I thought i did lot of research and found the problem. My car leaks oil from underneath. Fairly decent amount everyday.

I took it to the dealer and they confirmed it is the oil cooler o ring / gasket and they wanted $175 to replace the oil cooler ring they said was the reason.

I took the car to a local mechanic and had it replaced myself. It still leaks.

What else could be causing this ? What are the other sources for the leak ? Anyone - This has been very painful one to resolve.

 

Clean the area off with some degreaser or w/e spray it down, then drive it. check back under the car (jack it up) you should be able to get an idea of where its coming from.

 

The oil pressure switch likes to leak alot, or check your power steering hoses. They can leak down and make it look like and oil leak, plus it can ruin your lower control arm bushing.

 

Look? cant tell where its leaking from unless you look...

 

power steering hose leaks alot but the fluid is pinkish/purple.

 

to OP- there is no way to find out about your leak without looking at it first. Next time tell your mechanic (if you don't like to waste time and money like most of us here) to find source of leak first, and only then replace the seal in question. Oil can drip from anywhere- valve covers, timing chaing cover, front seal, rear seal, upper or lower oil pan are few places that I'd look at.

 

thanks for the replies.

I have an update.

First of all, I paid the dealer to diagnose the problem and they came back saying it was the o ring in the oil cooler that needed to be replaced. They quoted me $195 to have it replaced and said they cannot guarantee the leak will stop.

So, i bought the o ring for a couple of bucks from the dealer and had it replaced by a mechanic i knew. Unfortunately, it still leaks !

It is not the power steering fluid and i dont believe it is the transmission fluid either. I am pretty sure it is the engine oil leaking.

I am taking it back to another mechanic later this week. We plan to degrease the whole area, run it for a bit and then check for leaks. It has been a pain the neck so far. This is soooo frustrating.

 

I had timing chain replaced recently and I can confirm it is not dripping from valve covers, timing chain cover, front seal. It was leaking even before timing chain replacement.

I am not sure about rear seal, upper or lower pan or other potential areas. Hopefully i will find out soon.

 

On the back side of the pan, 1/2" away from where that cooler o-ring leaks is the oil-pressure sensor, they are as notorious as the cooler o-ring. Also, I've seen the coolers get ****ed up as well, it's really thin metal & the groove that o-ring sits in is easy to f' up. Best bet is to look closely at the sensor, it leaks between the plastic inner part & the metal outer, or just clean it real good & run the car while watching it for awhile.

 

Or you can use the Dye to see where its coming from. Rear amin makes one hell of a mess since it gets blown all over. If your unsure of what fluid it is, I usually have my buddy taste it lol he can identify any fluid in a car by taste

 

Hello all,
I was told by the dealer that my oil cooler has to be replaced. After reading everything from this site,I have become a decent mechanic. Can anyone give me a step by step instructions on replacing the oil cooler. Do I have to use nissan or can a aftermarket be fine. Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. BTW can someone tell me why I'm not allowed to make a post of my own. I believe I alerted the forum director but I haven't heard anything yet. Thank you again maxima.org this site is off the hook!