My 2000 maxima 5 speed has a slow coolant drip coming down right at the front of the oil pan. Possible causes? From under the car I can't see where it's coming from.

 

You can use a UV dye to find out where the leak is.

 

If the drip is near the passenger side corner of the engine, it may be the water pump. But don't rule out hoses.

 

I thought it could be the water pump. Hope its not but I dont see a hose leak. the lower main hose, upper connection point seems dry. Using the dye sounds like a good option. However with water pump issues I can never tell where the leak is coming from until it dumps and its then obvious the water pump has failed.

 

^ if your water pump has failed, you'd have over heating problems.

 

A water pump can leak without failing to pump. It wont overheat until it looses enough coolant. Just like any other leak.

 

Not saying he's having over heating problems but if his water pump is dead, coolant can't flow within the system so it'll be more than likely he'll have over heating problems sooner than later. His leak may not even be a water pump problem.

 

The water pump is gear driven by the timing chain. For the water pump to be "dead", there would have to be some extremely serious parts breakage.

 

Rent a pressure tester. That should help you find it.

 

With other cars I've owned when the water pump begins to leak, the fluid loss increases quickly or it suddenly begins dumping. Not sure on maxima's. I drive 80+ miles per day, in cold weather right now.

 

If the O-rings are shot, then it's leaking past them through the weep hole. That will drip by the AC compressor/oil pan.

The pump virtually never fails. Cheap skates will just replace the O-rings.

I made a how-to in a water pump thread I started.
https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...-all-de-k.html

 

Where exactly does it weep from?
I'm pretty sure mine is weeping but don't know from where PLUS i'm getting coolant
in the oil. Is this normal when the pump weeps?

 

It comes out of timing cover between the alternator and compressor. If the outer O ring fails, then I guess it would leak into the timing cover and be in your oil. But that would be uncommon.

I couldn't find any clean pics. If the coolant comes from nowhere on the timing cover, then bob's your uncle.

 

It weeps on the water pump between the two O-rings. There are a couple holes that coolant will leak from when the O-rings go bad or there is wear/wobble in the water pump. The pics ive seen show the weep holes below the lower radiator hose upper connection point. I still have to look closer to identify the exact area. Coolant in the oil could be a head gasket issue.