# Oil cooler leaking (05 Canadian X-Trail SE)



## esberelias (Jan 30, 2014)

Hey guys

After a long road trip and parking the car I could smell burning oil which I thought was weird so i investigated... turns out my oil cooler is leaking... 

did a little research on it online and lots of threads suggested it's a common problem for nissan's that the 0-Ring inside the oil cooler fails and all you need to do is replace it... great... should be rather easy fix...

Called Nissan (locally in Edmonton) and they told me they dont sell that o-ring only... instead I have to buy the whole unit.... for $660!!!!

I googled some more and found out it's just a typical "O" ring.... my question to you guys.... as anyone had this issue with their oil cooler?

If the weather holds out this weekend, I might disassemble the unit and see what my findings are... hopefully it is indeed just a basic O ring and I can source one out somewhere locally and not spend 600+ dollars....


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

AUSTRALIAN X-TRAIL FORUM :: Engine Mechanical :: fixing an oil cooler leak | Runboard

Hi check out the above link for a how to and alternate parts for the gaskets.

I wasn't aware of this, so at least its a heads up, in case I ever have the same problem.
Saw this video on YouTube for an Infinity, gives an idea as to the part and the gasket, but I gather ours is not in the same spot. The video shows a squarish gasket that must be similar to what is described in the Aussie thread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUWUNa7q42k

And lastly in my attempt to be of help, I saw there was a guy in Alberta who was listing the necessary gaskets for 20$. Appears he never sold them and delisted the ad, but you could contact the seller and see if he still has them. Otherwise maybe he could guide you in contacting the place that he got them from. Based on the listing description he could be quite helpful.
2006 Nissan X Trail OIL Cooler Seal SET FOR 2 5L Engine NEW | eBay

Good luck with it. Let us know how it goes.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

What is happening I have answered this twice and my posts aren't appearing.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Yup something is not working


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

For some reason posts are not being displayed


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Looked at the service manual, and our cooler is nothing like the Infinity video, however it is like the one in the following video for an Altima.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBsL4iWxplA

The guy is confused because it cannot be a 2000 model because those did not have the 2.5 engine. Its most likely a 2002 or later. Nevertheless gives a much better idea of what is involved. Cannot really see why Nissan would insist on selling the whole part.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

2007 Nissan Altima Sedan Oil Cooler - NissanPartsZone.com

Its not so obvious finding the actual Nissan part. The above shows it, but is from a 2007 Altima. It shows the gaskets and the proper part numbers. I would lay odds that it is the exact same as you require. It would seem a fair number of 2007 plus Altimas, Rogues and other models experience this same problem.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Well, having compared with the X trail service manual, looks like I lose my bet. The flat gasket that goes against the block with 4 holes looks quite similar, but the actual oil cooler is different than the flat top plate one in the Altima video and the part diagram from Nissan part zone. 
In the X trail schematic from the service manual the gasket in the oil cooler is an o ring. From the looks of it, its more similar to the one in the infinity video, but its not behind the oil filter. 
As its in back of the engine, I couldn't see mine from above, but it should be on the lower back part of the engine passenger side.
Not sure if it can be done on jack stands, but I guess with the wheel off and wheel well cover removed things might look brighter for removal. If you don't have the service manual, I could send you the relevant pages.


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## esberelias (Jan 30, 2014)

Quadraria10 thanks so much to that ebay link haha the bid ended but no one bid on it and the user isn't too far from me... I just msged him and hopefully he'll be willing to meet in person and I could grab those off of him 

I've changed the gasket before from the cooler to the engine block (thinking that was the problem) but now I know it's the actual cooler it's self the leak is from...

Now I gotta drain my coolant (I need to change it anyway) and take the whole unit out.. it's gonna be a pain in the butt because you're right, it's tight.. but its gonna be done :S

Thanks again for all your help! I'll post some pics and stuff if I find a fix


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Note this Nissan part
21304-8H700

It's a bit strange in that in the diagram it seems to refer to the flat gasket with the four holes, and if you go to google the Nissan part and go to images you will see one with that number. Its listed on ebay and is the gasket, but its not the O ring.

However, if you search the part in another official nissan part website there is no picture but they refer to O ring. 

21304-8H700 - Nissan Parts Zone)

Its only a few bucks so it may be worth checking your dealer and that part no. 
There is also another smaller o ring on other diagrams that has part no 21334 on diagrams that goes with bolt on top of oil cooler. But I cannot find the part extension number for the X trail. Nissan part code numbers are there own mysterious universe.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Glad I was able to help. Hope I never face the same thing. Nevertheless it would be great to be able to find the actual nissan part. Maybe when I get a chance I will check with a local dealer parts dept, to see if there is an O ring that corresponds. Otherwise find out from that ebay guy where he got them should someone else be in need. Keep us posted.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Last thought, that O ring is so similar to the one used in the 3.5 engines that maybe one of them would fit.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

What a way to kill a day off lol. I called dealer and the part number comes up as an o ring. When he looks at his diagram it points to the flat gasket. So he figures that is what it is and not the o ring needed. Also according to his diagram the oil cooler has to be replaced entirely $648 plus tax. He doesn't show it as being able to come apart. 
I said that is not what is illustrated in the service manual. 
I wish it was easier to post the manual illustration. Cannot wait to hear your findings.


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## chadn (Jan 28, 2010)

Is it leaking from the flat gasket against the block or the internal o-ring inside the cooler? I think you can replace the o-ring inside the cooler. And it sounds like you can get the gasket from nissan. Hopefully it's a fairly easy fix.

