Nissan 350Z, 2003 has an oil leak and the pressure oil inside the cabinet read 100 percent. The air conditioner does not work( not cold), and the radiator looks like it works.
I went to the dealer to check the oil leak and paid 200 dollars to dianostic. This is what the Nissan dealer said:
recommend to replace valve cover, gasket spark plugs and cam sensor to resolve oil leak rec oil pan gasket $3760.00
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Can I replace the pan gasket my self on the Nissan, no bar under or a professional should do?
Thank you, Scotty, for your energy, really learned a lot from your video on YouTube.
MHS
How bad is it leaking oil? If it isn't leaking bad I wouldn't worry about it right now.
You aren't complaining about any driveability issues like misfires or engine performance concerns so why replace the spark plugs and the cam sensor?
My bet is that they saw an old or pending cam sensor code and being a dealer they want to replace the sensor.
The thing is, on the Nissans you can't replace the spark plug tube seals in the valve covers. You have to replace both valve covers. And on a 20 year old Nissan, even if the spark plug tube seals weren't leaking before you remove the valve covers to replace the valve cover gaskets, they'll sure leak after, so you have to replace both valve covers.
I know first hand on the Nissans you have to use OEM valve covers. The aftermarkets will leak (into the spark plug tubes) either immediately or certainly within a year.
Those plastic valve covers for your 350Z cost around $300 EACH from the dealer. AND they don't come with their valve cover gaskets. Those are an additional $50.
So adding tax, the parts for the valve covers and gaskets alone you're spending $700. Why? Because the dealer said so?
Why not just replace the Oil Pressure Sensor (aka oil pressure switch) the next time you do an oil change? It's right next to the oil filter and you can buy one from the dealer for around $70. That should fix the high oil pressure reading being displayed by the gauge. Of course when you replace the sensor look for oil in the sensor wiring connector. Like I said, it's way down there next to the oil filter
Thank you very much. I will purchase the sensor and do an oil change.
There are DIY kits available at Walmart and auto parts stores. It’s basically a bottle of refrigerant and a pressure meter.
Those so-called "recharge cans" are terrible, selling the fantasy that you can fix your AC by "filling to the green" with a magical can. It's nonsense. Most contain sealers that may plug up your AC system. The cheap low-side gauge on the cans is useless for judging charge level or diagnostic purposes. You have no idea what's happening on the high side of the system. It's very easy to make things worse with those things.
It's best to either obtain and learn to use the proper equipment or take the vehicle to an AC specialist.
NFW. GTK. I hope I didn't damage mine by using it!
and the radiator looks like it works.
How can you tell the radiator works, just by looking at it?
I went to the dealer to check the oil leak
Not a good idea, they call them "stealerships" for a reason. A valve cover gaskets can be changed with hand tools and a torque wrench.
oil pan gasket
Use a compatible product with UV dye, wear special sunglasses, start the engine, let it run for 10 minutes, shut it off, and you will find the leak.
yes by looking at it, run the engine, and then after 15 miles look if the radiator fans operate, and they were. The radiator doesn't leak.
The air conditioner needs serviced by a qualified technician, I think you meant the condenser. All car-based refrigerants leak over time. It's more than likely not working, because there's no refrigerant in it. Working on air conditioners without proper equipment is quite dangerous. If you use a stop leak product, it will likely destroy your system.
has an oil leak
where did you see the leak?
pressure oil inside the cabinet read 100 percent
oil gauges don't usually indicate in "percent". It's a pressure, and ideally it should be closer to the middle of the gauge.
If yours is pegged all the way over then you have a blockage, or bad gauge.
Can I replace the pan gasket my self on the Nissan, no bar under or a professional should do?
I don't understand "no bar under". The oil pan gasket is best left for someone who knows what they're doing. But your car is 20 years old so if it's not dripping on the ground I would not bother with it.
Please follow all the posting instructions. We need to know important stuff like how many miles/km.
NFW. GTK. I hope I didn't damage mine by using it!
As with anything else when you take a shortcut instead of doing things the right way sometimes you get lucky and can get away with it at least in the short term.
However if the stuff you used has sealer and it gets exposed to atmosphere later either due to a leak or repairs it will harden wherever it happens to be, as a friend of mine found out the hard way several years ago. (That's the way the "sealer" works, it hardens on exposure to air and moisture.) He wound up having to replace virtually every component in his Highlander's AC system because of that stuff.
Good luck!
Thanks
The air conditioner does not work( not cold)
This could be simple, like replacing refrigerant. There are DIY kits available at Walmart and auto parts stores. It’s basically a bottle of refrigerant and a pressure meter. Just make sure the refrigerant is compatible with your car. It could be something else too, but given the age, it is most likely this.
With that said, if you haven’t really done DIY projects, it might be a good idea to take it in to an independent mechanic.
Avoid AC-fix-in-a-can. They contain a cocktail of stuff and usually do more harm than good.
Manifold gauges and a vacuum pump are the absolute minimum when working on an air conditioner. If you put stuff in without drawing a vacuum, first, you have air in your system and the condenser isn't as efficient. Air is non-condensing. Water vapor is in the system and can result in hurofluoric acid contamination.