Hello Everybody, I have a 2011 Pathfinder (V6) that seems to have an issue with the engine coolant. The vehicle has overheated twice in the last 8 months and I am not sure what to do next.
The vehicle is past it's warranty so I would prefer to do what I can before taking it to anyone.
With that being said, this vehicle is leaking coolant from the reservoir after it has been warmed up. All of the coolant tubes are in good shape and I can not find any other leaks. The overheating also seems to happen when the a/c is on. The first time was when the rear a/c was turned on and this last time was with just the front. I have added coolant to the system when it is low and have burped the system but the same problem keeps happening. We have heat from the heater and a/c but my wife says that she could smell the coolant with the a/c on just before it this last overheating.
I changed the fluid last year and after is when we began having a problem. I thought that there was air in the lines after the first overheating and refilled what was low, ran the vehicle with the a/c (both front & rear) on, filled as necessary and we've had no issue until now. The vehicle ran with the a/c on, the heat on, and has been on longer trips without any issue.
That is until the other day, when my wife was with the kids and the overheating issue came back. After we are done driving there is almost always a small puddle of coolant under the front passenger side bumper (in front of the tire) and I can trace the leak from the top of the coolant reservoir. What am I missing, I've changed the coolant on more then one vehicle and never had a problem. I even changed out our camry at the same time and have had no issue. Honda's, Pontiac's, Chevy's have all gone smooth, but I must be missing something.
Any idea's?
Thanks

Could be a small leak on your radiator. I never could find a leak that I had (no drips) after pulling a trailer and getting overheated a couple of years ago. I finally was actually losing a good amount of fluid. I found on the top of the radiator a buildup of the lime from the water I was using and noticed there was a tiny bit of steam coming out of there. repalced radiator and flushed the system with tap water and good to go.