Here is a link to a diy fix http://baustralianxtrail.runboard.com/t130293

Here is the manual page


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Good man Chadn. That illustration is exactly what I wanted to post. His leak is the internal o ring, and he has previously replaced the flat gasket that goes against the block. However Nissan dealers here do not seem to have access to this as their diagram does not show the oil cooler as being a part that could be serviced. You can order part 7 no problem, but they do not seem to have a clue as to how to help you get the main O ring no 4,nor can they give you info about no 6. I did not bother asking about the relief valve. $ 648 plus tax with zero core refund is outrageous. If you refer to the X's on the diagram they are the items to be replaced with every disassembly. So, how come the parts department stands there and tells clients its non serviceable.
I am just not sure if they are ignorant or want their clients to be but they do frustrate the heck out of me.
I note that on other forums you often have someone from the manufacturer contributing and trying to address customer problems. Where is Nissan here?

Anyway we will have to get the bottom of this and try and find the appropriate parts without dealership help. I may just call Nissan Canada and voice my dissatisfaction.


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## esberelias (Jan 30, 2014)

Hey guys... okay so i've been to hell and back with the darn thing lol but she is finally put back together 

I went to a local shop here in Edmonton called Hi Tech Seals and took in my old seals... They didn't have an identical one with the in groves but I found a seal that was a perfect fit... 

Old









seals removed 









new seal









both together... 









I really hope this works... I had to work on my car under the snow it was the worst and cold lol after I went for a drive I could smell some old but i'm hoping it's just some of the old oil that leaked when I was dissembled it that's just burning off... Only time will tell I guess....

Thanks for all the help fellas! I really do appreciate it!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Man I feel for you trying to that with snow on the ground. I am really glad that your pics confirm the service manual description. I will be talking to Nissan Canada re the availability of replacement gaskets next week. My only concern with yours is obviously different material and the lack of grooves and ridges as per your original. They must have some purpose. Moreover your original gaskets don't look deformed or show any obvious signs of failure. Were you able to come up with a reason yours failed? Is it possible that over time engine vibration loosens it and causes it to separate? Was the top bolt tight?
I would really appreciate smj999 or some other Nissan Master Tech chiming in here-- why would this have failed? Why are they failing on Rogues and Altimas with the 2.5? Because, its clear this is not an isolated one of event that has never been seen before on a Nissan. Lastly, is there any possibility of cross-contamination between the oil and coolant, if the oil cooler fails? Any warning signs other than losing oil and drips on the driveway?
Does not seem to be a wide spread problem so far for X trails in Canada, but I am guessing it may start to creep up. 
Anyway I hope your fix works Esberelias. Did the Ebay guy get back to you? And, did High Tech gaskets have a part number or brand name for the gaskets you got?

Lastly how tough was it to get at, remove and reinstall? You have my full admiration. My guess is that you got it done for about $20 vs what I am sure is a $1000 repair at a dealership. There is no way they are charging less than 2 hours labour for this, and I bet its probably higher if you get an estimate that includes coolant change.

Heck their coupon for just a drain and fill of the radiator using up to 4L of Nissan coolant is $129 plus tax. So just to change coolant completely with full flush of cooling system must run over 250. Keep in mind that the former simple drain and fill requires no special tools and one jug of coolant. In comparison oil change is $41 with their coupon and that includes almost 4 litres of oil and a filter. Hardly equal value propositions...


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Well I found out Nissan Canada Customer relations will only refer you to dealer part depts. Dealer part depts have the schematic that does not include the breakdown of the oil cooler from the servicing manual. No explanation other than it must be non serviceable part in Canada....
I had a dealer parts manager look at the diagram here and the pics, and he agrees it should be repairable but he has no Nissan source for the needed O rings. Nice guy was willing to discount the oil cooler assembly by about 30% to help out and sell it for 470 or so. Says its a new unit with guaranty, and there is no core refund if you bring back your defective one. 

I mentioned the part number for the flat gasket also shows up as an o ring in certain Nissan part sites online. He says it may be the right one but he has no way of knowing. He was aware that oil cooler problems have affected Altimas and Rogues and a warranty extension is in effect. They replace the gaskets and seals for those... 
He looked to see and supposidely he has no record of selling an X trail oil cooler over the past two years so he suspects its a fairly rare problem. 


Anyway I am hoping to hear esberelias' fix worked and hoping he can share his findings as to o ring replacements.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

SERVICE SLANTS
Nissan — Oil Leak From Engine 

Some 2007-12 Nissan Altima and Sentra sedans, as well as 2008-13 Altima coupes and Rogue SUVs, all with the QR25DE inline Four, may develop an oil leak from the engine. According to Nissan, if the leak seems to be emanating from the oil cooler, a likely cause is a blown O-ring in the upper half of the cooler. Installing a more durable O-ring (Part No. 21304-JA05A) should seal off the leak. 

Tech Tip: Oil Cooler Leak on Nissan Maxima and Murano Vehicles

You may get one of the Nissan vehicles listed below in the shop with engine oil accumulated on the engine block below the engine oil cooler area.

Inspect the engine, engine oil cooler and the oil cooler gasket for oil leakage. You may use a fluorescent oil dye leak detector to help more easily determine which component is leaking. If the oil is leaking from the oil cooler rubber gasket, replace the rubber gasket using the following manufacturer’s Service Procedure.

Vehicles:
2004-2006 Quest
2000-2006 Maxima
2003-2006 Murano
2002-2006 Altima with VQ35 engine only

This is a problem affecting many Nissan vehicles, of the same vintage as the x trail. Even in the new modified oil cooler in 2007 Altimas and Rogues, it would appear that there was a design deficiency in the original gaskets not being quite beefy enough. My guess therefore is that high oil temps and hence pressure are the cause of the leaking.
The cause of this I would guess could be spirited driving, long high speed trips, lots of big hills to climb, large load on engine...
I am also guessing that if your coolant system is filthy, small particles in antifreeze can clog the oil cooler rendering it ineffective. 
Nevertheless, I still do not understand why Nissan Canada will not provide us with a similarly upgraded gasket. 
Will try and learn more. I really wish Rogoman or SMJ999 would comment here on the operation of oil coolers and why they are failing on so many Nissan models.


