so there is no heat in my car (or barely). I go get an oil change, ask the guy to check it, he tells me the coolant fluids need to be flushed (i had that 3 years ago) but then he calls and says he won’t do it, because it is so gooey and it will make things worse. he tells me it’s so bad, i need 4 new hoses/flush (like 2-300) and then most likely a heater coil (gotta go to dealer for that he said) then he said who knows what’s in the motor. so he says total would be like 2000$. i KEEP TELLING HIM I WANT A NEW CAR AND DON’T WANT TO SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY, SO HE TELLS ME TO PUT THAT MONEY DOWN ON A NEW CAR PAYMNET. (sorry about the caps, bad typer). thoughts on that?
also, I wnat the Lexus RX330, but don’t think i can afford it. any thoughts on the murano? (please don’t tell me about the others zillions cars on the market, i would appreciate thoughts on the murano:-)
My initial thought is that this guy is jerking you around.
A car’s heater system takes the same coolant that circulates through your engine/radiator, goes under your dash and through a heater core which is basically just a very small radiator. A fan blows air past the heater core and goes through the various ducts to reach you. If you’re not getting heat or very small amounts, most likely you’re just low on coolant. If your coolant level is fine, it’s possible that your heater core is clogged.
The cooling system should be flushed every two-three years, which essentially consists of a detergent chemical being ran through the system, and new coolant added. If you have some coolant, a hose, and a half hour, it is simple and cheap to do…$20.
If you truly need hoses, it’s a good idea. Again, depends on how old the hoses are.
Not sure what the guy means by “gooey”. If the cooling system has gotten some oil into it, like from a bad head gasket or something like that, then it may look a little milky. If you had any coolant leaks from before, and someone added some stop leak, the fluid may look a little different. Either way, there isn’t anything I can think of that a coolant flush would do any harm.
Anyway, the whole thing sounds suspect. Year/type of Jeep? Miles? Which motor? Aside from the V8 grand cherokees, Jeep’s are incredibly easy to work on, and typically have a lot of free space under the hood so that most hoses and such are very accessible. If you or someone you know is at all handy, you can flush your coolant and replace the hoses for under $80 bucks and that includes the manual, with little more than a screwdriver.
Get a second or third opinion from someone else. Any mechanic that suggests $2000 or a new car when someone comes in with low coolant is suspect. PM me if you’d like.
My boss has a Murano…loves it, thinks its great. I sat in one a few weeks ago…very nicely done on the inside. I didn’t get a chance to drive it, but it looks good inside and out, and has decent power. Its also considerably less expensive than the small SUVs offered by Lexus and Infiniti.
thanks, i’ll get a second opinion. This garage is next to my office. convenient… my car is jeep cherokee 99 and has 94000 miles on it! I have been wanting a new car for a while now, this may be a good time. I was hoping that 80$ and flushing would do it, but the guy won’t do it. I’ll ask kittycat for a recommended garage!
My car had a problem with no heat…there was some sort of switch under the dash that a car radio installer flipped the wrong way…everything seemed normal but it blew cold air.
I don’t know how it drives but I think the Murano is ugly. It looks like a car on steroids that got squashed! When it comes to the Lexus why not get something else? I never understood people spending $10,000 to $20,000 more for a Lexus or Caddy, etc. when you can get another brand that’s just as good. Do you like your Jeep? If so, you can get an '06 with all the bells and whistles for about the same price as the bottom LX330.
I drove a Murano for three years until my college age son comandeered it (don’t ask). I LOVE that car. It is basically a car because it is a crossover built on the Altima/Maxima frame so it handles like a car unlike the Pathfinder which is put on the Nissan truck frame. I had the all wheel drive version which handled great in NE winters and the back seats pop down really easily and gives a lot of room for storage. I never had a need for a third row so I didn’t mind that it wasn’t an option. Easily fit five people (adults) and decent but not fabulous gas mileage. Never had any problems with major service issues but I have driven Nissans for years and that is my experience anyway regardless of the model.
The one downside is it has a lot of blind spots so you really have to learn how to drive with it and it took me about three months to get that down.
One of these days I plan to get a new one (or steal mine back from my son).
Could also be the hot/cold air blender. There is a box behind the dash that takes in both hot & cold air and blends it according to the temp you have set on your climate controls. Sometimes the solenoids that control flaps that let air in and out of the box malfunciton. If they stop working then that could explain why you only get cold air. I’ve got the Grand Cherokee and it is a known problem on those vehicles. My passenger side gets no heat right now and have to get that fixed soon as its not the greatest way to pick up your date on a cold evening!
By the way, are you the one I met at that garage a few years ago in Illinois on the way to the Cutting Edge 1/2 IM? I think you were having a problem with a wheel and I was getting my battery replaced.
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By the way, are you the one I met at that garage a few years ago in Illinois on the way to the Cutting Edge 1/2 IM? I think you were having a problem with a wheel and I was getting my battery replaced.
Shit thats too funny! I’ve still got the same car too although mine has >160k. No major problems yet so I think I might squeeze out another 40k until I get another one. I drive 400 miles per week so it won’t take that long.
One of my training buddies has had a Murano for a couple of years now and is quite happy with it.
Seems like your heater core is busted. Parts shouldn’t be more than couple of hundred, labour will wary depending on where in the car the heater core is located (some cars require going in from the inside, taking out the whole dash and stuff).
If you don’t need heat inside the car it can be bypassed by running a hose around it.
I’d definetely take the car somewhere else for a second/third opinion.
Oh, and coolant flush is supposed to be done every two years at the most, just like all the other fluids in the engine/transmission…
Murano is a nice vehicle, have a few friends with them. Drives great, but the real life mileage is way worse than the published one, which is the only drawback anyone I know mentions.
Love our Murano. Its on a maxima chassis so it drives and handles like a nice car. gets decent milage, 24-26 mpg with a roof rack. Nice car for bike stuff…plenty of room, rear seats fold down really easily to flat.
For what it’s worth, I love my Murano. Never had a problem, runs well. My neighbor has the Lexus and it is always has something wrong with it. My other neighbor has the BMW and it’s petty much in the shop full time.
