99 Sentra 1.6L 125K mi

The Problem: So I have a worsening oil leak. I haven't had the money to deal with it, so I just keep up with the oil level and plan to fix it in the Summer. Originally, I leaked ~1 qt per 4-5k miles. Now, it is more like 1 qt per 800 miles or so. It only leaks when the car is running (none is left on the ground when I park other than the residual drips). Also, it is all over a lot of the engine so that leads me to believe it is being thrown or pressured from something, not just dribbling out. The oil is concentrated on the left side of the engine, near the coolant and windshield fluid tanks.

The questions: I realize that is very little information, so I'm not asking for a diagnosis, but rather, tips to help me diagnose it. Tomorrow I'm gonna clean off the engine and look around/see where oil comes out. Other than that, is there any good technique for finding leaks? Also, are these cars prone to any specific ones? What should I check first?

Sorry for the words.




[Edited on January 10, 2009 at 8:35 PM. Reason : .]

1/10/2009 8:33:50 PM

probably cam/crank seals

1/10/2009 8:51:47 PM

Is that an expensive/difficult fix to do yourself? As I said, funds are low, but I really want to take care of this. I'm somewhat mechanically inclined, but don't know my way around an engine beyond major components.

1/10/2009 8:55:12 PM

lol, wow

i don't even want to start, anyone else wanna pick this one up?

1/10/2009 8:58:52 PM

Left side meaning facing the front of the engine, or left side of the car (right side, facing engine)? First, I'd ensure that you don't have an old oil filter gasket stuck on the block. Otherwise, I'd guess it's probably the rear main engine seal, as those 1.6L nissans are known for it with your mileage.

Other guesses, I'd probably check the oil pressure switch (should be near the filter). Another possibility is the o-ring on the distributor. You've got plenty of possible leak points. Best option would be to just clean up the engine bay and visually inspect it while running.

1/10/2009 8:59:17 PM

Could be any of the above, but the 1.6 is notorious for leaking around the crank seals. The front crank seal(passenger side) is not too hard. The rear crank seal will require the oil pan to be dropped and transaxle seperated...last time I did one of these I pulled the whole engine.

Look and see if it's mostly leaking under the belts, then it's probably the front crank seal. It hits the crank pulley and gets slung everywhere. You'll need a wheel puller to get that pulley off. I could do it for you if don't feel like messing with it.

The seal itself costs like $10.

[Edited on January 10, 2009 at 9:27 PM. Reason : .]

1/10/2009 9:17:37 PM

^ That's definitely what it seems like. I checked the GA16DE forum and they have a sticky for that damned front seal. All the symptoms match (leaking on passenger side of the engine, only leaks when running) and the mileage seems right for it to fuck up. It doesn't sound too difficult to fix. Just remove the passenger side wheel and splash guard then belts, crank pulley bolt, and crank pulley respectively. Pick out the old seal carefully and install the new one. Sound right to you guys? Would the other potential leaks match those symptoms? If anyone wants to offer their services, PM me a price. I'll probably do it myself, but if my price is right, I may give the job to someone else so i don't fuck up my own car.

1/10/2009 9:31:48 PM

also check

http://b15sentra.net

they have a pretty good tech section

1/10/2009 9:46:22 PM

Nice link but do the b15 have GA16DE? I thought they were only 1.8l and 2.0l?

1/10/2009 10:27:26 PM

and the 2.5 in the ser. your right. dont know what i was thinking about. i thought the 99 was a b15. my bad

1/10/2009 10:53:39 PM

bump for the church going folks

Thanks for the help so far

[Edited on January 11, 2009 at 11:16 AM. Reason : .]

1/11/2009 11:16:10 AM

pm zxappeal he's looking for some side work

1/11/2009 2:44:08 PM