I would like to know if anyone have replaced the oil pan gasket on their VQ30DE engine. I have a minor leak coming from the oil pan area although I have not been able to determine where the oil is actually coming from, upper or lower oil pan. It seems like changing the upper gasket involves more work than the lower one however my concern is the type of gasket that's used. Is it the paper type gaskets or something you'd squeeze out of a tube like an RTV seal of some sort?

Thanks for your inputs.

 

Usally it a paper gasket, but i would not recommend doing this because its not really meant to be changed. I highly dought that its leaking from your oil pan. I bet its leaking from the oil sensor plug that is located towards the rear left of the oil pan. It is screwed in and has a electrical plug connected to it. It is imfamous for always having oil around it and leaking a little. take a look at that and leave the gasket alone, you will only create more problems then you have right now.

Gluck!

 

It probably is that sensor, oil pressure sending sensor or something like that I may be wrong on the name. It's a very cheap part, under 5 dollars. Should slove your problem.

 

Good luck and hope its the oil sending unit.. I had he same problem... my oil pan was wet and my oil sending unit was covered in oil so I assumed it was bad... what a mistake that was. Its actually an oil leak from up above the block behind the passengers side axle. Its a part of the engine called the oil pump housing. I havent been able to patch it up because in able to get to that gasket, you have to remove the front cross member, right side axle and complete bottom end of the engine.. for a small leak. Whats funny is I know I'm not alone with this, I've seen quite a few Maximas with that same leak and everyone seems to think its the oil pressure switch or oil pan when its not.

 

LOL, x2!! I can live with it.

 

I have replaced the oil pressure sensor because most of the leak was coming from there. Right after I did that, I sprayed the entire lower pan area with break cleaner to take the gunky oil residues out. After a few weeks of driving, the lower oil pan showed some signs of oil. I kept an eye on it until the last oil change. I took it to Jiffy lube to have the oil change and had the guy look for the leak. He said that a very small amount of oil was coming from the side (facing the wheel) of the oil pan and would very mildly trickle down below. I didn't know then that there's an upper and lower oilpan so I'm not sure exactly where that oil was coming from. I will find out at the next oil change which I'll be switching to Mobil1 Super Syn oil. And since I'll be changing the oil, it would be perfect timing to change the oil pan gasket that's leaking and this is why I wanted to know what type of gasket was originally in there.

 

where did you get your oil pressure switch? is it from autozone?

 

Yes, paid $6 for it.

 

thanks....

 

I was under the car last weekend to replace the oilpan gasket which I thought was where the leak was coming from. Come to find out, it was from up above right by the crankshaft pulley area but more of the leak is coming from another pulley to the left of the crankshaft pulley (closest to the firewall). Is this the oilpump you are referring to? Now I know this problem isn't gonna be cheap to fix.

 

That sounds just about right...

Right in front of the axle... its really hard to see back there

 

Looking at a diagram, its the pulley to the upper left of the crankshaft pulley. But it doesn't say if its the oil pump pulley.

 

Is there any harm in changing the lower oil pan gasket?

JP

 

I don't think so, but why replace it when there are no signs of leaks? If you still want to, schedule it around the time when your engine is due for another oil change since you will loose all the old oil anyway when you remove the oilpan.

 

The pulley to the upper left is the power steering pump wich could be leaking and be running down the back of the motor (it sits right above the oil pressure switch)and it is common for them to leak at the seal behind the pulley. Id check your power steering fluid as well. And i belive both oil pan gaskets are silicone