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## esberelias (Jan 30, 2014)

sorry for the late reply but the fix seems ok so far... oil cooler is holding up. I honestly dont even think that the main gasket failed it was just the O-ring around the screw is the one that failed... and If i would of just tightened it wit hit on the car it would of slowed down the leaking for the winter. 

once I took out the o-rings, the one that was around the screw was very mushy and the main gasket was pretty firm still.

I might have a leak else where though... It might be the upper oil pan...

but that will have to wait till the spring if its a slow leak


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for the update Esberelias. 
I am sure that information will be of help to someone down the road. So ultimately it looks to be the $1 or $2 gasket that may prove defective. I am guessing that one is cheap and a pretty standard size.
I wish one of the mechanical experts on this site would pipe in here. 
Looking at your pics it does not appear that your oil cooler was fouled with metal flakes or something that would clog it. Looks like it could be cleaned in any case.
I just fail to see why, when these oil coolers seem to be occasionally problematic , we are not being given the opportunity to fix it, but rather they want to sell a 1000 repair bill which includes more than $600 just for the oil cooler assembly which does not even include the oil pressure sensor.
Its not the dealers fault, but this policy will basically make clients feel ripped off, and it undermines the quality perception of the Nissan brand.


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## esberelias (Jan 30, 2014)

I'm with you there 100%!

I'm glad I took it apart and went to a seal shop and just just a matching set... they actually gave them to me no charge they said instead I could just make a donation to the children's hospital if i wanted to (ofcourse I did, they saved me 600 dollars lol) They had a collection box there...

If someone is looking to do the same I'd advise to take out the cooler, dissemble it, take the cooler with you to the seal shop and get it fitted right on the spot because your o-ring alone could be deformed and they might give you a small size.

The seal shop deals with the oil & gas industry so I asked her about the seal being oil resistant and made for high temp & pressure and she said of course they were because like you mentioned in an earlier post that it's a different material.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Jeez-- free. Guess you didn't get a bill with part number or size on it then. I suspect I wont have as easy a time finding a place that deals with oil & gas industry here in the Ottawa/Gatineau region, if and when the time comes.
I am curious, if the bolt on top could be tightened without removing the oil cooler? Do you think it could be accessed?


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

I have just been reading a very interesting thread
http://forums.********.com/2001-qx4-oil-leak-need-help-identifying-the-part-t379726.html

It may not post here because its on a competing forum NIco forum

Anyway pictures of the gaskets are identical, and the set up of the oil cooler is very similar. And in reading the thread it would seem some dealers show the whole part as needing replacement and do not show it as repairable...Now where have we heard that before... 

Makes me believe the gaskets for the Infinty QX4 2001 as well as for early 2001+ pathfinders with auto trannys are exactly what the doctor ordered for the X trail

Nissan part numbers for the large O ring -- 21304-17F20 * been updated to part 21304-JK20A
and the small O ring -- 21334-30F00

I note that quite a few model nissan and infinity models use these.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

2001-qx4-oil-leak-need-help-identifying-the-part

is the thread on the NIco forum if anyone wants to look it up. Shame the link will not work...


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Just read Montys Mate post on the Aussie forum more carefully and to quote him
"During my web searching I came across Nissan spare parts enquiry site. So I asked if someone somewhere in Nissan had any knowledge of the internal O Rings and where they could be sourced. I gave the dimensions of each O Ring from UNM's post. I got a very quick reply from Von Bibra Nissan from Robina in Queensland. They weren't able to supply the original O Rings but had two that were very close to size which were for the Pathfinder. 

Large O Ring OD 77mm, ID 67mm, Thickness 6mm. This is a flat cross section ring. Part Number 21304-JK20A. 

Small O Ring for top bolt OD 30mm, ID 24mm, Thickness 3mm. This is a round cross section ring. Part Number 21334-30F00. ''

SO... issue solved. There are Nissan O rings available that can be used to repair the X Trail oil cooler.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Big one at my local dealer $5.70 and small one $10.27. Other dealers do sell for less.


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## esberelias (Jan 30, 2014)

but did you notice how the "replacement o-ring" didn't have those groves either?

Therefore me getting the o-ring at a seal shop should do he trick  and it was free lol

If you're concerned about the different materials or don't have a seal shop around than by all means this is a great find!!


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## esberelias (Jan 30, 2014)

sure as hell beats spending $660 just for a replacement oil cooler!!! not to mention labor fees if you're not gonna do it yourself!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

I did notice! I also noticed the original large one was identical to your pic.
Glad the mystery is resolved in case I ever need it.
I called my dealer parts department and reported my findings. He said he would forward the info to Nissan Canada and seek to have it added to their information and parts data base.
Thanks for spurring me along on this. I think it will be very useful for others in the future.


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## esberelias (Jan 30, 2014)

I agree 100% man  and Thank you for all your help! you're a trooper! haha


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## Emil Chan (Jan 24, 2015)

esberelias said:


> Hey guys
> 
> After a long road trip and parking the car I could smell burning oil which I thought was weird so i investigated... turns out my oil cooler is leaking...
> 
> ...


Hi guy, I had the same problem happened a year later ,after they remove the heat shield from the exhaust pipe below it . I had my car in for an oil change at a local NISSAN dealer.
They said they notice some rattling noise from that loose heat shield on the exhaust pipe just under the engine and THE OIL COOLER ,WHICH I DID NOT KNOW AT THAT TIME.They said they could fix it .I was at work ,I gave them the permission to fix it trusting the technician should know better than me. I went to pick up my car right after work and the technician was still working on my car. Curious about that rattling noise and how they fix it .I went into the service bay and spoke to the technician who was still working on my car.
Then I found out he cut off that heat shield and those insulation completely.Thats all he did to solve that rattling noise they talked about,which cost me additional $70.00. I did not like at all ,that heat shield was there for a reason. The technician said its only for cosmetic purpose ,no other significant purpose.

