2003 xterra overheating, the overflow was almost empty do I need to put coolant in radiator + overflow or just the overflow

engine running too hot.check coolant level, should be 50/50 antifreeze and water.replace thermostat and radiator pressure cap.check antifreeze level in the radiator,coolant level should be just below radiator cap, add coolant to overflow jug,should alway be at the full cold mark.empty coolant overflow jug will allow air be drawed in the coolant system causing overheating.if overheating happens when coming to a long stop.could have faulty engine coolant temperature sensor or bad coolant fan fuse or relay.

Raise the car front end as high as possible with a floor jack, fill the coolant tank to the top, run the engine until it reaches just short of overheating, shut it down and run water over the radiator, this will burp the air out. Repeat as needed. Don't let the coolant recovery tank run dry during procedure.

better change out your Plenium (Intake) before it ruins your engine ! Part is about $125.00 and comes with gaskets and a new Intake and new EGR Tube you replace also, what it is doing is leaking internally and burning it, it will eventually start to miss and quit on you Hydrolocking the engine. water does not compress in cylinders. If you are lucky you won't have to do lower intake gaskets or head gaskets......But get it fixed before too LATE !

a leak in coolant system will cause air pocket in the coolant system around the engine coolant temperature sensor.coolant sensor is a thermistor in which when hot cool cause it resistance decrease which affect the voltage from sensor to pcm which will cause engine coolant to turn on.if coolant level okay,check coolant fan fuse and relay, if all is good,engine coolant temperature sensor could be bad or have vechicle code scan for pcm problems it control the coolant fan.fill coolant system to correct level make sure engine coolat reservoir is at full cold mark and not empty.fill coolant system check for leaks,refill coolant overflow jug back to full cold mark dont over fill, if coolant overflow stay empty you have leak either its leaking or you have radiator hoses or radiator leaking coolant.when coolant overflow jug run dry it cause air get in coolant system causing overheating problems.

you need to replace thermostat and radiator cap.look under hood around engine compartment.look for a radiator cap near radiator,add 50/50 antifreeze and water to coolant system to bring up boiling point.pure water will cause engine run hotter because water evaporate away,remove radiator pour coolant in the radiator until coolant stop dropping in the radiator now some vechicle pour coolant in the coolant overflow jug,pour coolant until coolant level stop dropping and the coolant level stay at cold full mark.start engie let idle few minutes, watch coolant level in radiator if coolant start dropping add more coolant, when coolant level stop dropping put radiator cap back on let engine idle until both top radaitor hose and bottom coolant hose get warm turn off engine wait until it get cool then take a large rag slightly open radiator just a litle at a time to keep from getting scaled.once radiator remove add more coolant if low,put radiator cap back on start the engine let it idle watch the temp gauge if temperature gauge going hot zone stop engine wait until cool then add more coolant,keep doing this until engine stop overheating going into hot zone and coolant level stop dropping,make the coolant overflow jug coolant level stay at full cold mark, dont let jug run empty if so air will get in the coolant system causing engine to overheat.

CHECK COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG IF EMPTY ADD MORE COOLANT UNTIL COOLANT LEVEL STAY AT FULL COLD MARK.LONG AS COOLANT LEVEL OVERFLOW EMPTY KEEP COOLANT AT COLD FULL MARK.IF COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG YOUR RADIATOR COOLANT LEVEL LOW.

CHECK COOLANT LEVEL MOST NEWER VECHICLE DONT HAVE RADIATOR CAP YOU HAVE TO POUR COOLANT IN THE COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG THE COOLANT WILL GO TO RADIATOR. IF THE COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG EMPTY ADD COOLANT UNTIL COOLANT LEVEL STOP DROPPING AT STAY AT FULL COLD MARK.IF COOLANT OKAY,NEED TO REPLACE THERMOSTAT AND COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG PRESSURE CAP. IF ALL BEEN DONE. MOST OF THE TIME WHEN CAR OVERHEATING WHILE MOVING. RADIATOR CORES STOPPED UP OR RADIATOR GRILLE DIRTY OR RESRICTED.ENGINE BLOCK COOLANT PASSAGES CLOGGED AND HEATER CORE CLOGGED.CHECK WATER PUMP SEE IF WATER PUMP WEEP HOLE LEAKING IF SO REPLACE WATER PUMP.IF ENGINE OVERHEATING AT A LONG TRAFFIC LINE ENGINE COOLING FANS NOT RUNNING EITHER COOLING FANS FUSE AND RELAYS BAD.OR ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE BAD. THE ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR TURNS ON COOLING FANS AT A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE IF SENSOR BAD FANS WONT TURN ON. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE 50 /50 MIXTURE OF COOLANT AND WATER IN COOLING SYSTEM.

