Hello guys,

I finally found where the oil was leaking from. At first I thought it was from the oil pan but sadly it isn't. The leak isn't bad yet but enough that there are wet marks around the area that surrounds it. I see some of it coming from where the crankshaft pulley is. However, the pulley to the left of it (closer to the firewall) shows more evidence of leaks. I am not too sure what that is, I do know that the other pulleys to the right are the alternator and water pump. Can anyone help me with this, perhaps tell me if this is a major work and other recommendations?

Thanks.

 

K.....so noone had this type of problems?

 

Sounds like a front crankshaft seal. If it is could be pricey!!

 

Well most of it is coming from the other pulley next to it to the left...but if that is so, what other things can be replaced while the mechanic is in there? Some mechanic told me that they'll end up replacing the timing chain and the guides because putting the old ones back wouldn't sit in right anymore. Is that true?

 

They just want your money, the guides can wear out, but the chain shouldnt.
The main crank seal isnt that hard to replace yourself if you have access to a lift.
And when you say the pully on the left of the main crank pully, do you mean the power steering pump? My car has only 3 pullys, the main, powersteering and AC.
I replace my engine a few months ago, so i Know a little, but am no expert.
I replaced both the front and rear crank and front and rear main seals, along with oilpan seals/gaskets obviously.
call me @ 402-310-5670
-- Mike

 

Damn I wish you were in Cali, I am not down to pay $900 - $1200, the estimate people are giving me. They were saying that it will take 2 days which is why labor is pricey.

Well, if you are looking at the engine from the front (passenger side), its the pulley to the left of the main crank one, closest to the firewall. I think, the two pulleys to the right of the main crank pulley is the alternator and a/c. I'm not sure, I can't find a good diagram in my chiltons manual. I'm not sure if the leak is actually coming from the main crank pulley or somewhere else but definitely not above it. If it happens to be the main crank seal, how many hours of labor are we talking here and what do I need to do to get to it? Would I need to remove the timing chain? Is the front seal diff from the main crank? I'm so clueless now.

 

Hey Mike,

I checked again which pulley it is this morning. It is the one right infront of the passengerside cv joint, I can see the boot right behind the pulley. So is this the power steering pump? That is where the leak is coming from. If this is the power steering pump, then why would it leak engine oil? I constantly check the power steering fluid level and it has never gone down. So now, I'm a little confused. Let me know.

Thanks.

-Dennis

 

With $900 - $1200, you can most likely have a low milage engine and have it installed.

The only pulley behind the engine, (i think) is the ps steering pump. I think you have 2 leaks. If it's leaking engine oil, it's got to be from the engine...

 

As far as ive seen its pretty common fro the power steering pump to leak at the seal behind the pulley. Wich is the pulley i think your talking about. Also because of where the p/s pump sits it leaks down the back of the motor and gets all over the oil pressure sensor,timing chain cover and front crank seal so i would check your p/s fluid to see if its low and look for wetness behind the pulley then fix that first.

 

Thanks for the input. I totally see exactly what you've described. The leak gets all over the oil pressure sensor,timing chain cover and front crank seal making me think of a possible main crank seal leak. And it appears like so to other mechanics that I have talked to.

Here's what confuses me:

1) I usually loose a quart of oil every 2500-3000 miles, usually around the time I'm due for an oil change. This makes me think I have an oil leak somewhere. I recently changed over to Mobil1 Synthetic and was told that it might show some signs of leaks but my car had already been mildly leaking since before the switch. I wonder if the leak will now get worse.

2) Its now pretty evident that the leak is coming from the power steering pump area, yet my power steering fluid level never goes down. And when I touch the oil coming from it, it feels like motor oil and it appears dark brown. It smells like motor oil too.

3) Looking at the main crank shaft pulley, it appears to have splash marks coming from the p/s area but its hard to really tell if its power steering fluid or motor oil. I can't get my hand back there so I cannot tell by touching to see if its wet or just marks.

So, the leak points me to the power steering pump but the fluid feels like motor oil to the touch. What do you think?

