| Corin |
This is a new thread for my specific case rather than overloading the related sticky thread here (mods can merge if you like, just wanted to keep the sticky nice and simple):
http://www.nissanmurano.org/forums/...&threadid=10063
(and many thanks for that thread, which helped me figure out exactly where to look and hopefully prevent a problem)
I'm going to post a series of pictures, then ask if I should take this in to have it looked into to prevent my CVT or transfer case from failing.
I do NOT have any fluid showing on the boot like Eric had. This isn't the best image of the boot, but it also shows the underside of the CVT to be [relatively] clean. The line seems to be more of a water line rather than oil. |
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| Corin |
| Looking straight up at the CVT, however, there seems to be a lot of road grime, and is quite oily: |
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| Corin |
| That cylinder that looks particularly dirty seems to be coming out the side of the CVT, or perhaps the transfer case? I'm not sure of the anatomy. Anyway, here is a side picture of that cylinder. This seems to be particularly dirty and oily: |
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| Corin |
Any ideas? Does this look "normal" for the underside of the car with just normal road grime, or is this a bigger deal of CVT fluid leaking out the seal that should be dealt with before I have a big issue on my hands?
I have an extended warranty, but I'm more concerned about something going kaput during my holiday travels, and that would be particularly un-fun with a pregnant wife in the car.... :(
I'm inclined to think it's not REALLY a big deal, under-side of a car is pretty dirty anyway, but due to the fact that this oily grime is pretty localized to that one area, and there have been reports of this being a problem, I want to make sure.
I trust the forum members here a lot more than the dealer service department, so hopefully you have some good advice! ;) |
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| njjoe |
C-
Unless someone did a very sloppy oil change, there is no reason for oil to be on the underside of a 2-year-old car.
You're still covered by the warranty, right? I would schedule an appointment and have it checked out.
-njjoe |
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| Corin |
| Also notice in that last picture in the very upper-left, There is a bolt there, and the seal there looks like it's leaking a bit similar to Eric's post. Not entirely sure what that piece is..... |
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| njjoe |
C-
The "cylinder" you are referring to is actually the output shaft. There have been problems with the oil seal where the output shaft meets the case. It looks like yours may be leaking. Is the collar, inboard of the rubber boot, wet with an oily fluid? If so, the seal may be compromised.
Reliability is not a concern during the initial stages of a slow leak. However, if the leak were to go unchecked and a sufficient quantity of CVT fluid were to leak out then the internals could fail.
I definitely would have it checked at your earliest convenience.
-njjoe |
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| Gonzo |
| I think you have a leak.... I would bring it to the dealer the next chance you have. |
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| Eric L. |
| I think you caught the very beginning of the leak. Get whichever seal is responsible replaced and you will none the worse for wear. I am happy my thread on how to do this was useful - stories like this are exactly what it was intended for! ;) |
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| Corin |
Yes, thank you very much Eric.
OK, fine. Guess I have to call that damn dealer...
Thanks for your input everyone. I'll let you know what the dealer says. |
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| jpsassi |
Thanks to all for this thread!!!
Corin - I am very curious as to how your trip to the dealer went. I've got one scheduled for tomorrow for the exactly the same issue. I'd be curious to see what the verdict is. Also, how do they propose to chase the source of the leak?
I had my trusted neighborhood mechanic put it on his lift for me today. Because the leak is so slow, he's absolutely baffled as to how the leak source will possibly be identified. |
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| Corin |
No news yet, I won't be able to take it in until the end of the week at the earliest. I may even have to chance holding out until after Thanksgiving, although that makes me nervous.
Please let me know what your dealer says. |
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| Corin |
Sorry, I forgot to post up the results. Way too busy these days with a home remodel, baby on the way, holidays, work, etc. It has been nuts.
Dealer looked into my leak and listed the following on my warranty bill:
CAUSE: ..
1500 DIAGNOSIS
402 WN3
1 38342-81X00 SEAL-OIL,D
1 999MP-NS200P TRANSMISSI
FOUND DIFF SIDE OIL SEAL LEAKING, REPLACED AND RETESTED OPERATION.....OK
So, I guess it was the differential and not the CVT. I need to go under, clean everything off well, and keep checking to make sure it stays fixed. :rolleyes: |
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| njjoe |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
So, I guess it was the differential and not the CVT.
Actually, it is one and the same. The front differential is integrated into the CVT housing.
Your leaky seal eventually would have caused the CVT to fail. It was good that you caught it in time, and your photos may help others to identify this problem before it turns into a very costly one.
-njjoe |
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| Hilbe |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
Actually, it is one and the same. The front differential is integrated into the CVT housing.
Your leaky seal eventually would have caused the CVT to fail. It was good that you caught it in time, and your photos may help others to identify this problem before it turns into a very costly one.
-njjoe
Are leaky seals supposed to fall under the powertrain warranty? Just wondering if the stealerships charge for this repair. |
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| njjoe |
Hilbe-
Replacement of leaking differential seals would fall under the Powertrain Warranty. As you can see from Corin's post, his dealer handled it as a warranty repair.