OVERHEATING CAN BE CAUSE BY MANY THINGS LIKE FAULTY THERMOSTAT AND FAULTY RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP,TOO MUCH WATER IN COOLANT SYSTEM NEED 50 / 50 WATER AND ANTIFREEZE.LOOK FOR WATER PUMP WEEP HOLE LEAK, IF COOLANT LEAKING OUT WEEP HOLE WATER PUMP BAD NEED REPLACING.CHECK FOR LOW COOLANT LEVEL, YOUR RADIATOR OVERFLOW JUG SHOULD HAVE COOLANT AT THE FULL COLD MARK IF NOT KEEP ADDING COOLANT INTO COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG UNTIL COOLANT STOP DROPPING AND FULL COLD MARK, IF OVERFLOW COOLANT JUG WAS EMPTY RADIATOR IS LOW ON COOLANT.WHICH CAUSE AIR IN COOLANT SYSTEM KEEPING THE ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR FROM BEING SUBMERGE IN HOT COOLANT WHICH TURN ON THE COOLANT FANS.WHEN ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE GET CERTAIN SET TEMPERATURE LIKE 190 DEGREES THE PCM AND COOLANT SENSOR WILL TURN ON COOLANT FANS, IF VECHICLE OVERHEATING COOLANT FANS NOT WORKING EITHER YOU HAVE FAULTY ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR CHECK COOLANT FANS FUSE AND RELAYS. YOU CAN CODE SCAN CAR TO SEE IF YOU HAVE FAULTY PCM, FAULTY ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR OR FAULTY COOLANT FAN RELAY.IF COOLANT FAN AND ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR OKAY,YOU HAVE CORRECT COOLANT LEVEL IN COOLANT SYSTEM, THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP BEEN REPLACED, YOU COULD HAVE BLOWN HEAD GASKET CHECK ENGINE OIL LOOKS LIKE MILK SHAKE HEAD GASKET BLOWED ALSO WHEN HEAD GASKET BLOWED YOU CAN DRIVE CAR SHORT DISTANCE START OVERHEATING AND YOU LOOSE ENGINE POWER SUSPECT BLOWED HEAD GASKET.

CAR OVERHEATING FIRST CHECK FOR LOW COOLANT IN THE RADIATOR COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG.IF COOLANT LEVEL IN OVERFLOW JUG LOW REFILL ADD COOLANT BACK TO THE FULL COLD MARK.PUT RADAITOR CAP ON COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG START ENGINE LET IT IDLE UNTIL IT OPERATING TEMPERATURE.MAKE SURE TOP RADIATOR HOSE GETTING HOT WHILE ENGINE WARM UP.IF TOP RADIATOR HOSE DONT GET HOT WHILE ENGINE IDLING YOUR THERMOSTAT COULD BE STUCK CLOSE CAUSING CAR TO OVERHEAT.IF TOP HOSE IS GETTING HOT.CHECK FOR COOLANT LEAKS CHECK TOP RADIATOR HOSE AND BOTTOM RADIATOR HOSE FOR LEAKS.CHECK FOR LEAKS AT THE RADIATOR CORES AND PLASTIC SIDE CONTAINERS.IF ALL IS GOOD ENGINE OVERHEATING WHILE IN A LONG TRAFFIC LINE, COOLANT FANS NOT COMING ON.COULD HAVE FAULTY ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR OR BLOWN COOLING FAN FUSE OR RELAY.COULD HAVE PCM FAULT.MAKE COOLING FAN ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS AND WIRING NOT DAMAGE OR BROKEN.

change the thermostat