I did not believe it at all, I took it to an independent garage ,their technician told me 
a totally different story ,They said that heat shield was there to keep those under-engine components from being AFFECTED BY the INTENSE HEAT coming from the exhaust pipe,
removing it was not a good idea, over a period of time ,that will affect some under-engine components,for example ,those gaskets might be affected.
THEY WERE RIGHT. A year later ,the oil cooler started to leak,which was just above that exhaust pipe with the heat shield cut off. I took it to that independent garage to double check it. Yes ,they said the oil cooler was leaking slowly ,they should not have cut off that heat shield.They found out The part alone cost $500.00.

I call Nissan dealer to confirm the situation,YES , the oil cooler needed to be replaced,yes 
the part alone was $500.00.+ labour + tax. Of course, they denied any wrong doings and took no responsibility.

That independent told me a SECOND OPTION. They told me to go to a local CANADIAN TIRE STORE to buy a bottle of ENGINE OIL STOP LEAK, POUR it into the oil spout on top 
of the engine to see if would stop the leak, it only cost $6.00 + tax.BIG DIFFERENCE.

I went to the local CANADIAN TIRE STORE ,the sale person recommended a bottle of RISLONE CONCENTRATE REAR MAIN SEAL REPAIR .I bought it ,poured it into the engine oil
spout .TWO DAYS LATER, NO MORE OIL ODOUR, NO MORE OIL LEAK, so far so good.
The bottle instruction says I might ,or might not ,need to add one bottle every oil change to prevent any future oil leak. HAY , it still cheaper than $500.00 + labour + tax.
I probably saved about $600.00 there and I don't need to do the HARD WORK taking it apart.Thats about 3 hours of hard work.

I hope this story will you brother.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

My understanding of the heat shield is that its purpose is to keep the hot exhaust pipe from igniting grass if you park in a field. Usually its better to clamp it to keep it from rattling, but if its too far gone and you dont want to replace it, I think its not unheard of to remove it.

The purpose of this thread was to establish which parts were needed to fix the oil cooler, rather than having to pay Nissan the big bucks for a relatively simple part. Its probably a coincidence that your oil cooler has sprung a leak. What you have done though is not a fix, and it will probably cost you bigger problems with your engine down the road. Moreover, you will have made your oil thicker, and I can't imagine that will be helpfull when it sits overnight at -20 plus temperatures. I hope I am wrong but I think you might be fooling yourself that the problem is fixed.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

If you read this thread Emil, you will find the part numbers to replace the seals in your oil cooler. If you print the part diagram and give it to a mechanic, there shouldn't be any problem fixing it. Good luck with it.


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## esberelias (Jan 30, 2014)

May 24th.... Oil cooler fix still good! still no leaks!  I've probably put over 20,000 on the car since! hehe


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Way to go Esb. By the way curious if your catalytic converter cover shield is intact or was removed prior to the leak. Was reading somewhere that heat from the converter can affect the oil cooler, and that might be the cause of the problem for some.


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## CourtenayBC (Jul 25, 2015)

My X-Trail oil cooler 0 ring is now leaking. 220,000KM. Nissan still reports that the o-ring is not available. Will be ordering part number 21304-JK20A.

Thanks!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi Courtenay, welcome to the forum. Glad you found this thread, not so glad Nissan hasn't bothered to update their part database... Really a bit ridiculous seeing they know of problems in other models and with those they do replace the O rings. Fortunately it doesn't appear that widespread. Curious if your heat shield was removed at some point? Does anybody know how you go about acquiring and installing an aftermarket heat shield? Mine has 3 or 4 clamps on it now and its still disintegrating. I would like to replace it but it seems it comes with the second catalytic converter, and I cannot find one separately. Given the tons of them that go bad why is it that there is no replacement part????


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## jhamlin (Dec 4, 2015)

I just had these o-rings replaced today but Nissa sold me 3 separate ones for about $7 each. They charged me 2.5 hours of labour however at $330 - does this seem excessive?


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Welcome jhamlin. There are two o rings and one gasket involved. The part is behind lower back part of motor and not that easy to access. Involves disconnecting oil and coolant tubes. If you read through this thread or just look at the part diagram you will get a better idea of what is involved. 2.5 hours labour at dealership is pretty good. I think that is what they were charging before to replace it when they insisted it was a non repairable part. So assuming you are in Canada its good news to hear that dealerships are now doing the repair.


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## pathfinders (Oct 10, 2014)

Hi I have a 2003 pathfinder Le , and I had trouble with the ABS wheel sensor , the heat shields also rattling half of them I took off . then I hear the power valve can loose its tiny set screws down in the engine and then its a destroyed engine , then its the antifreeze leaking into the transmission . you know I dont think Ill ever get another Nissan product .how do you feel about this?


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

How do I feel about your problems with your 12-13 year old Pathfinder? Indifferent to be frank. Some are well maintained by their owners, some are neglected. All vehicles can potentially have problems. Why did you choose the X trail forum, rather than the appropriate Pathfinder section, to share your feelings?


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## Peter123421 (Oct 9, 2016)

*Nissan part# for all seals are below*



esberelias said:


> Hey guys
> 
> After a long road trip and parking the car I could smell burning oil which I thought was weird so i investigated... turns out my oil cooler is leaking...
> 
> ...


