[booger]

So the wife and I were picking up her car from the Honda dealership last night. I was about to pull out on the road and smoke started coming from under the hood. I thought oh man my trucks on fire. Got the hood up to find it was water not smoke. Radiator had about a 3" split in the top. So luckily NAPA is right next door and was still open at 6:30 at night. So that's how I'm spending my Saturday morning! Thankfully it happened when and where it did. It could have been worse.

 

[Blue Devil]

It's a 13yr old radiator if you don't do preventative maintenance things are going to bust. I replaced mine this spring because the top was starting to look like it was coming apart, and replaced my upper and lower hoses and some other ones as well.

 

[booger]

It's a 13yr old radiator if you don't do preventative maintenance things are going to bust. I replaced mine this spring because the top was starting to look like it was coming apart, and replaced my upper and lower hoses and some other ones as well.

Yeah I've only had the truck for about a year. There are things that are on my list that I need to do. I'll get to them eventually. As far as the radiator, it only took us an hour to replace in the NAPA parking lot. I replaced the transmission rubber lines and the upper and lower hoses while I was at it. Ran good on the way home.

 

[Cusser]

As far as the radiator, it only took us an hour to replace in the NAPA parking lot. I replaced the transmission rubber lines and the upper and lower hoses while I was at it. Ran good on the way home.

Good, and wise to replace the rubber stuff too. When the radiator on my 1998 started leaking at the crimp top way back, just bought new, and I bought a new fan blade too for it. And I changed to easier-to-handle hose clamps. A few years later I replaced the fan clutch, was stuck "engaged".

These are tiny things, and at 13 years old, don't think there would've been ANYTHING you could've done to prolong their lifetimes. So good work (I would've had the truck towed home myself !!!).

 

[booger]

So good work (I would've had the truck towed home myself !!!).

Yeah funny thing about that. 7 years ago my wife's old car broke down on the first day of summer vacation. It took the only half sober mechanic we could find, 8 days to replace the power steering pump. After that fiasco we added towing to our insurance plan. Haven't had to use it since then. So I forgot about the towing til after we got home last night. It was a Homer Simpson "Doh!" moment. At least this morning it was a short walk to get any extra parts I needed.

 

[Cusser]

10 days ago the 1998 Frontier just stalled going 45mph on busy street, wouldn't restart for Mrs. Cusser, had AAA tow it home. Trying to troubleshoot, I added starting fluid, and it started up, ran rough for 30 seconds then fine. Had check engine code of P1320 which i distributor or its internal coil, but that code has not resurfaced. So I've been driving it, 100 miles away from home right now, with bicycle in the bed, seeing if I need to call a tow within next 2 month or so, because Mrs. Cusser is fearful of it now, But no hicccups since I got it home, not a one. And I don't just want to throw a new distributor on it. 209K miles on it.

 

[booger]

10 days ago the 1998 Frontier just stalled going 45mph on busy street, wouldn't restart for Mrs. Cusser, had AAA tow it home. Trying to troubleshoot, I added starting fluid, and it started up, ran rough for 30 seconds then fine. Had check engine code of P1320 which i distributor or its internal coil, but that code has not resurfaced. So I've been driving it, 100 miles away from home right now, with bicycle in the bed, seeing if I need to call a tow within next 2 month or so, because Mrs. Cusser is fearful of it now, But no hicccups since I got it home, not a one. And I don't just want to throw a new distributor on it. 209K miles on it.

Buy a tandem bike for you and Mrs. Cusser and throw that in the bed. Then drive it till the wheels fall off.

 

[Hunterman]

Mine busted last year. I got a hair-line crack in the plastic. I eventually ran out of coolant almost overheating...big time. Spent 120 or so to get a new one. In all reality, with mine lasting 14 years, I can't complain. Wish i could have bought the all aluminum one but hey, I did what I could.

 

[booger]

Mine busted last year. I got a hair-line crack in the plastic. I eventually ran out of coolant almost overheating...big time. Spent 120 or so to get a new one. In all reality, with mine lasting 14 years, I can't complain. Wish i could have bought the all aluminum one but hey, I did what I could.

Yeah I would have liked to put a nice aluminum radiator in mine but when you gotta fix it quick you don't have the luxury of shopping around. When they don't give you a warning before it breaks you have to go with the best you can at the time. So far the only other thing I've had go quickly was the passenger side valve cover gasket. But I made that one last til I could get time to fix it by checking the oil (and adding) every time I got in it. I still need to change the other side before it cracks too. This is the first Nissan I've owned. So far its been a great truck.

 

[smj999smj]

I wish the current generation of Frontiers/Pathfinders/Xterras has radiators that were as easy to replace as the older Nissan trucks!

 

[booger]

I wish the current generation of Frontiers/Pathfinders/Xterras has radiators that were as easy to replace as the older Nissan trucks!

Not too many things on any newer vehicle are easy to work on. And by newer I mean anything past 85 or so. Still only took about an hour of actual work time to replace. Wasn't too bad.