Coolant Flush, Do I replace the water control valve?
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I don't have a service manual for a 2011 Versa, but looked at my 2016 Service Manual and only found one thermostat for that cooling system.
There appears to be a complex water outlet for the 2011 Versa 1.8L with CVT transmission, are you talking about that component?
Are you concerned your thermostat is bad?? You can test it by heating up some water (on a stove) with a thermometer and seeing when it opens.
There appears to be a complex water outlet for the 2011 Versa 1.8L with CVT transmission, are you talking about that component?
Are you concerned your thermostat is bad?? You can test it by heating up some water (on a stove) with a thermometer and seeing when it opens.
Yes, that engine. They way I understand it is that it is wise to replace the thermostat if it is 10+ years old and you are going to do a coolant flush.
The thermostat in my GM work truck lasted over 20 years before I had to replace it.
I'm all for doing proper preventative maintenance on a vehicle, but I also follow the old adage of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
If you are asking my opinion, I'd leave it alone. Yes,,, flush the cooling system, yes... put in fresh Nissan coolant, but leave the rest alone.
I'm all for doing proper preventative maintenance on a vehicle, but I also follow the old adage of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
If you are asking my opinion, I'd leave it alone. Yes,,, flush the cooling system, yes... put in fresh Nissan coolant, but leave the rest alone.
Yes... I've reused the dex-cool for my truck. I do strain it through an old T-shirt to capture any foreign matter... but yes, if the coolant isn't that old, sure re-use it.
I would change the water control valve as it is the true stat in that engine, the low one really has nothing to do with the cooling of engine.
I for one change stats on every car I have at around 100K + miles, they can commonly go bad and one will never seem to except in the worst possible location to do it. To say if it's not broke don't fix it is begging to melt the engine to a lump, most cars I ever ran the stat too long on tried to burn the engine and where I learned the lesson.
It is rock stupid to wait until the engine overheats to change a stat and why now I haven't been stranded in more than 30 years using any one of 4 old cars, the belts, hoses, and stats get changed at higher mileage before they can ever be an issue. In modern engines one solid overheat can crack the head and fine idea waiting on a $7 stat to do that.
At some point I will likely gut the lower stat to simply use the outer ring as a metering restriction, the lower stat opens before the water control one does and doesn't even need to close as the water control one stops all radiator flow when it closes. Nissan had their heads somewhere else when they came up with that setup, the second stat can only cause added trouble.
I for one change stats on every car I have at around 100K + miles, they can commonly go bad and one will never seem to except in the worst possible location to do it. To say if it's not broke don't fix it is begging to melt the engine to a lump, most cars I ever ran the stat too long on tried to burn the engine and where I learned the lesson.
It is rock stupid to wait until the engine overheats to change a stat and why now I haven't been stranded in more than 30 years using any one of 4 old cars, the belts, hoses, and stats get changed at higher mileage before they can ever be an issue. In modern engines one solid overheat can crack the head and fine idea waiting on a $7 stat to do that.
At some point I will likely gut the lower stat to simply use the outer ring as a metering restriction, the lower stat opens before the water control one does and doesn't even need to close as the water control one stops all radiator flow when it closes. Nissan had their heads somewhere else when they came up with that setup, the second stat can only cause added trouble.
@amc49 By your logic, he should replace all the hoses, the radiator, radiator cap, water pump, thermostat and this water valve, because any of those components could fail without any notice.
There is a reason they put a water temperature gauge and/or light on vehicles, so the driver can pull over and shut off the vehicle before damage is done.
There is a reason they put a water temperature gauge and/or light on vehicles, so the driver can pull over and shut off the vehicle before damage is done.
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Many cars I had, including current 2017 and 2018 Versas, do not have a water temp gauge, only the warning light. I wish they had the gauge. When the light turns on, it could be too late.
My 2016 Versa only has a water temp light, when it ages a little more, I'll add an aftermarket water temp gauge. I do remember reading somewhere that the water temp light does come on early enough to give you some time to get off the highway or pull over (before damage is done).
I'm on the fence about the installing a "ScanGauge 2" that plugs into the OBD2 port and gives you a temperature number, as you drive. I'm not a fan of leaving something plugged into the OBD2 port for extended periods of time.
I do wish Nissan had included a water temperature gauge in those "S" package Versa(s). Save the money they spent on electric mirrors and give me a water temp gauge.
I change all hoses and stat at about 100K miles. never change radiator at all, they typically don't break but rarely. Same thing with modern serp belt driven water pumps, I change those maybe 200K miles. The stat and hoses are the most likely thing to fail. If one pays attention the rad, the cap and water pump often give you warning when they are getting old. I simply rebuild the caps to use them over, haven't bought one in 40 years.
All water temp idiot lights go on about 265 degrees F as an industry norm, the problem with todays' thin wall engine castings is that in no way may that be a safe temperature, MANY engines have already warped or cracked a head or block by then. In short, the light comes on too late.
Who cares if Nissan has given a TSB on the water control valve? It is upon people doing the work to understand that those things that should happen often never do and to beyond that grasp how the cars work.
