Doing Head Gaskets on a 09

[turbizzy]

Originally Posted by mdub

hi folks, thanks for all the great info. I have an 09 SL. I've looked for the leak but I think i'm okay.

I've looked from underneath the driver side area, looked good. Yesterday I replaced the battery and since I had some of the duct work out I took another look and i didn't see any green.

But just in case, is this stuff pretty easy to find or should I be taking more stuff out to look closer?

It's a crapshoot, some engines never see the head gasket leak, some leak as early as 20k miles. I can't figure out the pattern, seems to be all years and models VQ35DE 08+. Just keep an eye on your coolant reservoir level, its typical for it to go down some over time but if it's doing it excessivley then start looking at those head gaskets or for that sweet coolant smell.

[turbizzy]

Originally Posted by jazz1one

Update...

Heard back from the dealer today. He said they cleaned it underneath, drained out tcase fluid and replaced with new fluid then added a dye. Said they'll run the car and see if it leaks. then they will use a black light to determine if its the tcase or otherwise.

He also said the CVT fluid was low by 3/4 liter. But he wasn't concerned about that. I told him this confirms what the other tranny shop said. He said let's do this UV test and we'll see.

3 hours go by then he calls and said they ran the car then using the light they saw a bit of the Florescent dye. At this point I don't know what to believe from this guy so I asked him what about the missing CVT fluid. He said, and I quote "I don't care where it went" and continued to fault the tcase.

In the end I told him to leave the car to me and I'll keep an eye on it. This cost me 1 hour labor @ $130 but I guess I got new tcase fluid and cvt top off included.

The kicker is when I went to pick up the car I looked at the report here's what it says:

"Checked and found only 40-50ml fluid came out of transfer case. Reinstalled OEM spec ammount with dye. Ran vehicle but leak not large enough to materialize immediately for confirmation. WHEN oil leak reappears, checking with ultra violet light will determine source of leak. Checked A/T fluid and found aprox 0.75L low. Topped up."

So according to his notes, they did not determine the source of the leak and could not confirm anything. It says only 40-50 ml came out of the transfer case when they drained it but i know full well that's not true because I saw with my own eyes what the fluid looked like at the private transmission shop.

I went under the car again when I got home and the spot that normally leaks is clean and dry. I guess time will tell.

Best thing to do is drive it until the dye appears if it does in fact appear. What did they say about the head gasket leak?

[b15]

Just wanted to say thanks to this thread, I will be getting the head gaskets replaced on my 2008 Altima 3.5SE on Monday. For those who've had it done for some time now- how is your car running? Specifically, do you notice any leaks/has the coolant seeping stopped? I'm weary about having the top end of my otherwise perfectly functioning engine torn apart. Mines so minor, I almost want to just let it be for fear that it'll cause more problems to replace the Head gasket. Any input is appreciated. Thanks again!

[hokey777]

Had mine done at 40k. Almost at 100k now and no problems whatsoever.

[b15]

Originally Posted by hokey777

Had mine done at 40k. Almost at 100k now and no problems whatsoever.

Good to hear. No more green residue after the new head gaskets? What about any of the other seals....no oil leaks or anything?

[hokey777]

nope, nothing. not a drop anywhere.

[The Critic]

izzy, thanks for bringing this to our attention. Since you're local to me, you'll get the job if it happens. The 'rents have a 2010 Altima V6 with just under 20k, so I'll be sure to take a look at the next oil service. I do have the Nissan ext warranty for 8/120k, so I'm in no hurry.

[Kawowski]

Izzy, three questions...

1) It appears the old head gaskets have the water inlet blocked off like the new HR blocks... this forces coolant to better flow up around the cylinders and exhaust valves. Do you know this to be true, or if not, do you know the coolant flow pattern?

2) What are the tear drop shaped passages at the bottom of each head deck? There are 3 on one side and 4 on the other... do you know why?

3) What are the "updates" to the new gaskets? Different materials, layers, holes?

Thanks to all on this thread, especially Izzy. I don't have a Murano, I have a 10' Maxima... but I wouldn't have been able to track down my coolant smell issue without everyone's input.

[Jimmy]

Would it be possible to just add a leak stopping fluid in the cooling system reservoir?

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by Jimmy

Would it be possible to just add a leak stopping fluid in the cooling system reservoir?

I don't know of any leak stopping "fluids", but that doesn't mean there aren't any out there. The ones I know of are Bar's Leaks and similar solids which dissolve in the cooling system, then circulate and are supposed to collect at the point of a leak. http://barsproducts.com/catalog/brand/bar-s-leaks

You can try it, but remember:

1) It's only a temporary fix
2) You risk plugging up any narrowed passages in the radiator

[Jimmy]

The one from Bar's is available in Holland as well.

Thing is that I don't have any coolant in my oil as it is still not milky.
The only thing is that I can see some white smoke with a cold start in the morning and I can see my coolant level is dropping just a little bit each few months.

Another thing is that my engine is a little rough when idle.
The ado meter is slightly moving up and and down.
And starts badly after sitting for a while in cold temperatures.
I already replaced the spark plugs for original Denso ones (OBII say's misfire) that's why I noticed some green stuff at the back placed cylinders.

This weekend I will tighten the air hoses and clean the air throttle hoping to solve the problem.

Do you guy's have any other solutions?

[Jimmy]

Yesterday I cleaned the air throttle body and MAF sensor and added a valve cleaner to my fuel tank.
I also added some hose clamps.
I've the feeling that this all is helping the engine idle more smoothly.

To further improve I'm going to clean the lambda sensor this weekend.

Not sure if it's necessary to reset the air throttle? this is done with the start button on and off in a special pattern right?