Thanks.

 

How many miles are on your car? Losing a QT of oil every 2500-3000 mi is a little much but also its OK. If it were any more than that i would be worried.But just so im clear its ok to burn about 1qt every 3000mi or so but you should stay on top of it by topping off the oil between oil changes

 

I'm going on 132k miles. That's what I heared also, about losing about a qt every 3k miles or so. So, then I will have the p/s pump seal looked at. Can that be a DIY job?

 

I have the same problem as you will see here:
POST

I have not asked for an estimate for the repair hoping I could do it myself. I'm a novice mechanic though so I'm a little worried. I haven't checked well for the origin of the leak but I do see a lot of oil splattered on the passenger side of the engine when I take off the right front wheel. My 95 maxima has 103,000 miles. I definately don't want to pay anywhere near a grand. Good luck and let us know if you get it fixed. As for me I'm going to ride it out. I put thick engine oil to lessen the leak for now (10W40 I think).

 

I read that entire thread. The leak on yours is coming from the opposite side of mine. Mine is coming from the power steering pump which is located right above the driverside cv-joint (cv boot).

Having an engine with that many miles, its expected that many seals & gaskets will start needing some attention. I have had the valve cover gaskets changed 6 months ago so that area is out of the equation.

It would have been easy if its the upper timing cover o-rings, since it appears that its easy to get to. Lower timing cover o-rings would definitely be serious work. And if that's the case for me, then I might as well have all other seals replaced that are in that area. It's probably going to be major work but ones its all fixed, you are good for many more thousands of miles to come. Still beats buying a new car.

Getting an estimate is easy, as long as you first figure out where its coming from. This forum has been a great help for me so far. Then when you go get your estimate, you are better equipped to tell if a mechanic is trying to rip you off or not. Taking it to the dealer has never been my first choice since #1 they take too long just to troubleshoot it, #2 their guest, most of the time, is as good as yours and I despite the tools and resources they have, and #3 price. Right now, I'm just canvasing around since the leak on mine isn't very bad yet which buys me out some time to find a trustworthy mechanic that charges reasonably. But I won't wait a year to fix this.

Let me know when you locate the source of your motor leak, let me know how the UV die works out for you too. Good luck!

 

I have a similar leak. About 6 months ago, a Nissan tech confirmed it to be an oil pressure switch leak. Oddly enough, it has never been mentioned at an oil/lube place (I use JiffyLube).

 

Forgot to mention, I had the oil pressure switch replaced 2 months ago.

 

2DaMax.. You replied to my thread and we basically have the same problem... unfortunately for the time being in my case, its not that serious. I'm basically on the same boat as you, replacing 1 quart every 3,000 miles or so...

Honestly I'd rather just leave it be and let it get worse than spend the money on fixing it which I could use to get another engine... just check your oil level every few days or week or so... thats what I do...

 

Well the seal cant be replced so you have to replace the p/s pump and unless you have a lift and a good amount of tools its not really a DIY project.

 

Ok.....I have to determine which one I'm having problems with, power steering pump or something else. Then I can plan the next course of action. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

You describe a leak just like one I have. I thought it could be a PS pump, but like you say, it's motor oil. I replaced the oil pressure switch, washed down many times, and with only the use of UV dye.....guess that it is in fact those timing cover o-rings. These rubber o-rings are there to mate the timing cover to the block.

When I used the UV dye, I could see somewhat clearly oil on the block near the area of the o-rings (and between the seam of the block to timing cover). http://www.automotiveforums.com/t160322.html

I replaced the valve cover gaskets, because I had a leak there too, but now the top of the engine is dry, and still have that lower leak. I thought maybe oil was running all the way down from the rear bank.

Replacing those o-rings isn't something I hope to do. If I had to, I'd rather pull the engine so I could see what I'm doing. It's cramped in there. Then I'd be following my FSM for days. So the easier plan...

