1995 Nissan Maxima valves/rear engine seals leak

[applesandoranges]

Hi, amazing site - wish I found these years back but better late than never - bookmarked for life!

I have a 1995 Nissan Maxima that upon visiting (a few days back) the Nissan dealership for a transmission fluid and oil change noted the following unfortunately :

1. engine valve seals beginning to seep/leak
2. rear engine seals beginning to seep/leak

They said it would be pretty expensive to repair both ++$1500 USD for the whole job - yikes!

Engine currently has : 162,000 miles
Oil that has been used thus far until this last oil change = mobil 1 synthetic 5w-30 + mobil 1 filter, changing every 4000-5000 miles.
* ATF fluid change every ~30,000 miles
* air filter every 10,000
* Gas : 93 octane from wherever +/- lucas fuel injector cleaner every 2nd or 3rd full tank refuel.

I did a bit of google searching for this forum and came across posts mentioning :

1. Valvoline Maxlife 5w-30 synthetic blend
2. Valvoline Maxlife 5w-30 full synthetic
3. Mobile 1 High Mileage (HM) 5w-30

I just filled it with new mobil 1 synthetic 5w-30 a few days back.

I'm kind of worried of messing my car on the account of relying it for everything...

Reading through, comments boiled down to :

1. get the Maxlife 5w-30 blend and not full synthetic maxlife, (not sure if maxlife full synthetic is as bad as just non-HM synthetic though)

2. mobile 1 HM after 5000/10000 miles if maxlife didn't work

(still confused on the whole conditioning versus swelling of seals where apparently, Mobile 1 HM does more swelling)

Regarding this make, model, year and miles so far

* Should I go with the Valvoline Maxlife Blend 5w-30?

* What oil filter should I purchase?

* Will there be a problem going from full synthetic all these years back to a blend?

* Is this a downgrade from using Mobil 1 full synthetic? Will there be any noticeable performance changes?

* Lastly, will buying something like Lucas Engine Oil Stop Leak help at all during the oil change?

** Are there any notable signs that I should keep out for if choosing the suggested oil isn't working? e.g. if I am driving, will I notice something? I guess I should be monitoring the oil stick, how often to see how much is being consumed?

I never really monitored my oil dipstick over the years - usually I buy 4+1 extra quart to give them to change.

Slightly disappointed as I love the car and have owned it for this many years, that's a hefty chunk of change on a paltry student budget with a part-time job and no external support. Thanks for answering these questions - I really appreciate it! I'm hoping that this car will last for at least another few years.

Thanks again in advance for the suggestions and input - cheers!

 

[HerrStig]

Rotella T 6 5 - 40 is worth a try.

 

[bourne]

Maxlife 5w30/10w30 would be ideal in your application. Try the 10w30 if 5w30 doesnt slow your leak down. Purolator Classic is an excellent value filter for 5k mile oci. By valve seals you mean Valve Cover Gaskets ? If so, price some indy shops around or look on yelp. It shouldnt be too expensive to fix that part of your leak.

 

[bourne]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Rotella T 6 5 - 40 is worth a try.



I was going to recommend that but with his leaks I shied away from it.

 

[applesandoranges]

Originally Posted By: bourne
Maxlife 5w30/10w30 would be ideal in your application. Try the 10w30 if 5w30 doesnt slow your leak down. Purolator Classic is an excellent value filter for 5k mile oci. By valve seals you mean Valve Cover Gaskets ? If so, price some indy shops around or look on yelp. It shouldnt be too expensive to fix that part of your leak.


Oh ok... pardon my poor wording on the valve seals - I asked them if it was the gasket (I think I asked actually head gasket, and they said no, not the head gasket, the valve seals) - slight weeping on the top and bottom is all else that I could recall along with rear engine seal weeping... as my mind was off wondering that I am going to be so screwed if this car dies. They said it's in the very early stage...

I'm not sure if that helps describe the "valve seal" any better than you had mentioned - not very well versed in all the details, and I apologize.

Regarding the 5-30 maxlife, do you recommend the blend or full synthetic? Will there be a problem going from full synthetic back to a blend?

 

[Art_Vandelay]

First you need to determine how much oil your car is leaking and or consuming. Check the dipstick regularly. It might not be that bad. Top up the oil whenever it's low.

