How to Replace the Water Hoses in a Nissan Sentra

The Nissan Sentra has always been a favorite for the budget-minded car owner. It debuted in 1982 and promised great gas mileage and good yearly performance. The 2007 redesign gave a little more room for growing families, but it kept the ease of periodic maintenance, such as water hose replacement. Here is how to replace the water hoses in your 1999 to 2008 Nissan Sentra.

Instructions

Remove Old Hoses

1

Get the Gates radiator hoses needed for your Nissan Sentra at your local auto parts store. The upper hose is 22536 and the lower is 22537. If your auto parts store does not have Gates, other hoses will work as long as they apply to a Nissan Sentra. The preformed shape allows these hoses to fit in a specific area to do their job.

2

Loosen the screws on the adjustable radiator clamps with a flathead screwdriver. Move the clamp down on the hose and out of the way. Let the car down on the jack stands after jacking each side up individually.

3

Mark where the old hose came to on the machinery so you can put the replacement up the same amount and avoid leakage. Take a picture of the original placement if you have a digital camera so you can replicate it.

4

Eliminate the old hose as you peel it away from the vehicle areas where it stuck with a utility knife. Use a piece of coarse sandpaper to clean the area where the hose was stuck to the automobile part. Clean the other connection areas while they are free.

5

Place a container below the radiator to catch the coolant mixture so it does not go into the storm drains and thus the ground water. Pour the mixture back into an empty coolant bottle and dispose of properly.

6

Open the drain plug or remove the bottom radiator hose to drain. Remove the top hose by slipping it off the radiator shroud at one end and the thermostat housing at the other. Discard all the used hoses and clamps. Sand the areas where the old hose met the Nissan Sentra parts to remove pieces of hose and other grit.

Install New Hoses

7

Use adjustable clamps with screws for greater protection in holding the new hoses in place. Install the new Nissan Sentra hoses by reversing the steps you went through when removing the old ones.

8

Set the clamps on the top hose and slide toward the middle of the hose. Push the hose securely onto the top opening in the radiator shroud at one end and the thermostat housing (at the top of the water pump) on the other. Tighten each clamp by tightening the screw.

9

Repeat Step 2 for the clamps and connect the hose to the bottom radiator shroud at one end and the bottom of the engine at the other. Adjust the clamps into place and tighten the screw.

10

Reuse the old coolant if it is still clean and finish filling the radiator with a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water to the cap line. Refill it more as it goes down into the radiator until it stops percolating and making room for more coolant. Start the engine with the radiator cap still open.

11

Start up the Nissan Sentra. The thermostat will get warmer and the fluid will drop as the coolant begins to circulate. From here, you can finish filling up the radiator. Replace the radiator cap and fill up the overflow reservoir to the line marked "full."

12

Check to see that the temperature gauge does not run higher than it should. Be sure that the drain plug is closed and there are no leaks at the hose connections or anywhere else.