I'm gonna wait till something on my drivetrain breaks (auto tranny or engine), then I'll replace both of them at the same time from a junkyard. My maxima has 242K miles on it....so until something breaks....I'll live with it. I've seen engine and tranny combos with less than 60-70K miles on them for less than $1000. Bar's stop leak anyone?

 

If the o-rings are the culprit, shouldn't there be presence of oil leaks along the seams of the timing covers?

Looking at my engine, I don't see evidence of such around the top timing cover since it would be very easy to detect any being that its in plain view. However, the lower one is tricky and since there's hardly any room down there, it is impossible to even get a good look of hard to reach areas. I have sprayed down with brake cleaner certain gunky areas of the engine such as around the front engine bank area and on the block. Lately, the plastic cover over the front valve cover shows some as well. A few weeks later, gunk would build up again. They appear dark brown and moist to the touch. Do you think these are signs of oil from the timing covers leaking out and perhaps getting all over the place while driving? Also, just to reiterate, the leak appears worse around the power steering pump area. The housing is drenched in oil which tells me that oil must be travelling down to it and collecting around it, then trickling down further and ending up at the lower oilpan area. However, there are no signs of oil droppings on the ground where I usually park at. I guess I'll wait like everyone else, and do it when something major breaks. I might just go ahead and start looking for a low mileage VQ30DE, anyone know a good source online?

Another question, I have to drive to Vegas for SEMA next month, do any of you think driving that distance (approx 600 miles round trip) would cause the engine to break down in the middle of the dessert? I'd hate to be the one to get stuck out there.

 

See those red Things labelled A? Those are the timing o-rings.



I had to put mine on a lift to see it properly. With UV dye in the engine, and a UV lamp...I was able to see illuminated oil in the area of the left timing o-ring. I sketched in where the timing chain housing would be, and PS pump would be. In this image, a bunch of stuff has been taken off the front of the motor.

As for a leak on your front valve cover gasket, I don't think the oil would trickle down opposite to where your leak is. Though, I'd replace those gaskets (1 gasket for the outer perimeter of the valve cover, and 3 o-rings, 1 for each cylinder). The front valve cover gaskets are the easiest ones to do.

Sorry, I borrowed this image from somewhere, and hacked it to my own liking. Don't remember where I got it, so I can't give any credit.

 

I was checking around the engine this weekend and found something interesting:


1)This shows a corner of the rear valve cover, notice evidence of oil seeping thru the gasket.


2)This shows a section of the surrounding areas behind the upper timing cover.

Now, I think the oil trickles downward from the rear valve cover, passing thru the areas behind and below the lower timing cover and down around the power steering pump. As mentioned before, I've had the gaskets replaced but I think the seals aren't seated right, perhpas the covers aren't torqued in the correct order thus they aren't seating properly.

More to come.....

-Dennis

 

Can anyone tell me the torque spec. and bolt tightening order on the valve covers???? Thanks.

 

Bump.....anybody???

 

Try a bottle of Gold Eagle No leak, brown bottle, works wonders for leaking seals. I've used this on a number of cars with various leaking seals and after about 100-200 miles, the leak stops.

 

Just keep trying to isolate the leak....I've always either degreased and/or wiped down everything in the vicinity and kept watch on the areas at regular intervals to find what was leaking. Sometimes, it could be a combination of things. Once I had a leaky PS line, oil sending unit and crank seal-half the engine was wet at once....Hope you get it..

Jeremy

 

I'm sure the haynes or chiltons covers this, as well the FSM will of course.

Anyway, when you redo your rear valve cover gasket, and follow a good and proper procedure, use some RTV Black. The FSM only mentions RTV in the corners of the half moon part, but I put that stuff all around.

BTW, he's looking for a leak-fix that is permanent. If it's as easy as a valve cover gasket, I would not recommend those stop leak bottles. I only mention these stop leaks when it's easier to swap the engine and save double the time, than replace any offending gaskets.

 

Well, when I got both valve covers off, the leak were definitely coming from the rear cover. It was trickling down the rear side of the engine block, down by the exhaust manifold shield (which explains the occassoinal burt oil smell), then it gets all over the power steering pump! I also discovered that a hose which connects the two valve covers together is cracked so I have to get that replaced. The front cover showed signs of oil sweating so I took it off too.