You're in a warm climate so switch to 10W-30 High Mileage(it's thicker than 5W-30) next oil change.
Seems like a lot of folks on here have had good results with the High Mileage oils. Some say that it took them a couple of oil changes before their leaks stopped or reduced.
You could always go up to a 40 weight oil if things don't improve.

Dropping down to a conventional or semi-synthetic will not cause any problems. The oil filter won't matter. I'm sure Nissan's own filter can't be beat. But any major filter should be fine.

 

[bourne]

Originally Posted By: applesandoranges


Oh ok... pardon my poor wording on the valve seals - I asked them if it was the gasket (I think I asked actually head gasket, and they said no, not the head gasket, the valve seals) - slight weeping on the top and bottom is all else that I could recall along with rear engine seal weeping... as my mind was off wondering that I am going to be so screwed if this car dies. They said it's in the very early stage...

I'm not sure if that helps describe the "valve seal" any better than you had mentioned - not very well versed in all the details, and I apologize.

Regarding the 5-30 maxlife, do you recommend the blend or full synthetic? Will there be a problem going from full synthetic back to a blend?


There are a few gaskets in the VQ engine that you have, the main ones being Head Gasket, Lower Intake Gasket, Upper Intake Manifold Gasket and Valve Cover Gaskets. What you need to do is first determine where the leaks are coming from and how bad are they. I had slight weepage on my 97 Maxima but no noticeable difference in the oil level over the oci so I never bothered fixing it.

I recommend syn blend. If you have existing leaks, full syn is generally not advised. Although Maxlife advertises itself as a HM oil. You might want to call Ashland at 1-800-TEAM-VAL and see what their suggestion is. There isnt much you can do for cheap for your rear main seal, but put your hopes into Maxlife and hope it eliminates/reduces it.

Dont be too worried about it, VQ is a tough engine. I put mine through [censored] and it still gave me 32 mpg on my way to the dealership to trade it in. Thats with a cracked rusting exhaust, slight lower intake leak and on OE Trans fluid at 227K miles.

 

[applesandoranges]

Wow, thanks for all the additional information! That was really sweet!

@ Herrstigg - was there a reason why you suggested Rotella in the first place?

@ bourne - thanks for the gasket breakdown, reassurances and phone number - I'll give them a call tomorrow. I guess when I go get my oil changed in a few days, I can ask them to specify which of these gaskets aforementioned it could be.

@art_vandelay - thanks to you as well for the information. I just changed the oil 2 days ago to the full mobil 1 5w-30, and that's when they noticed these issues.

I don't want to take the chance of driving it for so many thousand miles, so I am going to get it changed out again in a day or so...

I'm in Atlanta now and the temperatures haven't been that bad.. So will the 10w-30 handle temps in Kentucky, Northern Ohio and IL? (and maybe eastern PA and CT) - I have to drive to those places during late Dec/Jan/Feb (for school)

I never got to follow anything beyond 10w for milder/warmer and 5w for cooler/colder - I'm not sure about the 30 vs 40 and exact outdoor temperatures for proper startup/operation to keep in mind. I was just going by the Nissan Manual recommendation...

Oh lastly, does everyone eventually have to switch to high mileage - were the leaks caused by just using synthetic mobil 1 for all these years? I'd say I was using it for the last 7-8 years of the car's life with regular conventional prior.

 

[The Critic]

The oil won't make much of a difference at all. There's no reason to downgrade to an inferior oil from Mobil 1, just keep doing what you are doing.

The oil leaks will need to be fixed by replacing the valve cover gaskets and the rear main seal. I would leave the rear main seal alone until it starts leaking horribly as that's the expensive one.

I'm sure you have some friends/neighbors who are mechanically inclined enough to help you with doing the valve covers. They aren't exceptionally easy on that car but are doable for most moderately skilled DIYers.

 

[applesandoranges]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
The oil won't make much of a difference at all. There's no reason to downgrade to an inferior oil from Mobil 1, just keep doing what you are doing.

The oil leaks will need to be fixed by replacing the valve cover gaskets and the rear main seal. I would leave the rear main seal alone until it starts leaking horribly as that's the expensive one.

I'm sure you have some friends/neighbors who are mechanically inclined enough to help you with doing the valve covers. They aren't exceptionally easy on that car but are doable for most moderately skilled DIYers.


Oh, I was wondering if there were going to be any counterclaim to trying some of the above options - why do you think that they [maxlife blends] wouldn't help to try at first?

