Oil leak(s) on my POS 1997 gle (pics)
 

1997 nissan maxima gle 140k.

Past 6 months car has burning smell in the cab when at a stop and worse when the heat is on. Figured it was the valve cover gaskets, which were in fact leaking a little. Drive an hour and a half home on friday for spring break. When I park, I noticed the engine bay is smoking from the rearish passengerish side of the bay. So, yesterday and today I replace the front and rear valve cover gaskets.

Yesterday, The first time I install the rear gasket and reinstall everything (including torque specs) and start the car, it starts leaking worse than before. Great, the gasket must have gotten pinched weird or something in the process. As Im taking everything off again, I can clearly see fresh new oil on the cylinder head/rear exhaust manifold. This pretty much garuntees I installed the gasket incorrectly.

Now I have reinstalled everything (to spec), and the leak is definitely smaller, but still dripping off of the exhaust (cat converter I believe) in the same location. From what I can see, with everything still hooked up in the engine bay, the rear exhaust manifold and cylinder head is dry from what I can tell, so I think both valve covers are installed correctly.

So now, the issue is it still leaks oil and I have no idea where it's coming from. I thought the engine was smoking from some oil still hangin out on the exhaust pipes, so I gave it a good 15 minutes to burn it off, and the smoke only got worse. Oil is dripping from that spot in the exhaust about one drop every 5 seconds. I swear it was not this bad a week ago, but I have no idea what the issue is. HELP!!!

I will post pics in a minutes

Oil dripping from exhaust around bald guy's head on newspaper
http://forums.maxima.org/picture.php...ictureid=39482

Did you apply RTV sealant to the left corners or the rear valve cover?

http://forums.maxima.org/picture.php...ictureid=39429

If not then download and read this manual

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Maxima/1997/EM.pdf

Are you sure the smoke isn't actually steam?

Yes about the RTV. Like I said, area around the valve covers is nice and dry. And yes 99% sure it was smoke. Seriously doubt it was steam.

Also, how do I upload pics? I only see a way to link them from a url

Upload pics to photobucket and then copy and paste img links.

So you're 100% positive it's not the valve covers?

update:

jacked the car up this morning and started it for a half hour. Absolutely no leaks other than a very small leak from the cam position sensor. Small amount of smoke coming from back of motor, but I figured it was just some left over oil on the manifold from before. Not one drop falls off of the car onto the garage floor. I crawled under while it was running and could not find any source of a leak.

I drive to advance auto to grab an o ring for the cam position sensor, and I check under the car. It's dripping.... :mad: Much more smoke in engine bay than before when I ran it in the garage. I'm lost. :gotme:

There is a Meineke shop conveniently attached to Advance Auto so I'm just having them take a look at it and let me know what it is.

Do not do any work until problem is diagnosed 100%.
Finding a leak can take a few hours and 10 cans of brake cleaner.
Sometimes I use pressure washer, compressed air and still need 10 cans of brake cleaner. Sometimes you need to remove parts to see a leak.
You probably need to remove exhaust manifold shield, bottom plastic covers.
Leak repair can take 10 times less time than diagnosing.

I agree, but I knew my valve covers leaked, and I watched oil slowly drip out of the cam position sensor, so I know that needs replacing as well.

Replace the o-ring on the camshaft psoition sensor and your good to go.

Just got car back from mechanic. Oil pressure sending unit is fixed. He confirmed that my valve covers are not leaking.
What he said needs to be fixed:

Passenger side CV axle; boot has a tear, no more grease. I am pretty sure I've heard what sounds like a worn axle/wheel bearing when I reverse slowly and the wheels are turned, so definitely needs to be done.
$160 - Right new CV Complete assembly
$108 - labor
$270 - total

Power steering pump/flush:
$297 - reman pump w/o resevoir
$126 - power steering pump
$493 - total

New upper oil pan gasket: this one pisses me off. Ive heard they're a ***** and a half. 4.6 hours of labor.
$37.44 - gasket
$38.84 - gasket
$414 - labor
$490 - total

Obviously the cv axle and oil pan gasket are most important. I'm a broke *** college student (3rd year mechanical engineering technology major) home on spring break. I'm mechanically inclined, and have done my fair share of wrenching. I am slow, but am capable of these jobs. When I am away at school, I have absolutely no time, tools, or space to make these repairs. I am currently home until sunday, have SOME tools, but not all of them that I need.

Alright ORG what is your opinion on what needs to be finished first? I will most likely start riding my bike everywhere at school now...

Here is a good writeup on the upper oil pan resealing

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...n-removal.html

I've done it, was not too bad of a job just kind of time consuming but never came across anything that stumped me or that I had trouble with. Did that several years ago when I was pretty new to fixing cars and didn't have a ton of tools. After resealing the valve covers and I still had a leak I thought it was the upper oil pan leaking. There are only 2 small half moon seals and the rest you just use RTV sealant. Fixed that and that didn't solve it either. Turned out to be the 2 orings between the engine and the inner timing chain cover that were leaking. That was a ***** of a job especially with the engine in the car. Not really too difficult if you make sure you follow FSM step by step was just very time consuming.

Axle is pretty easy to only a few hour long job if everything goes good. You can get one from autozone for around $70 I believe and you can also rent the large 36mm socket to remove the axle nut from them.

Wow, judging by just those three alone I have already saved a freakin' ton of cashola doing my own work, not to mention the absolutely countless other things I have had to fix on this car that you don't show...yet.

Why are you being charged for a power steering flush kit? Any reputable shop should be able to do a drain and fill without the extra bullsh#t charge. Besides, a power steering pump only costs $155.79 at Advance, sounds like your being ripped off on parts costs as well.

You can go through http://www.rmdriveline.com and get handbuilt axles (made right here in the U.S.A.) for only $69 each, I ordered mine through them and they work great, axles are easy to install yourself and these are completely gone through with new joints, boots, clamps, and balanced properly.

Not sure what the deal is with the gaskets, OEM parts only cost $8.44 each for the U-shaped ones and $14.15 for the liquid gasket when you go here www.nissanpartszone.com

Good luck, it's definitely worth your time to do yourself if not just for the savings but the knowledge.

You called your ride a pos and you got :bill:

I know those were rip off prices. There's no way in hell I'd have him do anything else. The issue here is the lack of time I have to tackle this. Even if I found time, I don't have a garage at my place at school. Just a gravel driveway. My oil level has always stayed very constant between oil changes so I'm probably not going to worry about it for now. I don't think the leak is huge.

Thanks for all of the replies!!

Not long before he gets :bill: again with a screen name like that lol

Get outa here if you can't make a useful comment!
Do the axle first, that's the one that will leave you stranded.

I've had a slow steady oil leak but this morning me and a buddy zeroed in on it--it's the oil pressure sending switch or sending unit, next to the oil pan and oil filter. It was obvious, but it's not easy to get to without a pit or a lift. It's a good feeling knowing that's all it is. We'll install it when we have access to a pit, someone he knows. :cool: I would post a pic but we all know what a '97 I-30 looks like, right? and mine is a boring gold color. :mad:

:rolleyes:

1990 VE 5-speed? <------Useful comment