I just fixed mine. It took me four hours to take it out, replace the seals and put it back together. Hard access to the cooler, but it cost me around $20 for all 3 gaskets
You need to drain engine oil and coolant before taking it apart, otherwise it will make a big mess on your floor.
Nissan part# are .
21334-30F00 - top small rubber o ring
21304-JK20A - middle rubber o ring
21304-8H700 - gasket between engine and the cooler

So far no leaks.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Well its now my turn to have a leaking oil cooler. Been smelling burning oil the odd time for the past couple of weeks. Quite strong last night, and figured it was the oil cooler. Had it confirmed this morn at Speedy by getting it up on a hoist. Unlike some superheros here, I am not going to work on it myself in the heart of winter in freezing temps with ice and snow on the ground. Have ordered the 3 necessary gaskets from the dealer, and will confide it to a mechanic next week. Hopefully it wont cost much more than 250 all in.
FYI dealers still don't have the diagram with the part breakdown, and you need to provide the part numbers.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

I am hoping for some advice. I am considering having the mechanic replace the water pump at the same time. Meant to change the coolant and pump during the fall but never got around to it. Coolant in it is Prestone long life. I flushed it clean with distilled water 5 years ago and then redid a drain and fill two years ago and am now at 194,500 kms.
To remove and fix the oil cooler the coolant needs to be drained according to the service manual. The best way to get to the cooler seems to be through the right wheel well. Now assuming he will be removing the wheel well covering, the pump will be accessible as well.

So I am kind of wondering if I pad my bill by having him replace the pump and coolant while fixing the oil cooler. Or should I just limit the guy to the oil cooler repair, and have him reuse the existing coolant? And, then come spring change the coolant myself as well as the water pump and thermostat. 

Other question or thought-- does the coolant actually need to be drained if the two coolant hoses that attach to the oil cooler are pinched and plugged when removed from it? Obviously it will create an air pocket, but I would think the system could then be bled. 
Hoping for some feedback. And specifically wondering as to when in terms of age and mileage a Nissan water pump should be changed?? ( I bought a Gates replacement one a year ago and have it in the basement)


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Going over the service manual there is one further component to the oil cooler that is supposed to be inspected and potentially replaced--the oil pressure relief valve. Basically its a small tube with a spring inside and a ball bearing. Should this need replacing I am pretty sure the part number is 15241-43U0A. 
It can be seen in a pic here (5th one I believe)
?????????? ???? ????? ????? ????????? ????????????? ??? QR20 - ????????? - Primera Club

the Primera shares the same oil cooler as our model. However this relief valve is used in so many models with different engines that I am certain its a standard part that is used by Nissan/Infiniti.

This thread for a G35 has a good pic of the part
https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-sedan-v35-2003-06/403530-oil-cooler-relief-valve-location.html

Hope mine is fine. But you never know and this might help someone.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Friggin Nissan part prices keep increasing. My latest outrage is the small oil cooler gasket. They charged me 15.70+ tax for what is basically this
uxcell® 50 Pcs Black Nitrile Rubber O Rings Oil Sealing Gaskets 30mm x 3mm, Seals & O-Rings - Amazon Canada

Yup that works out to 11 cents each
and I note there is a Dorman 64624 that is the same size and Rock Auto has for 1.26 each.
( The mechanic was swamped Friday so had to move me to Monday for the oil cooler repair)

Does anyone know what the return policy is for parts at Dealers?

As for the larger O ring, I haven't searched yet but its almost identical to what you will find on the bottom of an oil filter. $10.60 for that one seems excessive as well.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

quadraria10 said:


> Does anyone know what the return policy is for parts at Dealers?



I think they have a 18% parts return fee. 
I have a vague memory seeing that last time i bought the rear differential draining bolt.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks Otomodo good to know. I will just live with the gaskets I got.

But if I was smart, I would order the 50 nitrile ones, and then figure out a cheap source for the bigger ones, and sell the two as a set for 10 to 15 with free postage. The actual dimensions are in this thread. Was at Can Tire earlier today for cat liter and cat food, and they sell a neoprene one in the right size for the small one for 79 cents. Not sure how neoprene would hold up however.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Well pleased to say all done. Was cheaper than I thought. Final tally was 43.58 (taxes included) for the gaskets at the dealer and 134.45 with taxes from my mechanic. So the total cost to have the oil cooler repaired rather than replaced was $178.03 qst and gst included. Now hopefully the repair lasts for a while.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

I don t know why,but i m not in a rush to look at mine.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

In case anyone is curious, have not lost a drop of oil in the past 7 months and no leaks whatsoever. Replacing the gaskets works!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Still leak free.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

Me too(touching wood)


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

So you finally looked? Good stuff. At least you have some floorboards to put under it if it starts--lol


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

quadraria10 said:


> So you finally looked? Good stuff. At least you have some floorboards to put under it if it starts--lol


At 70$ per board, i can t really afford it. 
By the way this is black walnut. A job i made for a big customer.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Nice wood. I confess I thought they were just spare laminate planks, like I have kicking around in the basement. All the best my friend and enjoy the holiday season. Un gros Joyeux Noël.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

quadraria10 said:


> Nice wood. I confess I thought they were just spare laminate planks, like I have kicking around in the basement. All the best my friend and enjoy the holiday season. Un gros Joyeux Noël.


I work only with solid wood,no laminated or mdf(medium density fibre) here. 

Un joyeux noël pour vous aussi et une bonne année remplie de bonheur.


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## Gadgetgirl (May 11, 2011)

Here we are May 2019 and I am another 2005 XTrail with oil burning and smoking. My driveway is a mess. I was told I needed a new valve cover gasket so Nissan did it. The next morning there was more oil on the driveway. When I phoned Nissan they said perhaps it was the oil cooler. I am glad I found this thread or they would have had me buying a new oil cooler! Thanks to you all I now know to go to my mechanic and show him the part numbers and get my o rings replaced. Wish me luck!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Good luck. If you can print him out the breakdown diagram with the torque specs. If its any consolation its a fairly common problem in Rogue models and second gen X trails which were never sold in Canada. Solution for those as well is a gasket replacement. If your mechanic has a nitrile gasket set, he might just have the smaller one already on hand. Otherwise, you will have to get the part numbers here and get them from a dealer parts dept. 
Fix is still working fine on mine-- no oil leaks whatsoever.