Is Maxlife that much more of an inferior oil to mobile 1 in case of higher mileage and slightly weeping/seeping seals? I read that valvoline's maxlife blend was suggested over mobile 1 high mileage... not here to make an argument, but trying to stay informed. Thanks for your comments... What kind of price would it be to replace the valve cover gaskets out of curiosity?

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: applesandoranges
Oh, I was wondering if there were going to be any counterclaim to trying some of the above options - why do you think that they [maxlife blends] wouldn't help to try at first?


Anecdotally, I had good success with MaxLife in a different application. That doesn't mean it's going to work in your situation. However, I wouldn't really consider it a downgrade for your oil change interval. Heck, it'll probably even save you a few bucks. I can't say much about M1 HM, since we don't get that here.

Sometimes, what we don't know won't hurt. Did you notice consumption or leakage, or did the dealer just find it? I'm not saying that they're either lying on one hand or being very meticulous and careful and OCD on the other. All I'm saying is that if you're not having to do top ups and you're not getting driveway/garage floor stains, it's not worth losing any sleep over, much less $1500. Heck, if it's very minor, it's not even worth changing oils over.

And don't worry, the fact that you used a synthetic in general or M1 specifically did not cause your leaks. Engines get old, and they leak. I've seen some leak from the factory (though I don't consider that acceptable). An 18 year old car leaking is not a cause for alarm.

 

[applesandoranges]

The dealer noticed it during this particular oil change... usually, I get mine changed at a local shop and use mobile 1 synthetic 5w/30 with m1 filter... every 4000-5000 miles for the past 7-8 years.

I only happened to take it to the nissan dealer this particular time because I was just getting a drain and fill transmission fluid change, and my local shop was waiting on a restock that day. So I had them do the oil change with the mobile 1 I had purchased earlier.

Otherwise, I've never monitored the oil dipstick on a frequent basis to be honest (don't shoot me - which will change from now on) - it was usually within range. Moreover, I've never seen any oil stains on the parking lot... drove it a few times today to check the dipstick (cold engine or after 10-15 mins) and it shows full, no drips on any of the lots...

Still, the prices they were quoting and the potential outcome of the engine failing made me scared enough to see what alternative options I might* have. I have a ton of driving to do during the next few months, and nobody wants to worry about that.

I don't think the dealership was plotting anything mischievous... they said those two area seals were showing slight weeping/leaking... wish I had them take a photo or something so that I could actually see it.

Anyways, I want to change out the mobile 1 5-30 synthetic to something, if any of the case above is true.... maybe I can have the local shop take some photos with my phone.

 

[Clevy]

Before going to maxlife or mhm why not head over to napa auto parts. They carry a brand called liqui-moly. They make a product called motor oil saver. It will cure your leak/weep issue and you don't have to switch oils. Then run this interval out. I wouldn't go to a lesser product like Valvoline from mobil.
I'm not a fan of mobil whatsoever but I would use it over Valvoline.
While your at napa liqui-moly also makes a product called mos2. It's in the same size can as the motor oil saver. It's a friction modifier. It will help your engine last longer and improve fuel consumption.

 

[applesandoranges]

Oh boy - The liqui-moly suggestion was a curve ball

I tried doing a quick search to see what this is... so in essence, this is to "thicken" non-HM oils and potentially help with the seals (for both the rear and valves)? What about the synthetic issues mentioned around the message boards of actually provoking and worsening seals that are possibly leaking?

How big (volume) is the container, and how much do you add it to where you would put an oil container from the top? Can I do this outside my driveway? I don't have any tools or means of draining any oil...

I think the maxima takes roughly ~4.25quarts of oil... would adding this container of liqui-moly be too much - not sure about overfilling and the dangers/risks...

I'm not going to do anything just* yet... I'll wait to hear some opinions, but thanks for mentioning it.

 

[applesandoranges]

Originally Posted By: applesandoranges
Oh boy - The liqui-moly suggestion was a curve ball

I tried doing a quick search to see what this is... so in essence, this is to "thicken" non-HM oils and potentially help with the seals (for both the rear and valves)? What about the synthetic issues mentioned around the message boards of actually provoking and worsening seals that are possibly leaking?

How big (volume) is the container, and how much do you add it to where you would put an oil container from the top? Can I do this outside my driveway? I don't have any tools or means of draining any oil...

