my wifes 02 altima is useing up coolant pretty quickly, i have to add about a pint every 2 or 3 days. pretty sure its the thermostat, because the bottom hose is stone cold even after a long drive. had her take it to a garage because our schedules dont mesch well for working on her car, and she was told that it was uncommon for that car to have a thermostat problem. i bought a haynes book a it says that there is also a heater controll valve in this model, could that be our problem? any member who has any ideas,solutions or advice, please post a suggestion, as i dont want to keep throwing parts at this car.

thanks

Your technician is correct. Thermostat's are not usually a problem. Heater Control Valve? Possible...Did they pressure test it?

When I worked in the auto service business in the mid to late 1990's I would see some imports with 4 cyl slowly have lower coolant levels. The cause of this was a head gasket and the anti-freeze was being burned/used up in the exhaust. This was also very common on 4 cyl. Dodge Products with the 2.2L...Hopefully this will not be the cause.

What did the technitian and/or service advisor tell your wife?

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What did the technitian and/or service advisor tell your wife?[/QUOTE]

he told her that he couldnt find any leaks and he put an ultra violet die in the system. i didn't shine a black light yet, but i am still banking on a stuck t/stat

would that die show up at the tail pipe if it was a head gasket?
btw the tech is a friend so he is not "looking for work"

The die is an excellent choice. That way he can see some seepage that is not visible through the naked eye. I would wait a few days to let that stuff work through the system; then have him check it out. Hopefully it's not a head gasket. I saw that all too many times with MOPAR products & imports in the 1990's. Quality has improved dramatically since then.

It's always nice to have a friend/trustworthy person in the business. Good Luck and let us know how it pans out. Hopefully it's just a minor seepage at the radaitor hose.

P.S. The aluminum radiators with plastic tanks were just coming on to the scene then. On some occasions I would see some minor seepage there as well. Problem is, those radiators are disposable. Today's automakers make them that way because aluminum & plastic are easier to recycle than copper and brass. Plus the radiator is lighter.

would a head gasket keep the lower hose cold? i was doing some more reading in that haynes book and it refered to "air lock" of the radiator, so i guess there is a by-pass on the controll valve or water pump? car still does have good heat and the temp gauge is no hotter than it always reads.

well as it turns out, the root of our problems was a ****ing $8.00 radiator cap, bad seal was letting air in/hot coolant out