Last week I noticed that steam was coming from underneath my hood when I pulled up to a station to refuel. My overflow reservoir is cracked, so it doesn't hold water. When I opened my hood, I saw that the water from the cooling system had flowed back into the cracked tank which is always empty. After the car cooled down, I filled the radiator with water and drove it home without any problem.
After I got home I verified that my cooling fans were running. Since then, it hasn't overheated, although it does run between 1/3 and 1/2 of the temperature gauge. In the mornings, on the way to work, I run the heater since it's cold outside and sometimes it doesn't go up at all. In the evenings, I have to keep an eye on it though, since I'm not always running my heat.
I was told to replace the thermostat but it is not in the position indicated to me. Apparently the top hose running from the radiator is supposed to connect to the thermostat housing? Perhaps my Sentra is different. Is this housing on the front side of the engine? Can someone give me a point of reference? I called a garage and they said it would cost $170 for labor to change it, even though the nearest auto parts store said the part itself costs $8 and requires the removal of three bolts and the purchase of a tube of silicone to complete the repair.
Does it sound as if something is wrong with the thermostat? If so, how can I go about replacing it? I've just relocated and taken a new job and can't afford the repairs, much less to be without a car. Any help or advice is appreciated.