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## enb54 (Jan 27, 2020)

Hi all, just have had the oil cooler leaking oil problem diagnosed on our daughter's 2006 X-Trail (Bona Vista) with 280,00 Km on it, so will be ordering the O-rings and gasket per this thread's instructions. Thanks for all the good information, was not looking forward to the estimated $1100 "replace" bill...


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## enb54 (Jan 27, 2020)

Local dealer had all parts in stock so will be heading out to my friend's place tomorrow because he has a drive-on hoist, which should make things much easier. Also, the 21334-30F00 small O-ring (#6 in the Oil Cooler maintenance drawing) has been replaced by Nissan part # 21334-30F0A. Hopefully the leak does not become a torrent, his shop is 90 miles/145 Km away from here...


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Just keep an eye on your oil level. The repair works. On my former X trail, it was done 2 years ago, and no return of the leak.


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## enb54 (Jan 27, 2020)

We looked at this yesterday with a mirror and couldn't see any oil on/around the cooler, but we do see a wet oil pan, going to use my borescope camera to look again. Maybe that method is what the garage mechanics used to diagnose the problem, we'll see. This looks like a terrible place to get to, we took the passenger wheel and the inner fender liner off, but everything is still very tight space wise and hard to get in there. I could see a tiny bit of oil (on top of the cooler) using the borescope but no oil coming out when the car is running, going to hold off for a while to make sure that is what the real problem is...


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## DFSpencer (Oct 21, 2019)

I'll add to this thread that I realize started several years ago. I am still working on a Canadian '06 X-Trail (T-30) that I bought in June 2019 at a local Nissan dealer's wholesale lot. The project has turned out to take more time, and money, than I had originally hoped. I am just now working on the oil cooler that has the very common oil leak from worn out seals in the unit itself. Nissan considers that part to be non-serviceable so does not list the two seals for it, which in essentially all cases are the only source of oil leakage from the oil cooler, along occasionally with the flat gasket that seals the lower oil cooler housing to the block. I have never found any gasket/seal source that specifically lists seals for the T30 X-Trail oil cooler even though those two seals were also used on other Nissan models from the years about 2003-2007. So if you look up seals for the oil coolers of the Xterra, Pathfinder, Sentra of that era, and even for the much older Stanza, you can find the correct seals. 
The large seal that is between the upper cooling unit and the lower, machined base is a Stone 211-0706, also available as an Ishino JH-07275. The replacement seal is about 2 mm thicker than the worn-out seal in the oil cooler and although the new seal is flat with a slight bevel edge it does not have the distorted shape of that worn-out seal. The small seal that fits in a groove in the special, hollow bolt that holds the two parts of the oil cooler together is actually an o-ring when new but when removed from a worn oil cooler will be flattened and not able to properly seal the top of the oil cooler. That small seal/o-ring is a Stone 211-0707, also available as an Ishino JK-09603. In Canada you can get them at NAPA (as essentially the Stone part number, although they may be special order) but they probably will be in stock at Altrom, where I bought mine. Altrom has outlets in many major Canadian cities and although Altrom states on their web site that they are wholesale only they sold to me essentially as retail with no questions. I can guarantee that Altrom will pretty certainly have the best prices ($7.04 and $1.02 CDN plus tax). These seals can be obtained from other sources such as Amazon for fairly ridiculously high prices.
Removing, and reinstalling, that X-Trail oil cooler is probably the most miserable operation on a vehicle I've ever done. The oil cooler unit is on the lower left back of the block (standing at the front of the car), technically on the front, lower right side of the transverse-mounted engine. It is partially obstructed by the high pressure line from the power steering pump to the rack and also blocked somewhat by the exhaust pipe that runs under the engine. Some people prefer to disconnect one or both of those parts and that will make the job a little easier but it is still a real pain. The Nissan service manual says to drain the cooling system but I used special purpose hose clamp pliers on the hoses, and then, after disconnecting the coolant lines, I plugged the ends with rubber stoppers to stop the slow dribble of coolant that does leak in spite of the clamps. I replaced the spring-type hose clamps for those hoses (a real joy to try to get at and open enough to remove the coolant lines) with the gear-type, screw band clamps. I had some appropriate gasket material and fabricated the gasket that seals the oil cooler to the block.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

Precious information, thank you. 

Looks like mine is leaking but not droping on the driveway. 
I ll wait until it drops. I m considering change it next fall or winter if things get worse with it. 

I have in mind a Subaru crosstrek ,6 speeds manual sport package.


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## enb54 (Jan 27, 2020)

Just completed this horrendous task (no hoist)

Performing this task is only for those who are either brave or stupid, I can’t decide which category I’m in, but use a paint crayon to mark the positions of the hoses and the removable parts! You don’t need to ask me why about the paint crayon, you’ll find out soon enough if you don’t! First, you must be aware that Nissan does not sell any rebuild kits for these up to year 2006 X-Trail machines, for some crazy reason only complete engine oil coolers. The next thing is to realize that you have to disconnect the negative battery terminal, remove the right side front wheel (North America) and then the plastic inner fender cover. Drain the coolant and the power steering fluid, use a 24mm socket on the rear of the power steering pump, high pressure side (arrange many rags or paper towels to collect the fluids that will leak out). This will be followed by removing the engine air intake system, and after that remove the upper engine oil cooler hose clamps and attach a recovery string to the upper coolant hoses. You do this string thing because you will need to route the hoses close to the engine block and above the knock sensor wires, exactly the way they were routed originally, as I needed a helper to tension the string on the reinstall journey. If this hose routing is not correct (use some tape to keep them together) you will have a devil of a time trying to put the cooler assembly back in. The original hoses were damaged by oil so we bought new ones, thus had to route them correctly, and had one nasty time trying to figure out why the cooler would not fit against the block properly. When reinstalling, you need to be very creative about torquing the cooler to engine 12mm head bolts, I used my 3/8 inch drive and my ¼ inch drive torque wrenches and a combination of short and deep 12 mm sockets because there is not a lot of room. You have to be just as creative when you reattach the high pressure power steering hose (I used 2 new copper washers). As far as the engine oil cooler gasket to the engine block goes, likely you can just tighten those 4 12mm bolts down with a ratchet but I was worried about that metal cooler to block compression gasket, so I foolishly spent many hours figuring out ways to use torque wrenches! I refilled the power steering and coolant systems with brand new fluids, ran the machine (X-Trail Bona Vista) for 20 minutes, then we drove it up to my daughter’s, she’ll drive it for a week and we’ll find out if there are any problems. This was a very challenging repair for me, even though I have tons of tools, but unfortunately no hoist……


