# 2002 Nissan Sentra overheats when driving, not idling

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-nissan-sentra-overheats-when-driving-not-idling/154961>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** nissan, sentra\
**Created:** [December 19, 2019, 4:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-nissan-sentra-overheats-when-driving-not-idling/154961 "2019-12-19T04:10:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RolandSchaapveld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@RolandSchaapveld](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RolandSchaapveld)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 4:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-nissan-sentra-overheats-when-driving-not-idling/154961/1 "2019-12-19T04:10:32Z")

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Car overheats while driving, can take 5 to 10 minutes to start, quicker if in stop and go traffic. But won’t overheat when parked and idling.

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**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 12:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-nissan-sentra-overheats-when-driving-not-idling/154961/2 "2019-12-22T00:49:53Z")

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Under those conditions, I’d start with a new radiator cap. If you are losing any coolant, even a small amount, you could have a blown head gasket.

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-nissan-sentra-overheats-when-driving-not-idling/154961/3 "2019-12-22T01:00:50Z")

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To me that sounds like the cooling system isn’t holding pressure properly. Good idea above to try a new cooling system pressure cap. But that won’t work if there’s a leak elsewhere. Note that a cooling system leak doesn’t mean the problem is the head gasket. Could be the water pump or where a sensor screws into the cooling jacket that’s leaking. A small leak might not show up as coolant under the car. But a small leak will prevent the cooling system from maintaining its designed pressure. There’s a test called a “cooling system pressure test” that is often useful for diagnosing this problem. Suggest to have that done before attempting any parts replacement guesses.

If you want to try a diy’er approach you’ll need something like this

> **[Radiator Pressure Tester Kit](https://www.harborfreight.com/radiator-pressure-tester-kit-63862.html)**
>
> Radiator Pressure Tester Kit

Note: If your car has experienced a severe overheating incident in the past, that makes it much more likely the problem is the head gasket.