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Nissan Quest Heating / Cooling Problems

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Comments

  • memphibianmemphibian Member Posts: 7
    May be off base but you may have air in the system. frankly I don't remember how to bleed it out but worth checking out.
  • haughhaugh Member Posts: 12
    I agree, it sounds like an air lock. Normally you would remove your radiator cap and, with the engine running, squeeze the hoses as best you can to move the air along in the system. You should see bubbles coming out of your rad. You may get some spill over but don't worry about that. You can top up your rad and reservoir (the engine will draw more from the reservoir as needed when it cools).
  • dkeo1963dkeo1963 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 99 Quest and I no longer get heat from the vents: I first noticed it took a long time to warm up and never got up to "normal" temp, but it is winter. I changed the thermostat, now I have a new issue. The vehicle heats up fine and runs at a normal temperature however, I get no heat from my vents unless I really am hitting the accelarator. Doing 55 the air is cool, I hit the gas and while the engine is revied, I get great heat. Once I back off the heat dies out. My hanes manual mentions a heat control valve being closed, but I can not find any other reference to such a valve on this vehicle. Any other suggestions?!
  • rarbaughrarbaugh Member Posts: 1
    I own a Nissan Quest, 2008. It is having A/C problems from my stand point. I have taken it into two dealers 7 times and have gotten the same results. After the second dealership replaced the compressor, condenser and expansion valve and the first dealership replaced the rear expansion valve, the second dealership told me that my van compares to the other vans on the lot. There is difference of 10 degrees from the temperature of the fresh air button and the re-circulation button. I checked today and at an idle my car showed a temp of 74 degrees for the fresh air button and a temp of 68 degrees for the re-cir button. With normal street driving the temp was 68 to 74 degrees with the fresh air button and 60 to 62 degrees for the re-cir button. The temp outside was 93 degrees. Both dealerships told me that this is the best I can expect for a van that has an under-engineered A/C unit. My question is should this Van perform like this and is it undersized and if not what can I do to get someone to fix it. By the way I have a Nissan X-terra and both instances my A/C there goes to 50 degrees and 48 travelling and 60 and 58 degrees idle.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    rarbaugh: The temperatures seem like they are within acceptable range. The important question is how long does it take to cool down your van? Remember the Quest has a large interior area to cool down. The size of the windows do not help with the cooling. Try running the AC on level 3 or 4 for a while (yeah, I know it is loud). Make sure the rear vents are in the cooling mode.

    My 2004 Quest A/C works fine. It does take longer for it to cool down but again it is a very large area to cool down and the windows let in a lot of heat.
  • melann78melann78 Member Posts: 2
    This is very similar to the problem we are experiencing with our '04 SL. We have been measuring the temp coming out of the vents, it ranges from 68-72 degrees (those are recirc temps) while driving. Idling it's worse than that. I started writing the temps down because I knew when I brought it in for service I would get the same "it's performing within specs" line. To compare, my husband starting taking the vent temp in his Nissan truck and it was an average of 44 degrees! So I know something is not right. Well, took the van in, they "looked" at it and added a bit of freon, determined it was the front expansion valve. Said they had to order the part. My husband brings it home and now I have no a/c at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It will click on for about a min. at a time and then stay off (just normal HOT vent air) for about 5 min. Then back to a/c for another min. and so on. I was sooo frustrated but they of course said they didn't do anything! What I had was better than this. So, now we are a week past that, in 95 degree midwest heat and might as well have zero a/c with 3 kids, ages 6, 4 and 2. It's been great. (heavy sarcasm) and the part is BACKORDERED! I gave up today and found the dang thing online and paid $40 to overnight it so I should get it tomorrow. But yet here they were making me wait!

    Oh and the kicker, the service manual says it's going to take upwards of *8* hours to replace this valve because they have to go through the *dash*, take the whole freaking thing apart and it's going to cost about $800. And it's of course not under warranty. I'm just sick about it but at this point if it will fix it I don't care what it costs. Though I'm concerned after all the work you have had done and you still have problems. :(
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    edited July 2010
    I think this is/will be a common problem with Quest moving forward. I've read of other owners having this same issue as you. What's scary is the 8 hours labor? That is simply ridiculous! $800 to replace a $22 part.
  • memphibianmemphibian Member Posts: 7
    Well don't let the dealer do the work! get prices, look for indy shop with lower hourly.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    On another forum, an owner posted directions on how to replace the part and it seemed to work. He did the work himself. I'll post it later tonight. It did not take 8 hours.
  • melann78melann78 Member Posts: 2
    I meant to come back on here and update and kept forgetting.

    Firstly, we were taking it to an independent mechanic who told us the "service manual" called for 8 hours of labor, thus the ridiculous labor charges. He thought he could maybe get to it from under the hood but he wasn't sure. I would never take it to the dealer, esp the one we have here in town. They are possibly the worst service dept we've dealt with.