I think the maxima takes roughly ~4.25quarts of oil... would adding this container of liqui-moly be too much - not sure about overfilling and the dangers/risks...

I'm not going to do anything just* yet... I'll wait to hear some opinions, but thanks for mentioning it.



(Oh I couldn't edit to add to my previous post)

I see the can is around 300ml btw...
In addition to the questions above, what about using Auto-Rx and getting a fresh oil change?

So far the possible scenarios (outside of repair)

1. replace with valvoline maxlife 5w-30 or 10w-30 blend + oil filter
2. keep current mobil 1 5-30 (not high mileage) and add liqui-moly oil saver
3. ???? + auto-rx + oil filter = another option?

 

[sparky123]

I read your first paragraph carefully and you state you been using Mobil 1 "until the last oil change." How long have you've been using Mobil 1 and what oil did you put in last time? Perhaps the last oil did something to accelerate oil consumption? Is this something you just noticed? I once owned a 92' Maxima and I tried Mobil 1 in the engine (back in the 90's) and was not pleased w/Mobil 1 oil at all. I would switch to an oil which will reduce you're oil consumption and not put any $ in this car. I hope you never have a window regulator go bad. The 92' turned out to be a somewhat of a $ pit for me. I did the repair of the main rear seal @ the Nissan dealer and then shorthly after the window reg's went out. In my case, should of traded in the car before spending the $$ on the repairs. Good luck!

 

[applesandoranges]

Originally Posted By: sparky123
I read your first paragraph carefully and you state you been using Mobil 1 "until the last oil change." How long have you've been using Mobil 1 and what oil did you put in last time? Perhaps the last oil did something to accelerate oil consumption? Is this something you just noticed? I once owned a 92' Maxima and I tried Mobil 1 in the engine (back in the 90's) and was not pleased w/Mobil 1 oil at all. I would switch to an oil which will reduce you're oil consumption and not put any $ in this car. I hope you never have a window regulator go bad. The 92' turned out to be a somewhat of a $ pit for me. I did the repair of the main rear seal @ the Nissan dealer and then shorthly after the window reg's went out. In my case, should of traded in the car before spending the $$ on the repairs. Good luck!


Been using mobil 1 + mobil 1 filter for nearly 7-8 years with changes roughly between 4000-5000 miles / 5w-30 - never had any problems... my '95 maxima has now ~162,000 miles on it.

My last oil change was a few days ago, and I gave them my mobil 1 5w-30 (along with a transmission fluid drain and fill). Yeah it might have been tough to read through all the posts, but I mentioned it was something that the dealership noted when changing my oil this time on those two seal areas... the engine valve and rear engine.

I don't check my dipstick that often but whenever I did, it was always within range... never seen any oil spills on the pavement/road as of yet, including just the other day when driving/parking -

So some of the suggestions as you mentioned were to go to the maxlife blend , another was to consider keeping my current mobil 1 fill and add to it the liqui-moly oil saver... and lastly... I just threw the auto-rx and some other suggested oil as a 3rd option if that was possible.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

If you're not adding a quart in between oil changes, and you aren't dripping on the pavement ... I would think you're okay.

Sounds like the dealer is trying to get money out of you.

 

[buster]

I would try the following:

1.Mobil 1 High Mileage/ or MaxLife (I'd use M1 HM first being you already were using M1)

If that doesn't work then,

2. Fix the seals.

 

[Art_Vandelay]

Originally Posted By: applesandoranges


So far the possible scenarios (outside of repair)

1. replace with valvoline maxlife 5w-30 or 10w-30 blend + oil filter
2. keep current mobil 1 5-30 (not high mileage) and add liqui-moly oil saver
3. ???? + auto-rx + oil filter = another option?





Don't you want to establish a baseline before you proceed?

Do not change the oil now. Do not add anything to it. Just monitor usage for your current cycle. You need this information to proceed effectively.

You do not have a bad leak. I know that you're worried about all the places you have to go in the next few months. Don't be. You could drive this car, from New York to California, back and forth three times, on your current Mobil 1 fill, by just topping up as needed. Without risk.

Your dealer said it is in the early stages of seeping. That means you have a better chance of being struck by lightning, every day this week, than you do of damaging your engine, while you establish your usage baseline.

After you know how much oil you're using per 5000 miles you can proceed to step 2.