IM LEAKING!!! And cant locate source!!! PICS!!! lol sorry caps

[longhornsqx4]

Havent run my car in 3 days cause I was gone, go to work this mornin and I noticed when i backed out there was a fresh oil puddle, thats sucks!!

Turn off the car, get on my knees in my suit, and sure enough, there is oil drips on the crossmember, couldnt get dirty but I did have my cam, so I snapped some pics.

Its coming from the passenger side, side/front of the engine. There was oil drip on the bottom of the alt and this other unit I took a pic of (water pump?) But I couldnt see the source, popped the hood and still couldnt see the source, everything up top looked pretty clean.

Looked as far down as I could and noticed the side of the exhaust manifold had oil on it (would explain the weird smell, I guess oil would burn after a while on the manifold)

Its defientely not PS fluid, what else is there on that side of the engine that would leak?

Heres the pics.



Must be a slow leak to btw, oil level was fine, but it was a decent size 5" puddle

[SnowSurfLax]

Might be your valve cover. Mine is leaking slightly and is getting on my alternator as well.

[longhornsqx4]

Hell, I dont even think I can see the valve covers on this motor. thats a good bet though, probly just replace the gasket and go. But hard to see, is there any other fittings or pumps there on that side of the engine above the alternator or tucked beside/behind it?

[mott6904]

The oil cooler looks nasty try tightening up the bolt and see what that does

[longhornsqx4]

Yeah I know it looks nasty as scrap down there. By oil cooler you mean that pic I posted with the 2 hoses going to it? Im guessing you mean its attached to the block with bolts and they might be loose?Ill check after work, would love more suggestions though, maybe a way to change, fix/tighten this valvecover

[SixGuns]

Yes, with the 2 hoses attached - that's where mine was leaking all over the place from. Is your front axle oily? Tighten up that main bolt on the face (17mm, if I recall correctly) and that took care of my leak. Best bet, though, is to clean everything well, pop under the rig every day after its been driven and check to see if it's leaking and see where it's coming from. Much easier to do when everything is clean.

[longhornsqx4]

Yeah thats what I plan on doing when it stops rainin, I bought a case of brake cleaner yesterday on the way home from work ($80!!! for 12 cans) And I just plan on cleaning the crap off of most of the engine

But right after I do it I was hoping to locate the problem before it even leaked over my new clean engine again lol,

ok so try and get access to the bolts that hold that oil cooler onI looked at the top of my engine with the plastics still on, can you even see the valve cover? I honestly couldnt spot a valve cover

[Chris92SE]

There is a gasket in the oil cooler that goes bad. It is a very common problem with these.

The gasket is under $20. If you want to do the job yourself, it is a bit tight in there, but not impossible. Call around if you don't want to do it yourself.

I called two dealers that quoted me several hundred dollars (one was like $400) to fix it and eventually went to a Nissan Specialty mechanic that was like $100 and he also changed the oil and filter as part of the service.

[tbsbiker2]

Funny I actually lived your exact description, oil, suit, knees...Mine was the oil cooler gasket...the Import repair shop around the corner did it for $100.00 including parts. Figured it looked like a hassle to get in there and it was 9 degrees here in chicago when I had it done.

[mott6904]

Most the time you can take the oil cooler off and and take off the rubber o-ring and match it up at the local parts store. It is the same thing as an oil filter o-ring

[longhornsqx4]

how does the cooler come off. Heck I dont even know how big it is, I dont see how that little thing does any cooling, no grill or fins or anything

Anyways, is it simply bolted on, and those 2 hoses. How much oils gonna be comin out? should I drain it first

I dont mind doing this myself if you guys think thats the problem

But there was oil OPTOP of that cooler (i think) if thats the case then the cooler isnt the problem right

I just want this fixed before my vacation next week

[longhornsqx4]

Ya looking at my pic, theres oil on the ALT which is above the cooler, oil doesnt drip up..... Or does it f***ing squirt outta there?

[Chuck Tribolet]

Looks like there's a little oil on the bottom of the alternator. Probably notsquirting (or you'd have low oil), but just a tiny leak and wind and bumps.I'll vote for the cooler.

[longhornsqx4]

K I might aswell just try it. Can anyone tell me the Nissan/Inf part # it? I tried on a few sites but couldnt get a consistent part number or diagram. I'll check out the FSM to see how its changed

[longhornsqx4]

K I found the diagram to remove it in the FSM, only thing I dont get, is what part most likely is my culprit? Theres 2 o-rings and that gasket

It also (to me) isnt clear as to how to remove this thing off of the block, like does removing that big banjo looking bolt in the center of the unit allow it to be removed, or is there small bolts attaching its right to the block? Appears it may be able to come off in pieces, need some help on this.

[Chuck Tribolet]

Start by just retorqing the bolts. That will save draining the oil and coolant.

BTW, you earlier mentioned brake cleaner. That stuff is pretty potent and yourpaint may not like it. I'd use Gunk.

[longhornsqx4]

Well I got under the trunk just now, jacked it up, and I cant see a "source" I just cleaned up everything as best I could and tightenned the big bolt some more (wasnt loose though) on the end, I dont have the bent allen keys needed to do the main bolts though, have to buy a set

Could only see one of the bolts to they are gonna be a b**** to get off

Also is the oil pressure switch just a harness connection that clips off? it was to dirty to tell and i ran out of brake clean

[mott6904]

I wasnt aware the oil pressure swith was in the same location. They have a problem leaking through the electrical connection part of the sensor. If it was my car i would replace the sensor and copper crush washer on the oil cooler bolt and the big o-ring on the oil cooler.

[bigballerhanh]

I think I have the same exact problem. I noticed it this morning or the passenger side a puddle of oil was present. Afew people told me to use NO LEAK an oil additive that fixes the seal/gasket. Has anyone ever tried NO LEAK?

[mott6904]

Do not use no leak, it is crap. i have customers bring me their cars after doing a stop leak treatment(like the one you mentioned) and it plugged up the heater core and still leaked like a mother. Using it for an oil leak might be different but there is only one solution to fixing an oil leak and that is replace the bad seal.

[bigballerhanh]

Thanks...I definately wont use the no leak... I took it to my mechanic today and explained the problem to him and told him it's most likely the o-rings inside the oil cooler. I will let you no tomorrow if that indeed was the problem.