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## DFSpencer (Oct 21, 2019)

enb54 said:


> Just completed this horrendous task (no hoist)
> 
> Performing this task is only for those who are either brave or stupid, I can’t decide which category I’m in, but use a paint crayon to mark the positions of the hoses and the removable parts! You don’t need to ask me why about the paint crayon, you’ll find out soon enough if you don’t! First, you must be aware that Nissan does not sell any rebuild kits for these up to year 2006 X-Trail machines, for some crazy reason only complete engine oil coolers. The next thing is to realize that you have to disconnect the negative battery terminal, remove the right side front wheel (North America) and then the plastic inner fender cover. Drain the coolant and the power steering fluid, use a 24mm socket on the rear of the power steering pump, high pressure side (arrange many rags or paper towels to collect the fluids that will leak out). This will be followed by removing the engine air intake system, and after that remove the upper engine oil cooler hose clamps and attach a recovery string to the upper coolant hoses. You do this string thing because you will need to route the hoses close to the engine block and above the knock sensor wires, exactly the way they were routed originally, as I needed a helper to tension the string on the reinstall journey. If this hose routing is not correct (use some tape to keep them together) you will have a devil of a time trying to put the cooler assembly back in. The original hoses were damaged by oil so we bought new ones, thus had to route them correctly, and had one nasty time trying to figure out why the cooler would not fit against the block properly. When reinstalling, you need to be very creative about torquing the cooler to engine 12mm head bolts, I used my 3/8 inch drive and my ¼ inch drive torque wrenches and a combination of short and deep 12 mm sockets because there is not a lot of room. You have to be just as creative when you reattach the high pressure power steering hose (I used 2 new copper washers). As far as the engine oil cooler gasket to the engine block goes, likely you can just tighten those 4 12mm bolts down with a ratchet but I was worried about that metal cooler to block compression gasket, so I foolishly spent many hours figuring out ways to use torque wrenches! I refilled the power steering and coolant systems with brand new fluids, ran the machine (X-Trail Bona Vista) for 20 minutes, then we drove it up to my daughter’s, she’ll drive it for a week and we’ll find out if there are any problems. This was a very challenging repair for me, even though I have tons of tools, but unfortunately no hoist……


If you were going to replace the heater hose lines to and from the oil cooler, which I did unfortunately AFTER my first reinstalling of the oil cooler because the original hoses had, with many years of use, lost their grip on the cooler connectors and so I had coolant leaks, the smartest thing is to cut the two new hose lines a little longer than the length you think you will need (and of course they won't have the pre-formed bends in them so you have to be creative about how long they should be and decide on an acceptable routing of the hoses), you can feed the lines down to the area of the cooler, clamp them on the oil cooler connectors, bolt on the oil cooler, and then reconnect the two hoses to the two places under the intake air hose (with it removed as you did) after cutting off any excess. Another potential issue is that the actual oil cooler unit (the top part) is made of fairly thin plated brass and the connectors for the coolant hoses are very easily distorted depending on what type of hose clamp you use. I made the mistake of using screw-type band clamps and even though I thought I was being very careful in how much I tightened them I badly regret that decision. The original clamps were a pain to remove so I now have bought better replacements which will put equal pressure around the hoses and with the snow in my driveway largely gone and daytime temps not too bad I'll be back at the stupid thing. As far as the OEM gasket/seal that is between the main, lower, oil cooler section and the block it is actually a painted piece of thin sheet metal (and I don't think even stainless) and there was no way I was going to trust that so I went through my varied collection of gasket material and cut a suitable replacement and coated it with a thin layer of classic Permatex Form-A-Gasket. You probably could get by using one of the new Permatex silicone gasket makers (which of course now replace many of the old traditional gaskets on oil pans, rocker arm covers, etc.) but the ports from the oil cooler to the block are pretty close to the edge of the oil cooler casting and I would worry about getting just enough silicone on the face to seal well without having some ooze over to partially obscure the ports when you do the initial partial torquing of the four mounting bolts.
There is no question that oil cooler is a curse and I don't know why Nissan has always insisted that the oil cooler on the T30 XTrail is not serviceable when every other Nissan oil cooler has Nissan OEM (and after market) replacement seals. That top oil cooler unit is (like the two seals) actually shared with several other Nissan models and can be bought separately (the base will obviously outlast the vehicle so you'd never replace it).


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## enb54 (Jan 27, 2020)

Hi DFSpencer, I had not originally planned on replacing the hoses, but when I pulled the whole assembly out the hoses at the cooler end were obviously going to be problematic so I ordered new ones from the dealer. In retrospect I should have ordered 12 feet of 1/2 inch heater hose from just about anyone for about $50 and then cut them to length, which would have been much cheaper and easier to install. Also, I ordered new OEM clamps from the Nissan dealer but only used them at the oil cooler connections, the top connections I used screw types because it is difficult to connect/reconnect or it seemed so to me. Was too timid to try gasket sealer, used a new metal gasket between the cooler and engine block, it is some kind of special crush type gasket, I was really scared of getting dirt on it because you can't see too well to clean the block side. Cleaning I used quite a lot of "Spray Nine" detergent, Canadian Tire non chlorinated brake cleaner and many of those blue paper cloth shop rags. Torqueing down some of those (12mm head) bolts on the cooler base was sort of a pain, but was successful in the end. Thanks for adding more information, I wish there had been more before I started on this nasty project, hopefully we can help some others with this added info. Happy X-Trails...


