Sorry if I sound like a newbie but..

I crawled under the car today to because one of the front splash guards got dinged and I wanted to take a look. When I got in there I noticed oil on the bottom of the oil pan.

The oil level is still pretty much as expected and there aren't oil stains on the ground (park on the same piece of concrete every day, I'd notice and oil stain).

The only change that I've made that could likely cause this is adding a PCV oil catch-can. However since the little bugger seems to be working (catching oil) and I haven't had a single warning light in the 250km since I assumed all was well.

So two questions:
1) Do the following pictures suggest a problem with the oil pan seal?
and
2) Could the catch can have increase the pressure sufficiently to have cause this?

I'd like to figure this out because I'm not inclined to believe in things disappearing/getting better on their own. I've include a picture of the drain plug and oil filter as it seems pretty clear that neither is the source, but hey, I'm not an expert.

Thanks in advance for your knowledgeable insights.

 

Do a search for "oil cooler leak" as that is likely the source of your leak. An $8 gasket during an oil change and 30 minutes of your time will fix it.

 

Thanks, since I am planning on changing the Radiator and Oil both next weekend it should be an opportune time... it sure looks like that might be the cause... and for a cheap *** O-ring there isn't much reason not to switch it anyway.

 

+1
They show two o-rings for the cooler, depending on year of production. So, I went ahead and bought both to be safe. I heard many say after a couple years they just start to leak again. Well, both the I-rings fit on the cooler and I used some black gasket maker to further insure a proper seal.
Additionally, on some models there is also a smaller black o-ring that goes onto the "stud" which secures the cooler to the upper oil pan. I didn't need that after taking mine apart, so I returned it to Nissan unopened. All three o-rings were about $15 after tax. So cheap fix.
I also suggest you compare prices from your local Nissan dealer to the shipped price at www.nissanpartsasap.com to find the best pricing/cost savings.

 

Do a search on here as someone posted a video on how to change the o-ring. It is really, really easy, but the video just makes it super easy.

 

Already done... and my local Nissan dealer has the O-ring in stock for $7...

I assume I am not risking catastrophic oil loss driving the car around until the weekend right?

 

Nope, won't hurt anything to continue driving as it is. You would probably be okay for a long time to come....but it is a source of losing oil and allowing oil to splash onto painted surfaces as well as wires. That's never a good thing.

But I still highly suggest getting all three o-rings. It would be tough to get in there and not have everything you need to finish the job. Even if you don't get the smallest o-ring for the stud (peice that holds the cooler in place and the oil filter screws onto), I highly suggest you use both style of o-rings that go between the cooler and upper oil pan. There is a small metal groove on the back side of the cooler. One o-ring fit to the inside of that....the second was larger and fit to the outside of that groove, creating a double barrier. Don't forget the black gasket stuff too!

 

While under there check out the oil cooler hard line going to the rad where it mounts to the compressor mine failed last week it a cheap $22 replacement and good insurance now instead of later