Yay, I knew this Xterra was too good to be true.

Ever since I bought the Xterra I smelt something sort of unusual after I'd run it for a while. I thought it was at first it was my exhaust because I've been running premium lately but took a look under the car and saw it was leaking something.

It seems to be leaking right above the bellhousing (manual tranny) and leaking down from there. I couldn't tell if it's transmission fluid or engine oil.
I just put in some Royal Purple and it didn't really look purple but darker and dirtier.

It's a really bad smell though, like a mix between burnt anti-freeze and burnt plastic.

Figured I'll have it looked at but sort of upset that I couldn't get the car without atleast something wrong.

Anyone near Lakewood, CO?

im in tx, dose the fluid look red and smell sweet??? if so it is the tranny fluid

Nope, looks more darker like oil. Wasn't sure if all tranny fluid was red or not, so I'm assuming it's definately from my motor oil. It's leaking out a bit faster than a minor leak but isn't squirting out. I definately gotta get this checked out.

I cannot really isolate it because I'm looking at it from behind the driver's side tire and it looks to be coming from right above the bellhousing, it's hard to see though, not a lot of room.

see if you can get a mirror ( the one that extends ) and try to see back there or maby form under the X

Take some pics, brb.

ok i will keep watching for the update....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010040.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010041-1.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010042.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010043.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010044.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010045-1.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010046.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010047.jpg

These are from the top of the car around the belhousing and into the engine bay from the driver's/passenger's side.

Left of Bellhousing (top side)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010048.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010049.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010050.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010051.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010053.jpg

It's pretty much leaking from above the bellhousing and I cannot really get a good look up there, I need to get a mirror to check it out. Nothing can be seen at all from the top of the car.

i think its oil but not to sure...... it looks like a rust color, which would mean water when you touch it how dose it feel??? is it smooth or what????

Pretty sure it's oil. It would explain the horrible smell that accompanies the smoke that comes up from the bottom of the car.

I was looking over my warranty and says it doesn't cover oil leaks but I think I can probably get around it as more than "just an oil leak".

I wonder if there's a possibility of it being coolant (as suggested on another messageboard). The coolant level was low when I first purchased the vehicle.

But that can either point to a bad head gasket or...?

I think I might burn some coolant and waft the smell and see if its similiar, dangerous I know but reassuring if positive.

Alright, so it's definately an oil leak:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/P1010054.jpg


What are some possible sources? This leak is isolated to the driver's side area under the hood. It's not immediately visible from on top of the engine bay. You can see, from under the car, the leak is coming from above the bellhousing on the driver's side.

I haven't had any loss of coolant fluid so I'm going to rule out head gasket.

What would that leave? Intake Manifold and Valve Cover Gasket?

Pretty peeved.

My approach at the this point:

When I bought the car there was a check engine light on, I told them to look at it and they said it was a bad sensor, I didn't prompt myself to ask which sensor. Dumb on my part I admit. I'm going to try Advance Auto or Checkers Auto and see if I can get a computer read maybe to see what the last check engine light read (is that even possible?) or might go to a Nissan dealer, not sure how to approach that. Really nervous it was an important sensor. I bought a warranty with the car with a $150 deductible that will cover whatever is wrong but I wanna make sure it's not something minor first.
My car only leaks oil when it's running and it's a fairly steady drip. Maybe a drip every 2-3 seconds. I haven't been able to get a really good look at it because of me being busy and then the weather coming in. Like I said in the above post, it's isolated on the driver's side, above the bellhousing. Stinks like hell too after I run it maybe a mile or so.. really bad.. like oil. Tomorrow I'm going to buy some jacks because I don't know anyone in the area that has any, and get a flexible mirror so I can get under the Xterra and get a good look at where its coming from.
I don't have oil in my coolant and haven't lost any coolant so I'm assuming that rules out a head gasket but I don't know, never had that problem before. My radiator fan sounds like it turns on within moments of starting the car when I'm reversing out of my parking spot and then it goes away within 5-9 seconds after I get going down the road. I don't believe my engine is overheating though.
Hopefully its maybe a valve cover gasket that has gone.Wish there was someone in the area that can help me take a look at it and give me their opinion.

Dude!!!!!! THere is someone in the area!

To make sure it isn't coolant, taste it. Seriously. It is going to be super sweet if it is coolant.

Do that first and then we can go from there.

Hopefully I will see you tomorrow

I took a pretty good look at everything and I found a leak coming from something behind the engine, just under where the #6 spark plug is.

It looks like a triangular little plate thing that has 1 bolt going into it into the engine and there looks like there's a hole slightly below it on the plate piece that should have a bolt on it. The oil is leaking steady sort of between that plate and the engine block. This is DIRECTLY behind and under the #6 spark plug on the engine. I cannot reach this area very well unfortunately. Next to this plate is a circular looking thing that protrudes out slightly from the engine block, Looks like it has a cap or something on it.

I can see it by looking up on the driver's side from under the bellhousing and straight up to the #6 Spark plug wire.

As far as I'm concerned this may be the culprit and has a steady leak of a drip ever 1-2 seconds.

As I said though, this seems to be beyond what I can repair because it's so out of reach.

I'm more than likely going to get it covered by the warranty because it's fairly significant.

The following looks like what I saw was leaking (which I'm assuming is a camshaft seal.) This is for the passenger's side, my problem is on the driver's side.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/Masisoar/RedoneHeads.jpg

Yeah the leak was fairly steady from it so I'm going to take it as the culprit. Mine only had 1 bolt on it so that's more than likely why it's leaking. I wish it was an easy fix but it's hard to get to.

Anyone familiar with Xterra engines? Just realized the camshaft seal is in the front of the engine.

Not sure how to approach this and fix the issue.

- Take the intake manifold off
- Take off the driver's side valve cover (replacing that gasket).
- I guess from there I can use a wrench and just take off the bolt that's holding in that camshaft plate or a socket depending on the room. Then try to see if I can find 1 or 2 more like bolts to help seal it in.

I see the thing you're talking about in this diagram, referred to as the cylinder head rear cover. Looks like there's supposed to be a gasket there, and I'd imagine three bolts, as opposed to one.