an AC Shop opinion (if you happen by the Banawe area, try Carbase Aircon, they charge a bit more over other shops but they do good work IMO).

[julian]

you can do several modification on your cooling system to avoid overheat and so with relocate you a/c condenser to reduce heat contributor going to the radiator. but i suggest that you do some isolations first on the main cause of your overheat. and as you've said overheating now happens in not so heavy traffic (considering that you weren't experiencing this before)

why don't you try to inspect these things:
1. engine thermostat
2. radiator clogging
3. radiator clutch fan (rotating but not enough air blown)
4. aircon condenser fan

kung natukoy mo kung alin talaga ang main cause, you will know exactly what steps you need to do next.

[choycontreras]

Thanks for the suggestions guys,

Just had this van (local) bought 2nd hand this year kasi e, 34T lang and mileage so bago pa lang talaga. Had recently replaced the lateral aux fan due to rust, the front condenser I also brought a replacement when I had it serviced due to a leak (mukhang di gaanong iniintindi ng previous owner ang maintenance, 3rd car kasi).

Vinj, I dont think the radiator is clogged as super linis pa kasi sa visual inspection - tingnan ko na rin, sa flushing ba makikita kung clogged ito? As I read from other forums, I need to pull out the radiator cap, see if the water's moving when I step on the gas or when the engine's moving - then walang problema water pump nor clogged ang radiator?
Can I do the flushing myself? Madali lang bang magdrain nito?

The radiator fan is working well, also with the AC condenser fans both front and rear.

So if altogether my AC now is doing good, the culprit is manipis lang talaga yung radiator. I might not do the condenser relocation but do upgrade na lang the radiator. I think that's the best way to go.

[vinj]

To drain and replace water/coolant you just have to locate the drainplug of the radiator... try to observe it for some sludge as well that may be caused by old coolant.

Make sure you keep the coolant mix with the water at a good ratio... based on the experiences of some peeps on NB, they got sludging in the radiator and cooling system on their older cars due to the coolant (old? not drained/cleaned when specified?)...

[onedelacruz]

additional question, 97 vanette din ride ko and i'm experiencing the same problem. effective kaya kung mag-upgrade ng radiator? or pde bang palitan yung mechanical fan ng aux fan sa radiator para constant ang buga ng hangin?:?:

dati rin kapag nata-traffic ako matagal bago tumaas ng 80% ang temp ng van ko. tapos nagpalit ako ng mga power steering hoses kasi may mga leak na, after that napansin ko ambilis na tumaas ng temp.

nagpa-upgrade na din ako ng alternator na mas mataas na ampere output from 70A to 90A, kasi kapos sa kuryente gawa ng setup ko. may nagsabi sakin baka masolve ang problem ng overheating kpag ngpa-upgrade ng alternator, pero hindi naman mas lalo pang bumilis ang pag-overheat.

sa mga nissan casa ba kaya nilang isolve ang overheating problrm ng vanette tutal sila naman ang manufacturer ng vanette.

ang hirap matukoy kung ano talaga ang cause, bukod sa matrabaho, magastos pa!:cry:
thanks in advance sa mga replies.:wink:

[lancelot]

Dual Aux FAN

[choycontreras]

onedelacruz,

You know what - every time I have the opportunity - I'll take to each one I see driving a Vanette. Had talked to a few, and an upgrade of the radiator might be the best and most practical solution. I saw a unit modified already and compared it with mine -manipis and mas makitid talaga ang orig radiator. He didnt have any overheating problems since.

Also, went under the van this morning when I flushed the radiator - and saw that the AC condenser really is resting infront of the radiator, thus getting the flowing ambient air first instead of direct firsthand flow through it. Thus if you have the extra money - ipa-relocate mo na rin yung AC condenser.

Ngayon ko lang naintindihan yung mga explanation ng mekaniko - makes sense when you look it up yourself.

Will save up nga lang on it a little bit later dahil major headache on my wallet ang mangyayari e.

BTW, ano'ng fuel economy mo with your van?

[onedelacruz]

choy,

thanks for the input!:wink:
napansin ko nga din na manipis yung radiator ng vanette siguro 1 row lang. nagpa-plano ka na din ba magpapalit ng radiator? kung ito talaga ang solution to this problem then i'll go for it. pero not in the next 2-3 weeks kasi kakagastos ko lang dahil nagpalit ako ng alternator.:D

siguro kapag nagkaroon ng free time from work, papacheck ko na. but if ever mauna ka magpapalit ng radiator, feedback mo naman ako please para alam ko result.
question lang, kapag nagpalit ako ng mas makapal na radiator papalitan din ba yung mechanical fan na nakakabit sa engine? :?:

dba yung front condenser masisilip mo na sa harap, mounted horizontally at hindi nakadikit sa radiator. gnun kasi yung sa van ko e, tapos meron metal na airflow papunta sa condenser. so kapag umaandar dun yung daloy ng hangin.

fuel consumption? well that's another problem for me, ang estimate ko sa vanette is 7km/liter, tama ba? pero minsan nagcoconsume ako ng 5km/liter kapag city driving. kasi since nabili ko sha last year hindi ko pa napacheck ang fuel line. and i don't think napapalinis din ng previous owner. yung van mo ba ano fuel consumption?

meron akong frend na naka-vanette din 94 model, minodify yung carbs... parang pinaliit yung mga butas or isang butas na lang pinagana.

may setup din ba van mo? nagkakaproblema ka ba sa electrical?

[choycontreras]

Just reviving this topic as I havent replied yet on this thread...

Have replaced the radiator of my Vanette 98 with that of a surplus Liteace. The replacement has 3 cooling rows while the Vanette has only 2 - mas makapal by 50%. It is even wider by about 3 inches - kasya pa naman sa engine bay.

Cost details
1. surplus radiator - P 1200, get a receipt and make sure that if the size wouldnt fit in ur van, you can replace it with another until you get the right one
2. radiator overhaul - 700, you need to do this to ensure that the insides is clean (free of rust, leaks), and there is a need to reconfigure the pipes at both ends to suit the vanette's hose fittings
3. labor - 1,400
4. coolant and water - 250
5. spraypaint (black) - 100

Total P 3,650
Verdict - never overheats beyond 40-50% of the thermostat needle. My can already idle with AC on in noontime traffic.

[vinj]

That's great to hear. Thanks for sharing the info... Its very much helpful for the other Vanette owners out there.

[ironarch]

I also have a vanette. The thing i can't figure out is that the over heating problem only came out on the third year. before that no problem. It usually occurs in traffic though and is worse just before i need to get a tune-up.

[weiltblitz]

sirs,
ive been drivng my vanette since '97. my unit's 2 major overheating problems are due to poor clutch fan. i do bought new & original parts, YOUNG BROS in banawe. after changing the faulty one, it can stand 45mins in idling w/ only 30% needle elevation.
ive observed dat our radiators are sensitive to the quality of the water.

[ravelcop]

yung sakin, dinagdagan ko nalang ng aux fan for the 2nd condenser. by the way, how much is your average fuel consumption sa city drive?

[weiltblitz]

measly 4- 7km/ L depending on my mood & traffic. hehehe!
by the way mga tol, i do have a hard time estimating the oil level even if im checking it 1st thing in the morning. i find it very inaccurate. cguro due to d orientation of the dipstick. do u have d same experience? just wondering...