Guys,
My 97'Maxima has rear main seal leak for like more than 6 years. Never seen a drop on floor though. Recently I have been seeing a drop-or two once in a while. Again it's not a drip-drip but very small.

Couple mechanics I took to gave all vauge and different reasons. The last one I showed to said there is leak from rear main seal...plus something oil-filter housing/motor not sure exactly what he said. It is engine oil for sure and not other fluids.

After looking online I found I can try Valvoline MaxLife or ATP AT‑205 Leak Re‑Sealer.

If at all I should try any of the above...which one to try first?

Thanks,
Om

 

The only way to fix it is to replace the seal/gasket that leaks.

 

half moon seals.Upper oil pan

 

Now you see how repetitive I must be so that people dont get confused here.

 

+1 see this pic for reference. Here, you can see that the rear main sits above the Half Moon seals. Rear main does not usually go unless you overfill significantly with oil. http://www.courtesyparts.com/maxima-...1785_1788.html

I've had the same leak for a while now with no plans on fixing it unless i see a significant drop in oil between changes.

 

Just recently had my tranny rebuilt in my Max. It has 180k and I doubt any of the seals have been changed. The rear main had no visible leakage whatsoever and the half moon had a very slight weep, not enough to even drip oil on the ground when driven daily. So based on that, I would listen to everyone else and plan on that your half moon seal is leaking.

 

Thank you guys for the inputs.
And how much does that half moon replacing costs?
I am not yet sure if I should spend few hundred dollars unless 1) I know what part is exactly leaking and 2) It needs to be fixed sooner or later.

 

Its gonna be more than a few hundred dollars to replace that seal. Shops will rape you on labor to replace that seal. There are a ton of components that have to be removed to properly repair it.

Oh and btw, there are no quick fixes for this sort of thing. Try them and you will ruin your engine. Stop leaks always do more harm than good.

 

Removing lower and upper oil pans with some components such as crossemember and engine y-pipe is labor intensive. I do these things myself because I would be pissed if a shop stripped my screws. They usually don't put nothing back and don't inform you.

 

yep yep

 

You guys were right on spot.
Finally a mechanic has confirmed it's Oil Pan Gasket (Front and Rear Seal) Part 11211-31U00/10.
Now I understand the "half moon seal" what you guys were referring to.

But in addition to that he said there's also slight leak at the center and it is from:
Crankshaft Seal - Rear Part# 12296-31U20

It isn't dripping a lot may be a drop a day but slowly there is a big spot at my parking place.

 

I have this same drip right in the middle of the car like near the crossmember, fixed one leak at the oil pressure sensor, now another one smh.

 

Yeah, They get into a crystalized state and start seeping a little.....

 

you guys keep forgetting that our cars are close to 2 decades old. what a reliable and awesome car my max is!!! yes, feels like a money pit sometimes, but it's all worth it when you look at the odo and realize she's still keeping up with all the other cars on the road and still turning heads.