Under cover is broken and looks wet

[wardvonverde]

I just convinced my dad to let me take his 1995 300ZX that was sitting in his front yard for years so I could work on it.

What I think happened is my step mom bottomed the car out, BAD. Now all the pieces in this link are basically broken, as well as the bumper. (http://www.nissanpartsdiscounts.com/par ... sh-shields)

Before giving up and taking it to a mechanic, I thought I'd ask for some advice. The piece in that diagram marked 3 all jacked up and looks very "wet" and muddy coming from the passenger's side. I smelled the fluid, and it was odorless. I'm wondering if that means is it an oil leak.

The car runs fine, and it doesn't leak a whole lot, maybe a drop or two every day but I'm wondering what you guys' initial thoughts would be.

I'll try to upload some photos tomorrow when it's lighter outside.

[nexus08]

All that stuff just protects the underside from getting water and mud splashed up into it when you go through puddles and stuff. Shouldn't cause the car to not run if it is messed up a bit - unless it is rubbing on belts.

If your worried it is something leaking out of the car, you have 4 fluids to worry about. Oil, trans fluid, power steering fluid, and coolant. Oil, transfluid, and steering fluid are very oily. Coolent is normally green when new, but can be yellow/brown when old and smells kind of sweet.

Based on what you described, I'd take those shields off and clean up the underside. Then watch to see if anything is leaking. Passenger's side is where the power steering is. Also, where you describe, perhaps the radiator or radiator hose may have been damaged.

[wardvonverde]

Thanks for the comment

I probably should have mentioned it hasn't rained/snowed/sleeted/fogged here in Las Cruces for like four months now, so there's no way the water came from an external source. Plus it's been there for the whole three weeks since I've commandeered the car from my dad

I'll tear those pieces off as soon as I can, and hopefully I can follow the fluid back to its source. It's really impossible to know what fluid it is because of how caked in dirt it gets instantly -- due to the humongous dust storms we've been having lately. It's like black tarry mud.

Peace man

[ThisIsSparTTa]

It's common for the high pressure power steering hoses to leak on the PS. Searching on them will tell you a bunch about them. Take care of it quick before it s*** on your alternator, like mine did.

[wardvonverde]

It's common for the high pressure power steering hoses to leak on the PS. Searching on them will tell you a bunch about them. Take care of it quick before it s*** on your alternator, like mine did.

I just checked my steering fluid (i.e. ATF) at work on my break. The level is all the way to the top, and reddish with that distinct rubber smell.

Also the oil pressure is fine, even after it hadn't been driven in 3 years. After I changed the oil, it's still reading at the same pressure.

I'm really worried that it actually might be manual transmission fluid, which I guess makes sense because it has a hard time shifting into and out of second gear sometimes. That's what my guess is, which makes me wanna puke. It also hates to shift when it's cold period.

I literally can't find any kind of guide, all the photos of most of the guides are just broken images because the hosting sites are now defunct. Any photo guides you guys know of?

Peace

[nexus08]

It's common for the high pressure power steering hoses to leak on the PS. Searching on them will tell you a bunch about them. Take care of it quick before it s*** on your alternator, like mine did.

I just checked my steering fluid (i.e. ATF) at work on my break. The level is all the way to the top, and reddish with that distinct rubber smell.

Also the oil pressure is fine, even after it hadn't been driven in 3 years. After I changed the oil, it's still reading at the same pressure.

I'm really worried that it actually might be manual transmission fluid, which I guess makes sense because it has a hard time shifting into and out of second gear sometimes. That's what my guess is, which makes me wanna puke. It also hates to shift when it's cold period.

I literally can't find any kind of guide, all the photos of most of the guides are just broken images because the hosting sites are now defunct. Any photo guides you guys know of?

Peace

I would tend to not think it is manual trans fluid, as that is pretty far back on the car (after the motor) and it sounds like what your referring to is closer to the front of the car. But I may be wrong...

The shifting may be a clutch issue, but maybe someone with more experience with these cars can tell you more about that issue.

Regarding photo guides -
http://www.z32photoguide.com/

[itsa300zx]

Two thoughts, if the fluid appears to have no color:

1) Do you use the AC system, (ie compressor on to dry the inside cabin air) If yes might be just water dripping.
2) Check the tension rod bushings, they may be leaking a thick clear silicone goo.

[wardvonverde]

Two thoughts, if the fluid appears to have no color:

1) Do you use the AC system, (ie compressor on to dry the inside cabin air) If yes might be just water dripping.
2) Check the tension rod bushings, they may be leaking a thick clear silicone goo.

I do have the climate control system set to 74 with a 3.6F variance. It blows out some cool-ish air, but I don't think there's any freon left in the system, because even when you put it on 60 it still blows ambient air, or maybe one or two degrees cooler. I'll have to get that fixed before summer, but I don't think it should be creating any condensation if there's no freon, right?

I'll have to check into the tension rod bushing, never even crossed my mind.

[ThisIsSparTTa]

MT Fluid would only be escaping the transmission and running backwards unless you spend a lot of time driving in reverse. There's no fluid reservoir for it in the engine.

There is a 2nd clutch bleed point on the passenger side near the PS resevoir. It uses brake fluid, which smells godawful, so I doubt that's it. Also, I haven't seen anyone saying that line is leaking, but anything is possible.

Tension rod bushings are a good call, especially if it sat for 3 years. Could have dry rotted from the lack of movement, and then cracked when you drove it.

[wardvonverde]

MT Fluid would only be escaping the transmission and running backwards unless you spend a lot of time driving in reverse. There's no fluid reservoir for it in the engine.