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## DFSpencer (Oct 21, 2019)

enb54 said:


> Hi DFSpencer, I had not originally planned on replacing the hoses, but when I pulled the whole assembly out the hoses at the cooler end were obviously going to be problematic so I ordered new ones from the dealer. In retrospect I should have ordered 12 feet of 1/2 inch heater hose from just about anyone for about $50 and then cut them to length, which would have been much cheaper and easier to install. Also, I ordered new OEM clamps from the Nissan dealer but only used them at the oil cooler connections, the top connections I used screw types because it is difficult to connect/reconnect or it seemed so to me. Was too timid to try gasket sealer, used a new metal gasket between the cooler and engine block, it is some kind of special crush type gasket, I was really scared of getting dirt on it because you can't see too well to clean the block side. Cleaning I used quite a lot of "Spray Nine" detergent, Canadian Tire non chlorinated brake cleaner and many of those blue paper cloth shop rags. Torqueing down some of those (12mm head) bolts on the cooler base was sort of a pain, but was successful in the end. Thanks for adding more information, I wish there had been more before I started on this nasty project, hopefully we can help some others with this added info. Happy X-Trails...


I considered buying the proper hoses but figured they would be expensive and decided that half inch (ID) heater hose would do although I assume the OEM hoses are 12 mm inside, so a little under a millimetre tighter than half inch heater hose. What surprised me was how hard it was to find 1/2 inch heater hose around here. I went to a lot of professional suppliers of car and truck parts and finally one had about 24 feet that they agreed to sell me for about $25 as I recall, obviously more than I needed but the price was right.
You clearly took the time and were really meticulous so everything should work out well. Actually I would suggest that the next time you need to take greasy dirt, etc. off a car part grab the WD-40 first. WD-40 is an amazing product and also probably the safest thing you'll use when working on a vehicle. WD-40 does not have concerning health effects and when your hands are gross with dirty grease/oil an initial cleaning with WD-40 will make the task of getting your hands clean a whole lot easier. It is also the only thing I've discovered that easily removes Permatex silver Anti-Seize paste from your hands or tools, etc. I do not buy the aerosol can form of WD-40 but instead the liquid that I put in a spray bottle. The propellant used in the aerosol can is far more of a concern than the WD-40 itself.


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

DFSpencer said:


> I considered buying the proper hoses but figured they would be expensive and decided that half inch (ID) heater hose would do although I assume the OEM hoses are 12 mm inside, so a little under a millimetre tighter than half inch heater hose. What surprised me was how hard it was to find 1/2 inch heater hose around here. I went to a lot of professional suppliers of car and truck parts and finally one had about 24 feet that they agreed to sell me for about $25 as I recall, obviously more than I needed but the price was right.
> You clearly took the time and were really meticulous so everything should work out well. Actually I would suggest that the next time you need to take greasy dirt, etc. off a car part grab the WD-40 first. WD-40 is an amazing product and also probably the safest thing you'll use when working on a vehicle. WD-40 does not have concerning health effects and when your hands are gross with dirty grease/oil an initial cleaning with WD-40 will make the task of getting your hands clean a whole lot easier. It is also the only thing I've discovered that easily removes Permatex silver Anti-Seize paste from your hands or tools, etc. I do not buy the aerosol can form of WD-40 but instead the liquid that I put in a spray bottle. The propellant used in the aerosol can is far more of a concern than the WD-40 itself.


very interesting what you mentioned on the wd40. I use it often, thinking maybe it is a bit safer on my skin and the enviroment. But one never really knows what is true or not. 

I found this interesting bit of info from 2009....they sent some wd40 off to a lab to get *analyzed* and found out what the ingredients inside are. Even mentions the propellant
What's Inside WD-40? Superlube's Secret Sauce.


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## DFSpencer (Oct 21, 2019)

tonyvancity said:


> very interesting what you mentioned on the wd40. I use it often, thinking maybe it is a bit safer on my skin and the enviroment. But one never really knows what is true or not.
> 
> I found this interesting bit of info from 2009....they sent some wd40 off to a lab to get *analyzed* and found out what the ingredients inside are. Even mentions the propellant
> What's Inside WD-40? Superlube's Secret Sauce.


The important fact about WD-40's composition is that the ingredients (the propellant in the spray can versions is just carbon dioxide so not flammable or toxic) are all quite benign (although it will burn) and include a series of chemicals like baby oil (which is actually very pure mineral oil with a fragrance added), some that evaporate fairly easily. The one family of chemicals not in WD-40, but often found in strong grease cleaners, are chemicals based on the benzene molecule.They are technically called 'aromatic hydrocarbons' and in general you do not want to expose your skin to most of that class because they can absorb into your skin (without needing cuts in your skin) and get into your blood stream, with potentially bad results.
The MSDS sheet in my opinion makes WD-40 out to be a lot more scary then it really is. It's amusing to look at the MSDS for mineral oil (hence baby oil) and see what you should do if you get it on your skin.  Mineral oil is, or has been, used as a laxative but the MSDS sheet for it seems unaware of that.










WD-40 Ingredients and Uses


By Chad Upton | Editor WD-40 was created in 1953 by Norm Larsen. It was originally designed to prevent corrosion caused by water — the WD stands for “water displacement.” Norm&#82…




brokensecrets.com






https://files.wd40.com/pdf/sds/mup/wd-40-multi-use-product-aerosol-low-voc-sds-us-ghs.pdf


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