coolant leak

2004 NISSAN XTERRA

54,000 MILES • 6 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC

DAWROB

MEMBER
1 POST
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I just had my Xterra pressure tested to find a coolant leak. They said is is leaking in the valley under the intake manifold and need to replace by pass hose, reseal thermostat housing, and install new t-stat. They also said I needed to replace the knock sensor. They gave me an estimate of $727.00. Does that sound reasonable to you? Unfortunately, I am not very knowledgable with cars and tend to get ripped off. I went to the dealer and just want to know if this estimate sounds about right.

Thanks for your help.

Jul 16, 2008 at 9:44 AM

KHLOW2008

CERTIFIED EXPERT
41,814 POSTS

Hi dawrob,

Prices quoted by dealers should be correct but why not get a second opinion if you are not sure.

List the things you want done and get it quoted by other reputable repair shops.

Jul 20, 2008 at 7:56 AM

ERNIE NUCUP

MEMBER
1 POST

dawrob

I don't know if you already had your Xterra leakage problem fixed. I have the same year and model Xterra but with about 57,000. On my Xterra there was some signs of anti-freeze around the neck of bypass hose connector to the manifold. The mechanic told me replacing the bypass hose will be $310 but he does not believe the leak is bad enough to do that. He said just to keep an eye on the anti-freeze level making sure it stays normal level. I believe your problem was similar but the pressure testing damaged your manifold gasket, thermostat housing gasket, thermostat, and bypass hose connection. If your engine needed a new knock sensor it should have registered as an engine error code when the SERVICE ENGINE SOON light came on.

Sep 30, 2008 at 3:00 PM

TWADE36

MEMBER
3 POSTS

I have a 2001 Nissan Xterra with aprox. 165,000 miles on it. A couple months ago I had some routine maintenance done (water pump, timing belt, etc). I was also told that my radiator was in very bad shape & needed to be replaced...fine. A couple weeks after that my temp. guage suddenly spiked so I took it back to my mechanic & he did a pressure test...no leak. He told me to leave it with him for the day & he called me later & said he had determined that I had a blown head gasket. So, he replaced both of those. Problem is, I'm still losing coolant. If I fill my reservoir tank to the max line, it's down to/below the min. line in a couple days. I've taken it back to my mechanic & he's done another pressure test plus checked the oil for any trace of coolant. Both came up negative. The other strange thing that's going on is that my gas mileage has gotten horrible since all this started. I'm getting 30-40 miles less on a tank of gas than I usually do. Any ideas as to why I'm still losing coolant? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.