My Nissan Z NISMO Coolant Temperature Goes Up In Traffic, But Stays Normal In All Other Driving Conditions, Even When I Push It

Owner groups are a great place to learn about the car you are interested in. On my most recent browsing in the Facebook group, “The New Nisan Z”, I stumbled upon a post from one owner who is experiencing something peculiar with his Japanese sports car. The owner, Howard Torch, even supplemented photos (main image), which you can see. Here's what he says:  

“Morning slow traffic before and after I turn the AC on for added cooling. It's only 55F outside. Thoughts?” 

The images speak more than the actual text, and more than a few members chimed in with helpful comments to help determine whether the needle position on the coolant temperature gauge is something to worry about. It is important to note that the car in question is a Nissan Z NISMO. 

UPDATE: After I had already covered this story, Howard Torch reached out to Torque News and provided the following update: "I'm the original poster. Yesterday I exercised patience and noticed the temps did not go above 208. The fan came on, and it stays between 195 and 208. All good."

What people say 

The owner adds that his NISMO Z is cool when not in traffic and even when he's “pushing it”.  

Another group member, Marc Jones, makes a good point: “I noticed that my fan comes on right at 213 degrees. That's without AC. Seems like it would be high but I am used to the dummy gauges so I never looked up what any of the other cars ran. As long as it didn't start going up past the halfway point, I never paid much more attention to it.” 

What are dummy gauges? 

“Dummy gauges” as they are referred to is something most cars have. I am not talking about the auxiliary gauges (like in my old car – a Hyundai Tiburon), which show torque and current fuel consumption, and voltmeter (the last one is, actually, useful). I am referring to what the temp gauge is showing. 

When you have dummy gauges, the temp usually doesn't go past the middle until it gets really hot. In other words, the Nissan Z has real gauges that show you temperature changes, regardless of how minor they are. While 208 degrees does seem frightening to some, others are not worried about it. Apparently, this is still below the threshold for turning on the NISMO Z's cooling fans. 

Why using your A/C to cool down your engine is wrong 

Many believe that turning your car's A/C on will cool your engine, but that assumption is wrong. Turning on the air-condition will pump hot air out of the cabin to the outside while cold air from the condenser enters the cabin. The same principle applies to air-conditioners used in households. If you go near the outside body, it blows hot air, to cool the temperature inside down. 

Turning on the heater (not the A/C) pumps hot engine coolant through the heater core, so this is a much better solution, provided your car is not losing coolant. There is a very useful Reddit thread if you are interested.  

Does the Nissan Z have cooling issues? 

The Nissan Z is currently the best sports car for around $50,000, yet it is still something of a wildcard when it comes to long-term reliability. While it features proven hardware from the Nissan 370Z (chassis, manual transmission, etc.) and the Infiniti Q50, Q60 RedSport (VR30DDTT engine), there are still a few things to note. Some owners are complaining from the way the Nissan Z manual transmission works, and it is possible more “glitches” could manifest themselves as the model ages.  

In a podcase about the Nissan Z, Jason Camisa talked about abusing the Japanese sports car for a whole day, without any cooling issues, while not one but three Q50 RedSport were overheated during testing (video below).  

At the same time, the regular Nissan Z seem to be exempt from cooling issues, which was one of the weak points of its predecessor, the 370Z. The NISMO Z gains 20 horsepower and 24 pound-feet over the normal Z, thanks to improved cooling, revised electronic wastegate, and ignition timing.  

Having personal experience with overheating cars, seeing the coolant temperature needle to the right causes rightful concern (especially when it's in the red). That said, Howard might be in the clear, and props to Nissan for giving us real gauges that actually show us something. Time will tell if this is some sort of issue exclusive to the NISMO Z or just the temperature gauge is simply doing what it's meant to. Let me know what you think in the comment section below. 

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.

Image sources: Howard Torch via "The New Nissan Z"/ Facebook, 2024 Nissan Z NISMO press kit