DIAMONDS98SE

iTrader: (1)

So I just pulled into my driveway, not in my car, and noticed a small puddle under the front passenger side. It seems to be oil, but not positive. I stuck my hand under there and took a few pics with my cell phone, sorry for the bad quality. But it looks like the leak is coming from the oil pan. It almost seems like a rock is wedged in there too. would that cause a leak? Let me know what you think. I wouldn't try to fix this myself, so any guess as to what I might pay would be a huge help.

Junonia

Hello All,

I am also trying to figure out the source of a leak. So far, I have replaced the front and rear valve covers and all of the seals in the engine (oil pans, front, rear etc). I have spent over $600 (not too $$$, I know, but the darn thing still drips!).

If I run the car on the highway for 30 minutes, I will get about 20 drops of oil dropping approximately 18-24 inches in from the front bumper almost directly in the middle, slighlty dripping towards the passengers side. If I just turn the car on for a few minutes, it will drip less (maybe 5 drops, same location). The drops are within a few inches of each other.

Our mechanic has suggested that it may be 1 or 2 of the pistons and the engine would need to go out to a machine shop.

Does this sound correct or are there other more obvious suspects?

Thanks to anyone who responds!

4thGENMaxima

i had the same oil problems with mine except mine leaked from the lower and upper oil pan. the 4th and 5th gen 3.0 all have a 2 piece oil pan and on the upper pan there is the front and rear crankshaft seal that can leak oil. but i always tighten my valve cover gaskets every 10 thousand miles or so just a quick snug always helps

4thGENMaxima

have you checked the seal on your dip stick. if it is split or not all the way in the dip stick hole it could cause i minor leak. makes since the more you run the more it drips. it wil take a while for the oil pressure to push oil up the tube. i only know this because mine was split and it leaked minor but still leaked and did you replace the front andd rear crank seals on the upper oil pan??

Junonia

Thanks. I have been reading and I suspect now that it may be a problem with the oil pan sealing. It's very frustrating! The piston thing sounds strange to me. That seems like a lot of oil for a piston.

Is the front or rear pan usually the source? I had all the seals done last week, so apparently something still isn't tight! Forgot to mention in my first post that this is a 98 GLE.

4thGENMaxima

have you checked the seal on your dip stick. if it is split or not all the way in the dip stick hole it could cause i minor leak. makes since the more you run the more it drips. it wil take a while for the oil pressure to push oil up the tube. i only know this because mine was split and it leaked minor but still leaked and did you replace the front andd rear crank seals on the upper oil pan??

4thGENMaxima

mine is a 97 gle i will post some pics of it for you. its usually the upper that leaks because it only has 2 seals and calls for the rest to be permatex... If not enough was applied or the seals were not put on right then it will still leak.

4thGENMaxima

this is the oil pans assembled the black is the lower and the entire next section of the bottom of the motor is the upper

4thGENMaxima

once you have removed the upper oil pan you will have this. The section outlined in red is your front and rear crankshaft seals. the area outlined in blue is where permatex is required. also when installing the seals lay a bead of permatex over the end of the seals to make sure they seal. also if the area isnt clean it will not seal properly. sorry for the bad editing was trying to hurry

Junonia

My mechanic said he replaced "all of the seals" when he went in to do the RMS. He had the whole engine up and out for viewing. I would have to quiz him directly on the seals you are speaking of, but I believe so.

I just checked the dip stick, but it's fine. Good tip and it would have been an easy fix if that was it! One clue though, the oil is filled to the very top due to the fact that we added a bottle of stop leak before we did all the seal work. Maybe the oil is too full and contributing to the problem we have here?

Junonia

Thanks! I thought your editing was great. Very self-explanatory for someone who does not understand motors well. I can see how this would be a real pain to seal. Tomorrow I will get under the car in the daylight and see if I can see the leak from the pan, now that I know what I am looking for.

I really appreciate your help on this. My daughter is coming in for Thanksgiving this week and I really want to have the car ready for her to take back to school.

4thGENMaxima

not a problem just make sure you clean everything really really good other wise it wont seal properly.

4thGENMaxima

also if you buy a new gasket for the lower oil pan do not add permatex with the gasket the oil will eat around the permatex and leak. you can use a sticky substance i think its called indian gasket it is a spray to hold the gasket in place while you reassemble it. and it will not effect the performance of the oil pan gasket

Junonia

We got underneath the car and it's leaking exactly where you said it would be- the upper pan. The mechanic used gray silicone, so it makes perfect sense why the leak got progressively worse in a few days time. Well, I'm bringing him the permatex tonight and will try to find the Indian gasket spray as well. I really can't complain since he did the job so reasonably. I'm just glad you were around to advise on this seal problem. Will update in a day or 2. Thanks!

4thGENMaxima

Not a problem at all. That is why i like this forum so much lots of great helpful advice for the at home mechanic all the way up to the fabricators and extreme gear heads. no matter what the need you can always get help here. but yes let me know how things work for you and you may ask your mechanic to soak your lower oil pan in some degreaser and clean it or do it yourself so that if a new oil leak occurs it will be easier to locate and see.

heathbresee

oil sending unit