There is a 2nd clutch bleed point on the passenger side near the PS resevoir. It uses brake fluid, which smells godawful, so I doubt that's it. Also, I haven't seen anyone saying that line is leaking, but anything is possible.

Tension rod bushings are a good call, especially if it sat for 3 years. Could have dry rotted from the lack of movement, and then cracked when you drove it.

I think this is probably the culprit, my question is that for a Z32 I've read that as the bushings wear out you experience some "shimmying while braking", however I experience significant shimmying while accelerating between 40-60 MPH, and the shimmy goes away above or below of the range. It also lessens significantly upon braking.

If I accelerate fast, it causes a godawful rattle on anything where the rubber trim has worn out.

It's actually one of the reasons my dad stopped driving the car, he claims a s*** auto shop bent the driveshaft. I think this makes more sense, what do you guys think?

[itsa300zx]

MT Fluid would only be escaping the transmission and running backwards unless you spend a lot of time driving in reverse. There's no fluid reservoir for it in the engine.

There is a 2nd clutch bleed point on the passenger side near the PS resevoir. It uses brake fluid, which smells godawful, so I doubt that's it. Also, I haven't seen anyone saying that line is leaking, but anything is possible.

Tension rod bushings are a good call, especially if it sat for 3 years. Could have dry rotted from the lack of movement, and then cracked when you drove it.

I think this is probably the culprit, my question is that for a Z32 I've read that as the bushings wear out you experience some "shimmying while braking", however I experience significant shimmying while accelerating between 40-60 MPH, and the shimmy goes away above or below of the range. It also lessens significantly upon braking.

If I accelerate fast, it causes a godawful rattle on anything where the rubber trim has worn out.

It's actually one of the reasons my dad stopped driving the car, he claims a s*** auto shop bent the driveshaft. I think this makes more sense, what do you guys think?

Check the center ds bearing, get car up in the air and grab the DS near the bearing and give it a good shake. If good, should be no movement at all.

[DCaff300ZX]

The shimmy/vibration you mention is probably either a badly balanced one-piece driveshaft from a dubious source, or the original two-piece has a bad carrier bearing which is very common.
With your strange fluid leak I'd lean towards the A/C and condensation, especially considering your comments about the weather. If you run the A/C consistently even just at the Auto settings in warm weather there will always be condensation in the system from the temperature transfer that has to be released, and actually probably more from a weak system needing a refresh. I've seen several cars that leave quite a puddle in any weather temp range. There really are few things in my experience that would be clear and odorless coming from anything to worry about under the hood of a Z32, unless you're running straight water in the radiator and even then it would not be clear or odorless most likely.
If not using the A/C at all for a few days doesn't solve the problem I'd then look further, but not sure where...

[wardvonverde]

I'd just like to let you guys know I really appreciate your responses. I won't have much time to actually get the car up into the air until this weekend or maybe next :\ I don't have enough downtime until then to let the car cool off enough to remove the heat shield, which covers damn near everything.

In the meantime I am going to be driving it pretty cautiously, and leave the climate control off so the compressor won't be causing any condensation.

I also just found out after pressuring my dad, he took the car to a cheapo place who couldn't figure out how to properly bleed the clutch He said he took it back three times, and after that shop called the Nissan dealership they supposedly figured the s*** out.

When I get the opportunity I'm going to inspect the tension rod bushings, and for good measure I'll check the differentials, and if no luck there maybe the manual transmission fluid, which sucks on this car because it's totally sealed off. All of the other fluids are topped off.

About that driveshaft, is it even possible to bend? The OEM shaft is jointed, and a bend would just cause the joint to give, right? Isn't there some kind of driveshaft repair guide floating around, to just replace the fitments, especially the rubber and bushings?

I don't understand why there are so many Z owners jumping to replace their jointed driveshaft with the one-piece. To be honest, the one-piece just sounds really dangerous, if you built up some deformations then achieved the right resonance it seems like it could just snap in half.

Front-engine/rear-wheel driveshafts are much longer, and need some kind of point where the pressure can be relieved.

Thanks again for reading, peace

[ThisIsSparTTa]

Yea, so on the Z32 there's a clutch bleed point at the clutch slave on the side of the transmission, and up on the passenger side near the fender. It's common that people don't know about the one up top.

As far as the 2-piece driveshaft, the mount can be put on upside down too, which will cause issues. It should be installed like this:.

[300ZXttZMAN]

It's common for the high pressure power steering hoses to leak on the PS. Searching on them will tell you a bunch about them. Take care of it quick before it s*** on your alternator, like mine did.

I just checked my steering fluid (i.e. ATF) at work on my break. The level is all the way to the top, and reddish with that distinct rubber smell.

Also the oil pressure is fine, even after it hadn't been driven in 3 years. After I changed the oil, it's still reading at the same pressure.

I'm really worried that it actually might be manual transmission fluid, which I guess makes sense because it has a hard time shifting into and out of second gear sometimes. That's what my guess is, which makes me wanna puke. It also hates to shift when it's cold period.

I literally can't find any kind of guide, all the photos of most of the guides are just broken images because the hosting sites are now defunct. Any photo guides you guys know of?

Peace

Don't rely on the OEM oil pressure sender, sometimes it can be off. I want to suggest a product to you, redline MT-90 you should order some and change the gear oil in the trans to that and see if it helps the issue.

[DCaff300ZX]

Here's a photo guide that is working, not sure if it has what you need though...
http://www.z32photoguide.com/