    Anyway, my SMART husband decided to take this on himself because we were sick at the thought of spending all that money. His thought was if he couldn't do it we'd take it to the mechanic like we planned.

    Well, he did it! And no, it did not take him 8 hours. More like 1.5. That is to take it out and put it back in. He said it wasn't the most fun thing to do but to save that kind of money it was worth it! We ended up paying $200 for the part and to have the refigerant drained and then put back in.

    But you know, and I'm not complaning because living with no a/c for several days in 100 degree heat with 3 small kids was NO fun, but the air still sucks. I mean, I think it's working the way it "should" but it's still poor.

    The coldest I can get it is 46 (air temp coming straight out of the vent) and that is first thing in the morning after sitting in our a/c garage and on the first fan level. As I turn up the fan, the temp goes up. Just today after sitting in the sun for about an hour at 4 speed it was blowing 65 at it's coldest. And it's right at 100 degrees in the van. It's just not efficient. But I'll deal. Replacing the part did fix it as well as it can be fixed, I think.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    edited July 2010
    Thanks melanne. Here's the directions from the other forum. Apparrently they work but have not verified the directions. Hopefully they can help someone.

    "I'm back to report on the replacement of my expansion valve. First off, let me say that we had a terrible time getting the part shipped. I ended up getting an aftermarket valve from Autozone. That was Friday at noon. Just today I got a call from the local Nissan dealer saying they had gotten in the part for me, which now I do not need. Anyway, getting the Nissan-brand part was very slow. The one at my local dealer actually came from another dealer several states away. As far as I know, no parts warehouse actually has any of the Nissan-brand valves.

    On to the replacement. I had my shop pull out all the freon in the system. I removed the air cleaner cover and apparatus all the way back to the throttle body. That gave me just enough room to get to the front bolt on the valve that holds the engine-side lines in place. That was pretty easy. I pulled the plate back down the high-side line and secured it with some tape to keep it out of the way.

    Below this plate were two hex-key screws that hold the compartment side lines that go to the evaporator. These screws are definitely only accessible from in the engine compartment. I needed a long extension on my ratchet. I recommend this with hex-key sockets, rather than a traditional Allen wrench or T-handle Allen wrench, because of the torque needed and the lack of room to move one's hands.

    That's all there was too it. I pulled out the old valve. Then, probably stupidly, I also pulled out the large foam grommet that sealed around the valve, and keeps hot air out of the cabin. I wasn't sure if I could get the screws back in to secure the cabin-side of the valve to its plate with the grommet in place. If I were to do it again, I think I would give it a try first. But it was difficult, even without the grommet in place, to line up the Allen head screws with the interior plate. This would be much easier with the dash out, but of course, I saved a ton of time by only going through the engine side.

    After securing the cabin side lines, I moved the engine side lines back into place and put the front plate back in place. It took a bit of effort to get the high side (fat one) back in place. There was not as much play in it, and of course, I didn't want to bend or kink it. Once that was in place the front plate went back on easily.

    I did not replace any o-rings, which were not included with my aftermarket part. I probably should have, but they looked ok. My shop evacuated my system, and it held vacuum well. They refilled the entire system with the correct amount of freon. No leaks, at least so far. It's been three days and my AC is working very well. Pressures were perfect. Out of the vent I'm getting about 48 deg F, at the lowest. Shop says they'd like to see 40, but I'm happy with it.

    I did feel some warm air coming in from engine compartment, so I cut the grommet in half and stuffed it back in place. It wasn't easy, but I did get it back in there. Used a wooden dowel for tucking it in. Like I said above, I probably should have but it back first, but was afraid of getting the screws to line up with the grommet in place. I was in a hurry to get back to my shop before the end of the day on Friday."
  • navydude1986navydude1986 Member Posts: 1
    2007 Nissan quest w/ 36K miles (has the dual climate control). When turning on the A/C in the front A/C blows cold on the right side but warm/hot air on left. When A/C is turned off and temperature is set to 60deg, cool air is felt on right side and HOT AIR is felt on left side. Rear unit operates normally.
  • johnnathanjohnnathan Member Posts: 4
    Two things, are you sure you put the thermostat in the right direction, the manuals show it with the thermometer pointing away from block. Then are you sure you put the blow open thermostat or a cheep blow closed thermostat. But if you bleed the system, yes bleed the system, yes with the bleeder mounted on top the air intake blower. You have enough antifreeze fluid in the system, you should be all right, yes. Oh, are you sure the heater core is not blocked, with rust and sediment?
  • redshiftkidredshiftkid Member Posts: 1
    I am having the same problem. have you found out anything about how to fix it?
  • drkhrse01drkhrse01 Member Posts: 1
    I'm replacing the starter motor on my 2000 Villager 3.3 V6. I had to remove the air-filter and then could access the starter. Coming out of the bell-housing area, near the starter is what looks like a vacuum line. It comes out of the housing like 4 inches, then turns to a rubber line, then back to a metal line. The metal line has a "J" or hook shape in it. I don't believe there was anything on it, or at least I didn't take anything off it. Is this a vacuum line, maybe an overflow on the tranny? Anyone know?

