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The car is a 93 with a stock KA, stock radiator with altima fans wired so the low speed comes on at ignition on and the high speed with the A/C. There is a small oil leak from what looks like the oil pan gasket, and other than the cat being hollow there are no major issues.

Two years ago the head gasket blew the first time after the original radiator failed. It was fixed and the only issue was the stock fan shroud being broken in the process. A few months after the head gasket the shroud fell into the mechanical fan and broke a blade off. For the next year or so I've run the car with just the A/C fan wired through a relay and thermostatic switch. That worked great and temps never went above the halfway mark on the temp gauge unless i was sitting in traffic for an extensive period of time.

Recently as it has been getting hotter outside the car over heated a couple times. So, this past week I went ahead and did the altima fan swap. The first few days everything ran perfect, when the car warmed up the temp needle just touched the bottom of the halfway mark on the temp gauge. Refilled the radiator with just water since it was drained and removed for the swap.

Then comes yesterday when the car overheated. Parked and let it cool down. I checked the dipstick and there was no oil, dipstick was bone dry. took off the cap to put more oil in and the cap had that nice "foamy chocolate milk" residue like oil had mixed with water and cooked. The radiator also took about 2/3 of a gallon of water to fill.

After a couple hours of cool down and the fluids filled I started the car and let it warm up with the radiator cap off to watch the water. The water did turn a whitish color but there was only a very little bit of oil residue, hardly even noticable and it didn't start boiling and spraying all over the place like you would expect from a blown head gasket.

After that I drove the car about 35 miles, the temp never going past the halfway mark on the gauge and no boiling water flowing into the overfill tank after I parked. A few hours later when I was leaving I checked the radiator and it needed about 1/2 a gallon to fill it. I drove the car a little while this morning and same thing, not holding water, but not overheating either.


Anyone have any ideas? I have a feeling that the damage has already been done to the head gasket and there may be a small leak now with catastrophic failure not too far away. Thanks.

SleeperSx

If its using that much water then 1 of 2 things is happening.

1st it has to be going somewere, either a leak or in the oil pan. So check you oil again and make sure its not WAY TOO FULL.

2nd if it white milky in the oil, That is a sign of a blowed gasket.

Change the oil, Get us a picture of it. Then find out were that water is going. If its not leaking then it has to be in the block, It won't just evaperate that quick.


When you replaced the gasket the first time. Did you happen to get the head re-surfaced?