Puddle of oil under 93 Q45

[Alcyone]

Last week I noticed a puddle of oil underneath my 93 Q45 after it had been parked all night in my driveway.

Beforehand, when I was driving it, I thought I noticed a faint smell of burning oil, but it wasn't enough to cause me immediate concern. The engine was running fine as well.

Upon brief inspection, I can say the oil filter is tight and the drain bolt on the oil pan is good. However, the oil appears to be dripping from somewhere above the oil pan. It's hard to tell exactly where it's coming from because I have no safe means to get under the car to look properly.

The leak was enough to cause substantial oil on my driveway, but there was still a level registering on the dip stick.

Does anyone know what the likely source might be? I believe the car had been leaking for about 3 days and got substantially worse before I noticed it.

I'm thinking, perhaps, it could be the oil pan gasket.

Is there anyone locally in Colorado (denver area or northern colorado) that would be willing to fix it at a more reasonable price over dealerships and independent auto repair shops? I simply don't have the time or means to do it myself.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Q45denver]

Likely sources would be the front main seal or the valve covers. NAPA might have a good shop in your area and have a good warranty program.

[superuber]

Sounds like valve covers. Have they been done? Be careful who you have do it. RTV, no gaskets.

[Q45tech]

Almost everything that could leak on a VH45 is best done by an expereinced expert..................too many average mechanics make mistakes from not doing the work regularly.

Someone who works on Q weekly is the best bet.

[Alcyone]

Thank you for the replies. Are valve covers an expensive repair? Are there any special things i need to tell the mechanic who replaces them to ensure the job is done properly?

[sdkhalsa]

Check for a leak in oil pressure sending unit, this can really really pour it out. One person on this site mentioned that he had a blow-out which almost cost him the engine. In my case, I was loosing almost two quarts per week. It is a real bugger to replace, but there are some instructions in previous post.

[96Qowner]

Replacing the valve covers gaskets isn't exactly cheap, no, sorry. The experts charge 7 hours for the job. The passenger side is pretty straightforward - driver's side isn't. Here's a thread with pics and details for the driver's side. It would help to print it out for the tech who does the work.

zerothread?id=107690

[Alcyone]

Took another quick glance and the oil pressure sending unit seems like the more likely culprit. I'm going to attempt the repair myself. Is there a how to guide somewhere? I did a search here but didn't find much.

[sdkhalsa]

Try This: zerothread?id=267968I would also recommend dropping the sway bar(maybe mentioned). It does not take much time and yields great rewards.

[Alcyone]

Thanks. I'll give it a shot.

[texasoil]

also put a jack under the engine and lift it an inch or so--it GREATLY increases access.

[Alcyone]

Upon further investigation, I discovered that the oil is leaking out with the engine off. I poured 3 quarts of oil in and it immediately came out into a pan I had sitting underneath the car.

That being said, I don't believe it's the oil pressure sending unit or the valve covers.

What else could it be?

Thanks in advance for any further help.

[maxnix]

Cracked oil pan? How else could it appear so quickly unless you left the bolt off?

Please complete your profile so we know what car and model we are talking about.

[Alcyone]

Well I don't recall bottoming out or anything. And I've checked the bolt and filter. I'm inclined to believe it's the oil pan gasket but don't know why it would begin to leak so quickly.

I'm not sure if it's related, but a couple of weeks before I noticed the leak I recall hearing a loud chiseling sound coming from the engine when I moved the gear shifter from park to drive. I put it back in park, restarted the engine and the sound went away. Perhaps this was timing belt slippage?
Modified by Alcyone at 9:09 PM 10/11/2007

[Q45denver]

Loud noises aren't good. You don't want to be running the engine until you have it checked out. Oil pan uses RTV not gaskets. No timing belt but chain. Most common cause of catastrophic engine failure is broken timing guides. Infiniti of Denver probably still has some experienced techs.

[Alcyone]

I definitely won't be starting the car or driving it until it's fixed. I'm aware of the timing chain guide problems on some of these cars. Could this be the cause of the leak?

I wasn't sure what RTV is and briefly looked it up. Is this sealant prone to leakage like gaskets?

[Q45denver]

If you are leaking that much oil it is not a gasket or seal issue. You may have a hole in the pan or block.

[Rex]

If the guides "went", you could have experienced some kind of damage to the oil pump, etc that's on the front lower part fot he motor. Guide "pieces" usually go down there and do the most damage.

[Alcyone]

The problem turned out to be a crack in the oil pan. Although I don't recall hitting anything or bottoming out.

I'm going to fix it with JBWeld but need to give the oil time to completely drain from the pan so I can get the surface of the gouge clean.

[Alcyone]

JB Weld stopped the leak. 5 bucks later and all is well...

[AlabamaDan]

Glad to hear it.

[szh]

JB Weld stopped the leak. 5 bucks later and all is well...

Hmmm ... I am not sure that I would rely on this for a long-term fix. I'd be safe and replace the oil pan. You can get them for relatively little cost, I'd think.

Z

[yodawill2000]

My thoughts exactly.At least drop it and get a good weld inside and out.