I'm kind of upset about this because the valve cover gaskets had already been replaced last January. I went back to the same mechanic twice because of signs of oil leaks originating from around the valve covers but was really never able to stop the leak. I know the second time I came he used the same gaskets. My mechanic friend told me that once the gaskets have been used the first time, then removed, their no good and replacement of it is recommended. I have to wait til tomorrow to get the gasket replacement kit so my car's engine is torn apart right now.

Anyone have any suggestions regarding the gaskets?

Thanks

 

hmmmm...

Now I'm gonna have to check and see if its not my rear valve cover thats leaking that would solve this problem that has been peeing me off

 

Looks like we're both reading the same threads.

Anyhow, yea I discovered that it was the covers when one day I was at a friends house and my car was idling and I decided to do a random check around the engine and spotted the leak coming from the corner where the #5 bolt is at (see post #23). I started tracing around that area and saw the surrounding areas wet. You can't really see behind the rear valve cover until you remove it. If your leaks are coming from the same area as mine, you will find that the oil runs down along the rear block and down to the exhaust manifold shield. If the p/s pump is drenched in oil, then the leak in yours is most likely originating from where mine is. I hope all this works out.

 

Use the Nissan OEM ones. Make sure you get the 3 o-rings (which seal the spark plug holes) and ..eh hem...use RTV black all around. Make sure you use the RTV on the spark plug o-rings first, let them set up (1 hour-2 hours atleast), before you place the whole valve cover back on the head. Without doing that, the o-rings tend to move, causing another leak in the spark plug holes.

 

I'm EXTREMELY curious now because as you probably know I have this same leak from behind the power steering pump and if its the valve cover gasket then phew!! I though it was leaking from the block... but we'll see now I have to get under there and check it out. I was very curious when I changed my 02 sensors last weekend and when I removed the rear one, I stuck my hand back there and had oil all over it... so maybe you found something to help me out here!!! I'll find out tomorrow when I can get back there and check it out.

 

main bearing seal.... or perhaps h20 pump.... most likely the seal tho

 

Not sure how an h20 pump spits/uses motor/any oil, but what main bearing seal are you speaking of? the crankshaft seal? If I missed something, please let me know.

To make a note, when I had a similiar leak to all of yours, I first replaced valve cover gaskets (as the rear valve cover/head was wet). After doing this, My rear valve cover/head was bone-dry. Tho, I still had a leak that I still have today (albeit less of a leak at the time). I hope in all of your cases, it is just a rear valve cover gasket. It's always easier to start at the obvious/apparent first, and hopefully it works.

 

How much oil do you loose and at what duration? I'd loose about a quart every 3k miles. Near the 3k mile mark, I'd see the oil level on the dipstick progressively get lower until the oil is at the very bottom hash marks of the dipstick. We'll see how mine turns out. I'll put my car on my friends lift this weekend to check.

 

Just an update....

It's been over 300 miles, city driving plus my road trip last weekend up Ventura county, since I changed the valve cover gaskets. Checking the dipstick this morning, the oil level is good (top hash marks). I didn't get a chance to get my car up on a lift since I was out of town last weekend, but I looked under my car this morning focusing on some of the areas that were wet with oil before. The oil pan was dry as a bone. Also the a-arms and the pulley part of the p/s pump (from the angle that I can see it from) appeared dry too. So far so good, we'll see what happens in a few weeks. I'm taking a road trip to Las Vegas in two weeks and when I return, we'll see then if the problem returns. For now, I'm happy. :

 

try washing area with some simple green or any degreaser and then wipe clean you should be able to see fresh leaks after day or two

 

You must be the miracle man if you can make your car run without an alternator. LOL. I just thought it was funny. I'm sure you just forgot it. Take no offense.

 

I realized this leak was from the rear valve cover and not down below when I read this thread and I changed my 02 sensors, the rear sensor's harness was covered in oil.