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1996 Maxima oil leak... Where do I look first?

My 1996 maxima has been leaking oil for about a year and a half. Until about 5 days ago it was leaking SO little that it was barely worth mentioning. Maybe 1/4 to 1/2 a quart between oil changes.

Over the last few days it has increased to maybe 1/4 quart every 100 or so miles.

Since the leak started I have had 3 different professional gusses on where the oil may be leaking from.

Guess #1; The oil is leaking fromn the timing cover. This requires the removal of the engine to fix.

Guess #2; The oil is leaking fom the 'upper oil pan gasket'. This requires that a bunch of stuff like the AC be removed from underneath the car. About $500 in labor.

Guess #3; It is just the oil pressure sensor/switch screwed into the very bottom of the oil pan. I do not think it is this because it just really looks like the oil is comming from higher than that.

More info.. Car has about 125-140k miles on it. Exact mileage unknown because the odomoter was replaced a while back.

Automatic trans.

I have owned it for 6 years and drive like a little old lady.

Any advice on what might be leaking and/or the best way to diagnose this leak would be appreciated.

Reply to
help
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Either clean the engine so you can see where it's coming from or use a dye in the oil. They make one just for this purpose. No sense in guessing.

Reply to
JimV

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Yes, I figure the longer I wait, the worse the leak will get and the easier it will be to see. With or without the dye.. IF it is leaking

1/2 quart every 50 miles, whoever looks should be able to see it immediately, especially after cleaning the engine and adding dye.

Hey, were can I get the dye anyway? Just any parts store? Is all the sell the UV dye where you need special light and glasses, or is there some dye available that is just like food coloring or something that can been seen with the bare neked eyeball?

Reply to
help

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In case anyone experiences a similar leaky situation, I replaced the oil pressure switch/sending unit and SO FAR that seems to have been the problem. I drove the car almost 200 miles today, and no difference on oil dip-stick at all.

SO... Even though there was oil 5-6 inches over the oil pressure sending unit, and it LOOKED like a MUCH more serious problem, it appears to have been the sending unit.

Moral to the story.... If you have a leak in your 1996 or similar maxima, and the mechanic wants to pull the engine in order to fix it... Do an under $50 fix and replace the sending unit. It is located at the back of the oil pan and about 2 inches from the very bottom of the pan. It has a wire comming from it that unplugs from it for easy replacement.

I wonder how many engines have been pulled when it was just a minor problem.

Reply to
help

I have the same problem now on my 1999 Maxima. The oil sending unit was replaced and the leak continued. The dealer put in the UV dye and determined the leak was from ehind my timing cover and would cost ~ $1500 to replace. I'm not sure what I'm doing yet.

Reply to
PaulWBratt

Stop guessing... clean the engine thoroughly and then inspect on a daily basis to determine the origin of the leak.

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Reply to
Telstar Electronics

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