Take most Nissan airbags they were so freaking about just a little while back. They spent millions trying to get everyone to get the 'bad' airbags changed out yet what have they replaced them with??? How about more of the EXACT SAME BAGS that then proceed to age again to go bad in the future. They have mortgaged your life betting you will not have the cars that long. Why I view a question on a TSB as being farcicle. We are talking about the people who gave us CVT after all.
All water temp idiot lights go on about 265 degrees F as an industry norm, the problem with todays' thin wall engine castings is that in no way may that be a safe temperature, MANY engines have already warped or cracked a head or block by then. In short, the light comes on too late.
Who cares if Nissan has given a TSB on the water control valve? It is upon people doing the work to understand that those things that should happen often never do and to beyond that grasp how the cars work.
Take most Nissan airbags they were so freaking about just a little while back. They spent millions trying to get everyone to get the 'bad' airbags changed out yet what have they replaced them with??? How about more of the EXACT SAME BAGS that then proceed to age again to go bad in the future. They have mortgaged your life betting you will not have the cars that long. Why I view a question on a TSB as being farcicle. We are talking about the people who gave us CVT after all.
I've replaced radiators at 100K on vehicles. In my experience, I've found that the radiators with plastic tanks grafted onto aluminum cores fail where they are fused together. Some have failed at 100K, 150K and 200K miles. I think it depends more on the number of heat cycles the vehicle has been through.
I will agree with you that I'm disappointed with the CVT transmission situation and Nissan's response. I did my research (prior to purchasing my Versa) and opted for the manual transmission model. I've been quite happy with my Versa, with the only exception being a lack of a temperature gauge, which I will remedy with an aftermarket "add on" (at some point). I do intend to keep my car for many years.
@amc49 You seem like you want to argue with me and put down my opinion on everything. You can certainly give your opinion without disparaging mine. At this point, I'll leave this thread.
@Tynker Good luck with your car.
I will agree with you that I'm disappointed with the CVT transmission situation and Nissan's response. I did my research (prior to purchasing my Versa) and opted for the manual transmission model. I've been quite happy with my Versa, with the only exception being a lack of a temperature gauge, which I will remedy with an aftermarket "add on" (at some point). I do intend to keep my car for many years.
@amc49 You seem like you want to argue with me and put down my opinion on everything. You can certainly give your opinion without disparaging mine. At this point, I'll leave this thread.
@Tynker Good luck with your car.
Not about you or me. I apologize for anything you did not like there. It's just that I have a world of experience on things you may not.
I sold parts, so I know what breaks commonly. Take the radiators, they typically break the plastic tanks because somebody at some point overpressured them when a stat that should have been changed did not get it. Or they went until a hose blew out and the same thing. Stop the other parts breaking and suddenly the rads quit too.
I also did garage work and have a better handle than most on doing things out of the box to not pay the big charges so many now have to to get anything done. Just did clockspring on my Versa and price was cost of the part and I modded it as well to do some things in the stack I wanted done. Saved the old clockspring to rework it further to reuse it at some point in the future. Already worked out the repair to cost me maybe $10. I also already have water temp gauge and parts, just haven't installed them yet. I will as well install LEDs on the low and high fans and a/c clutch to be able to see other things like I did on my Fords. The engines now are largely unbreakable if you remove the possibility of an engine overheat ever happening, even one can turn the engine into scrap and to me too high a price to pay just to save a few bucks.
The water control valve is the true stat on a Versa with two of them, the lower one is simply a switch that makes sure when the upper opens it has water from rad. Other than that it really serves no purpose and a stupid design. The Fords use the exact same cooling diagram yet the rad has that lower stat missing as it is kind of worthless located there. If the upper water control valve is closed the engine cannot get any coolant from the radiator anyway, so why the extra part?
I sold parts, so I know what breaks commonly. Take the radiators, they typically break the plastic tanks because somebody at some point overpressured them when a stat that should have been changed did not get it. Or they went until a hose blew out and the same thing. Stop the other parts breaking and suddenly the rads quit too.
I also did garage work and have a better handle than most on doing things out of the box to not pay the big charges so many now have to to get anything done. Just did clockspring on my Versa and price was cost of the part and I modded it as well to do some things in the stack I wanted done. Saved the old clockspring to rework it further to reuse it at some point in the future. Already worked out the repair to cost me maybe $10. I also already have water temp gauge and parts, just haven't installed them yet. I will as well install LEDs on the low and high fans and a/c clutch to be able to see other things like I did on my Fords. The engines now are largely unbreakable if you remove the possibility of an engine overheat ever happening, even one can turn the engine into scrap and to me too high a price to pay just to save a few bucks.
The water control valve is the true stat on a Versa with two of them, the lower one is simply a switch that makes sure when the upper opens it has water from rad. Other than that it really serves no purpose and a stupid design. The Fords use the exact same cooling diagram yet the rad has that lower stat missing as it is kind of worthless located there. If the upper water control valve is closed the engine cannot get any coolant from the radiator anyway, so why the extra part?
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