# Coolant Leak Mystery



## spira (Mar 28, 2008)

Hello everyone. This is my first post to the forum. I own a 96 Maxima GLE that is completely stock.

I recently noticed a puddle of coolant on my garage floor, and began investigating to find the source. It didn't take long to see that it wasn't going to be easy to track it down. After getting underneath the car and taking a look, all I can tell is that the leak is dripping down from the front lip of the oil pan. I can't see where it is actually coming from, only that it is collecting and dripping from there.

For lack of a better solution, I put some radiator "stop-leak" in, and that seems to have slowed the leak for now at least...

Any help or suggestions for tracking down the source of this leak would be much appreciated. I'm hoping I don't have to have this thing completely disassembled to find it...

I have included an image that shows as much as I can see:


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## Strings240 (May 20, 2008)

*Water pump*

What’s up.
Do you still have a problem with your Maxima leaking coolant? I can almost guarantee you that it is your water pump. I had the same problem. There is a little rubber o-ring around your water pump. It probably flattened out over time. Nissan must have expected this because they made a little channel for the coolant to leak out of. You probably will never be able to see it but it is between your oil pan and timing cover on the passenger side of the car. If you decide to take that water pump out, you should probably just replace the whole thing. They are pretty cheap. I think mine cost $45.00. Just remember, the water pump on your Maxima is a big job. I am an experiences mechanic and it was tough for me. That water pump is driven by the timing chain and is inside of the timing cover. If you never did one before, I would research the internet for instructions. Hope this helps.


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## spira (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks for the reply Strings240.

My Maxima still has a small leak that I notice on occasion, but it seems to have almost stopped since I added the "stop-leak" junk to the radiator. I'm sure that is only a temporary fix though, so the information you've provided me is very helpful.

I'm sure replacing the water pump is beyond my skill level and the time I can invest, so I'll probably start calling around for some quotes.

Thanks again!


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## rivaguy (Jul 14, 2019)

I realize I am responding to an older post, but let me say having access to a coolant pressure tester is a huge help in diagnosing coolant leaks. You can put down a (sizeable) deposit and borrow one from Auto Zone or OReillys, or Amazon has one called the Mighty Vac for under 40 bucks. It's mostly plastic, but extremely helpful and plenty good enough for DIY mechanic. The beauty of having a pressure tester is that you can duplicate the coolant pressure of a hot engine and still have a cold engine to work on. Secondly, you can quality check your work afterwards quickly and accurately without risking overheating your engine. You can even check to make sure the pressure cap to make sure it is holding pressure when it should, and releasing pressure when it should. If you drive older cars (like I do), coolant leaks can be quite a nuisance, not to mention the risk to your engine.


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