The past couple of times getting out of my car I have been smelling a burning odor. I found out it's anti-freeze burning on my exhaust. I have no clue where it's coming from does anybody have any clue as to what could be causing this? I changed my upstream right bank O2 sensor today and I noticed anti-freeze leaking onto and running off of the oil pan. But it only did this because my car was jacked up at an angle. When I got it back down it stopped leaking. Now, after I turn off my car I can see a little bit of steam coming up the right cylinder bank when I open my hood. It's very very light steam but it is still scaring the living crap out of me. I hope this won't be expensive! Thank you in advance!

 

What? No help at all? Dang it. This really sucks. I have no idea what to do.

 

Wheres the steam coming from, front or back, sorry I don't know where the "right" bank would be, but Im guessing thats the front. If so check your coolant hoses from the radiator, and possibly thermostat.

 

Look real hard at where the lower hose enters the block, thats the thermostat and its fairly easy to replace. Typically antifreeze around the edge of the oil pan is coming from the chain case weephole which indicates waterpump.

 

Right bank = side closesst to the cabin. Left bank = side closets to the front of the car. Crap, I knew it probably was the waterpump. God that sucks, how much is a new water pump and is it worth doing myself? But wait, the steam is coming from the BACK of the engine.... the right bank. So what the hell could that be??? Is it still a good chance that it's the water pump?

 

You really need to pinpoint the leak before anything else. If your able to, run the front up on ramps. Put jackstands at the front jacking points for safety. Get under the car and wipe away as much of the antifreeze as possible. Start it for a few minutes and have a good light handy. See if you can find the source. Look hard around the bottom of the cam chain cover, look at all the hose connections including heater hoses. There isn't much coolant plumbing around back of the engine except maybe heater hoses. More likely the coolant is ending up on the rear downtube of the Y pipe due to wind while driving. There's really no substitute for patience and persistance when running down leakes.

 

How many miles do you have on it? If you're over 100K you should replace the water pump anyway (along with timing belt).

 

What, was that just for your post count?

Check the forum you're in, the VQ doesn't have a timing belt...

 

Hmm... The only coolant lines I know of are by the "left" bank are the two on the back of the intake manifold.

 

Dang it, I guess I'll check everything out when I get down there again. I just replaced that other O2 sensor (Upstream right bank) and now my downstream just popped up into my codes!!!! DAMN IT!!!! I will now be going into debt. God, this car is awesome but the things that didn't replaced on it are really really annoying. And for the record, yes, the car almost at 100K miles. She's sitting at 97,600 miles. This really freaking sucks! Water pump and all three oxygen sensors (The other one will probably go too) at the same time! There is no expression for how mad I am right now.

 

~Chain buddy. Timing CHAIN.



White2TheMax: Yeah, usually if you have antifreeze or something dripping from the side of your oil pan, thats your water pump, and your car WILL over heat and leave you stranded if you dont watch it closely and get it fixed soon.

Also, maybe the leak from your oil pan and the other leak your describing could be two different leaks from different sources.
A while back I was checking my Throttle Body and a hose on it came loose. In the hose was a liquid, so I tilted it over my finger and coolant ran through it. So just an idea...check that hose, and any other hose connections in general. and check the hoses for cracks or stuff as well.

I took mine in to have the water pump replaced and from what I remember. Pump cost $90 and labor was a good $250. Shop price your looking at a good 350+ dollasr depending on where you take it. The reason I took it in was because the area is real small to work in from what I could see and I dont have small hands nor the means of getting under that plate to get the t-stat out and get to the pump, so its your call. There are write ups to fix your pump FYI, if thats the route you choose.

 

I know what you mean about everything going at once. I inherited mine from my wife at 95K. hardly any problems to that point. It's now my work car and here's what I've had to do.
New CV joints $500 (Shop)
Coil Packs $470 (Self)
Knock Sensor $125 (Self)
3 O2 Sensors $330 (Self)
Muffler $300 (I know....I got screwed....Didn't know it was a simple bolt on)
B-Pipe $180 (Did it myself....Wish I wouldn't have)
Stereo & Speakers $500
Well over $2000 now...Hope this doesn't continue, but your right when she's running good it's an awesome car.

 

Wow, you've had alot of stuff done on yours too. Man, I just wish I had the income to handle all these things. Like if I was getting paid really well, I would be okay with all this stuff. Cause I enjoy working on it, but damn these parts are freaking expensive!!! Hopefully I can find some connections soon. That would help out alot. Also, there are too many specialty parts that are needed for this vehicle. Sheesh.

 

i'm pretty sure that we have a timing something, but i don't know if its a belt or chain, if it is a chain and i would see why you won't need to change it, but if its a belt, i guess nissan did a good job. But i'm pretty sure that its a BELT, all i know is that we don't need maintenance or to replace it for the life the engine.

anyways with the coolant, could be the hoses ot the clamps not tight enough. The hoses are relative easy to change, just have to draing the coolant. Not hard at all, and then replace the crewing clamps if you want, but i've never really heard of them go bad unless it jsut doesn't work anymore. But from where our hoses are, you should be able to tell where its leaking from.....don't quote me on this, but i think i've seen coolant leak fix things where it like seals any tiny holes that allows coolant to go through, or maybe it was for soemthing else...hymmmm

 

That is what comes with owning an old car. Wear and tear is more eminent the older and more miles it has. I've spent close to $3k in repairs just keeping my car running, I'm at 154k miles now. The first thing that went out on my car where O2 sensors....all of them. My cost for parts and labor is $400 considering how expensive O2 sensors are. I didn't do the labor myself because when they wen't out I was still living in Vegas and at that time, we were getting 115 degree days. I just don't have the means and tools to work under that kind of heat. So I had to bite the bullet. After that, more things started breaking. I chose to spend money on this car because I am going to stay with this car til the wheels fall off. I'm waiting on the Dodge Challenger to come out next year and probably get it. I'll keep my Maxima as a daily driver.

 

It's a chain, and it is supposed to last the life of the engine.

EDIT: BTW, love what you've done with your I30.