-njjoe |
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| Corin |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
Hilbe-
Replacement of leaking differential seals would fall under the Powertrain Warranty. As you can see from Corin's post, his dealer handled it as a warranty repair.
-njjoe
Well, yes, they did handle it as a warranty repair, but I DO have an extended warranty as well, so even if it wasn't under the powertrain warranty it would have been covered.
That said, if I DIDN'T have an extended warranty, and they claimed it would NOT be covered under the powertrain warranty, I would have caused a big stink. OR, just tell them not to fix it until the CVT died on them, which WOULD be a powertrain warranty repair and a BIG one at that. |
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| Tyler_Canada |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
OR, just tell them not to fix it until the CVT died on them, which WOULD be a powertrain warranty repair and a BIG one at that.
All the warranties I've read have wording along the lines of "failures caused by items not covered are also not covered". |
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| njjoe |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
That said, if I DIDN'T have an extended warranty, and they claimed it would NOT be covered under the powertrain warranty, I would have caused a big stink.
Corin-
You would have won that argument.
According to the MO's warranty all seals and gaskets are covered by the powertrain warranty. See below.
-njjoe |
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| jaak |
I'd keep an eye on it.
Looks similar to mine when it was leaking and it was determined to be a crack in the transfer case, which my SA said also results in damage to the transmission a lot of the time.
Keep watch to ensure it's actually fixed. |
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| rayleiwu |
Just took picuture of my 03 AWD, does it seem normal?
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| Corin |
I would say that looks pretty normal. Can you look up at the transfer case as well, above the boot? There's another joint there that should be checked.
Looks like you have a tiny bit of oil, but possibly more from road grime than anything. |
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| Zooropa |
Anyone have a picture of a cracked tranfer case? It would be great to have that info so we all have a better understanding of the worse case scenario.
This really seems like a huge problem with the Murano. It seems like every single AWD version has a problem with transfer case leaks or cracks. I'll bet there are MANY more people out there that have never looked under their car that have this same problem.
Does anyone have an idea whether the newer models with the updated AWD lock speed have this same problem or whether that is even related? |
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| njjoe |
rayleiwu-
The area captured by your photograph shows a clean housing with no evidence of fluid leakage.
Take a look at the area where the half-shafts from the wheels connect to the tranny/differential. That has benn a source of leakage on other MOs.
-njjoe |
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| njjoe |
quote:
Originally posted by Zooropa
This really seems like a huge problem with the Murano. It seems like every single AWD version has a problem with transfer case leaks or cracks. I'll bet there are MANY more people out there that have never looked under their car that have this same problem.
Does anyone have an idea whether the newer models with the updated AWD lock speed have this same problem or whether that is even related?
Whoa!!! Hold on there! This really is not a "huge problem" with the MO. Only a very small percentage of MOs have been affected with CVT/X-fer case leaks.
Lately we have come to learn that the fluid leakage problem can be traced to defective seals on the CVT output shafts. It is a relatively minor repair if caught in time. However, if left unchecked the loss of CVT fluid can cause the CVT to suffer a catastrophic (read: expensive) failure.
-njjoe |
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| cliffymiracle |
| "njjoe"...I'm not flaming but it is a problem without a doubt. The only reason why I caught it was because of this site, other than that I would have not known about it. Just out of curiosity, I asked my neighbor (nissan mechanic) about the seals on the Murano, he started smiling and advised that it is a WIDELY known problem with 06 and older Muranos. As time goes on, it's apparent that there are more than a "small percentage" affected. Out of further curiosity, I went to carmax and checked 7 Muranos for the leak....4 of them had bad seals, all of them were 06 and older models. |
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| buckerbie |
| I don't know... mine is an '07 SL AWD w/ only 11K miles. Dealer found it during a routine oil change this morning. I'm taking MO back in to dealer in the morning for the repair. How long does it take to replace a bad seal anyway? They mentioned that it might take longer than I day but that the Extended Warranty would cover the cost of a rental if needed. |
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| Corin |
quote:
Originally posted by buckerbie
I don't know... mine is an '07 SL AWD w/ only 11K miles. Dealer found it during a routine oil change this morning. I'm taking MO back in to dealer in the morning for the repair. How long does it take to replace a bad seal anyway? They mentioned that it might take longer than I day but that the Extended Warranty would cover the cost of a rental if needed.
Should be quick. They diagnosed and fixed the problem within a day for me, but they did have all the parts in stock. If it's just the seal, they SHOULD have them stocked, and it's just a matter of finding the time to do it. If you get the car to them the night before or early morning on your appointment day, they should have it done by closing (I would think). |
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| cliffymiracle |
UPDATE:
After having the seals replaced, I thought everything was OK, NOT!!!
After one week of driving, I kept smelling a burning oil smell. A check of the CVT revealed a WORSE LEAK. Prior to the repair, there was only seepage, now there is DRIPPING!!!
I inspected the seal on the passenger's side and it looks like its leaking from the seal and drain plug area. I cleaned the area twice only to find it wet and dripping of NS2 the next day. I'll let you know how it goes at the dealership...I am not happy. So, for anyone else who has had the work done, check it again. Just in case.
Results: 2 days later I get a call sayin that the seal was defective??? So again, re-check them just in case!!! |
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