    Thanks,
    Brent
  • memphibianmemphibian Member Posts: 7
    I interrupt this thread to say I lost the 94 Villager and I should make it known how.. These cars (93-95) came out of the factory with a birth defect in the crankshaft forging. They have a small knob at the front of the crankshaft which holds the all-important belts. That's what cracks off. Replacing the crank costs the same as replacing the engine, plus would you end up with another defective 25mm knob? Anyway, Nissan knows NOTHING about this problem. I had 180K on it so I don't feel too bad, except there was a lot of new stuff in it.
    Moral: don't put much money into a Quest/Villager from those years.
  • rockmobilerockmobile Member Posts: 115
    Where is that "J" hook hanging from, I think I have seen it but right now can not remember.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited August 2012
    It's a known issue with the '93s and Nissan issued a TSB about it. They changed the crank size from 25mm to 27mm. Not sure when that change happened, so your '94 may still have the 25. Did you have your timing belt done? The mechanic may have over tightened it.

    VQ FAQ

    Steve, visiting host (and one-time Memphibian, although we said Memphian)
  • memphibianmemphibian Member Posts: 7
    Thanks Steve. After it happened I looked it up on the web and found pages of sorrowful commentary. When I called Nissan USA the lady (NOT a car guy) blanket-denied any problem. She should have mentioned a TSB. I wanted to know, what other parts would be available to go up to a 27mm crank. I have to believe the "timing belt too tight" story was a phony excuse. At 180 K of course timing belt had been changed a time or two.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited August 2012
    I'm at 177k on my '99 Quest and I'm on the original belt. These are non-interference engines so there shouldn't be any damage to the engine if it breaks.

    There could be some body damage if it breaks in heavy traffic, strands you, and you get hit, but I don't have a commute and decided to defer that maintenance.

    Never looked into it, but just assumed all you had to swap out was the crankshaft.
  • haughhaugh Member Posts: 12
    Seems that the heater cores in these vehicles (99-00 Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager) have a control valve located right on the coil. If this fails, you have to remove the whole ventilation plenum which includes the A/C coil. That's right, the A/C has to be discharged to remove the plenum in order to get to the heater core to replace this valve. Not sure of the cost of these valves but for a shop, this would be an expensive repair. :cry:

    Heater Core Valve Replacement

    However, I have also seen this inline valve:

    Heater Valve
    on the back fire wall that runs into the heater core.

    When I felt the hoses, one was hot and the other was luke warm, indicating a lack of flow. It's one or the other and I have not figured out which as of yet.
  • hayseed2hayseed2 Member Posts: 2
  • hayseed2hayseed2 Member Posts: 2
    Last year the defroster button (one of the three large buttons/controllers on the dash) became stuck and now the defroster does not work. Also, i have noticed the button used to toggle AC on/off has started sticking as well.
    I have determined if the outside rim on the gauge is turned to the far left, it pops off. Unfortunately this just seems to allow me to see the button I am frustrated with better. There is no obvious way to take the next step and remove the interior portion of the button.
    While the old mechanic side of my brain which grew up working on my Dad's 68 El Camino says, "spray 'er down with WD 40!", my new super subcompact foreign engine brain is saying no.
    Any suggestions and/or brainstorming appreciated.
    2005 Nissan Quest, second owner, purchased from dealership.
    Thank you.
  • samfinsamfin Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2001 Nissan Quest that WAS only working on HIGH-4 then yesterday it quit working completely. Fuses were good, so I replaced the blower motor and resistor. Now the heat only works on 1,2, and 3 but not very forceful and then shuts off completely at 4. Any suggestions?
  • mpuraimpurai Member Posts: 9

    @samfin said:
    I own a 2001 Nissan Quest that WAS only working on HIGH-4 then yesterday it quit working completely. Fuses were good, so I replaced the blower motor and resistor. Now the heat only works on 1,2, and 3 but not very forceful and then shuts off completely at 4. Any suggestions?

  • mpuraimpurai Member Posts: 9

    late on this but if you haven't fixed it: try changing your cabin air filter. A clogged filter will cause such a problem and will also burn out the motor resistor. Cabin filter is located under the cowl by removing a few screws around/under the wipers on the outside.

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