2001 Pathfinder Coolant Leak

[Patrick82]

I need a little help here. I have a coolant leak at the back side of motor somewhere. I can see is spurting out above the transmission and following it down along transmission to the oil pan where it then hit the ground but can not see up any further. It is a constant drip, I checked the oil cap and it was fine not milky at all. I also checked dipped stick all is well with that too. I also checked my passenger side floor to make sure it wasn't wet to ensure it wasn't the heater core. If you are looking at the vehicle from the front it is on the left hand side. I need help pin pointing where the leak is coming from. Does any one have a diagram that could help. It is a 2001 Pathfinder 3.5 with 253,000miles on it. I was hoping to make it to 300K at least. I was told maybe it was the crossover for the coolant at the back of engine but I just cant see it. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I don't want to spend an arm and leg on this.

Thanks for any help!

[Towncivilian]

Perhaps it's the water control valve? See its approximate location on page LC-18 of the factory service manual.

[body80]

I had this exact problem about 5 months ago.
There's a tube that connects the cylinder heads that runs across the back of the motor. On my pathfinder, with 185,000 miles, the gasket on the passenger side blew out. The ONLY way I was able to determine this was to use a mirror and a coolant pressure tester. You can get an inspection mirror at any auto parts store and most places will rent you the pressure tester. I was able to see where the water was coming from.
It's a real pain to replace also. You have to tear down the whole top of the motor. I never got the tube out from behind the motor but I was able to jack the motor up and slip the tube back far enough to replace the gasket.

It's not the easiest DIY project but it's doable.

Good luck