Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted October 23, 2002 Share Posted October 23, 2002 so i start smelling oil as i'm driving along, just a faint smell, thinking i picked it up from outside. so then i go into the house and find some spots on my dress pants from work, right at the bottom. i got into the driver well, and there's a puddle right in front of the accelerator. it looks like a lightish brown oil. it definitely smells like it. i took a flashlight and shined it up and could see it wet along some wires. i have no idea what could be leaking, even using oil inside the car. maybe the steering? but it's not power steering. someone help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAW Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 Aftermarket oil gauge? If so, and it's mechanical, the line is probably leaking where it connects to the gauge. If stock oil gauge (electronic), then maybe its brake fluid from clutch or brake master cyl? Trans oil coming up speedo cable casing due to blown seal at trans/ speedo connector? DAW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 how do i figure out which it is? like i said, it looks light brown and smells like motor oil. and it's definitely coming from up behind the dash, but on the driver's side. i think the oil was running down some wires and dripping in front of the acc. pedal. and it's a stock oil gauge. where are all these different seals at, or better yet, what book should i look in to find out? thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David K Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 hahah that happened to me when i first got my car. i was racing an m3 ont he freeway and i kept it up past 5k rpms for like 5 minutes. when i pulled off the freeway, i smelled and saw oil dripping down. i have no idea what caused it and it has never done it again. maybe because i replaced the tranny and seals so many times since then. who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockjaw Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 It is most likely gear oil from your tranny migrating up the speedometer cable. There is some little seal that goes in where it connects to the transmission. Fix that, and your britches will remain clean. And BTW, that **** doesn't wash out, although some automotive degreaser like greased lightning will help, so don't wash it until you spray it. Spray and Wash won't put a dent in it. Your bill is in the mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slownrusty Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 have you checked your clutch master cylinder? That could be a definate source for oil inside the car. Regards - Yasin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 where can i access where the speedometer cable connects to the trans? under the car right? and can i pick up a new seal from autozone or somewhere similar? btw: is there transmission fluid IN the speedo cable? cause the fluid is running UP into the dash if that's the case, and i don't quite understand how trans fluid can defy gravity. maybe, if there is in fact fluid in the cable, can the seal is loose on the speedo? is there a way to test where the fluid is coming from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 ok, new situation: i talked to this guy at the nissan dealership and he said there's no way it could be transmission fluid, because there's no fluid in the cable....and going on the assumption i saw correctly and the fluid was lightish brown, he thinks it's the clutch master. or possible anti-freeze if my vision is off. does this make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockjaw Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 Your dealer is an idiot. A speedo cable is much like a fine thread flexible screw that turns. Gear oil also has additives in it to help it creep, kind of like in the Lucas Oil Stabilizer displays you see in the auto parts stores. Once you start driving your car, the constant turning of the speedo cable will carry oil to the back of the speedometer, where it drips out. Clutch master or brake master will leak down the firewall. The seal is something you have to get from the dealer. Check and make sure the cable is snug down there. It could be loose also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockjaw Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 Ask him if it turns out to be the cable will he fix it for free and see what he says. How are you going to get antifreeze over on that side of the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 ok, as you were writing that, i was out on my break looking up into the dash (while it was drizzling, i love chicago!) and there's this black cable coming out of the steering column and going up into the dash and the fluid SEEMS to be coming from there. the source is within a 2 inch radius of where that cable diasappears. i jammed some paper towels in there to see how much, and i pulled out almost a grease...still light brown. ok, going with the expertise of this site and the commonly known idiocy of dealers (i only called there cause this guy was right about the starter motor, as were you guys) and that there is a cable turning that needs lube, do i need to pull the dash apart and fix the cable? or can i remedy the situation where it is? also, do i have to remove the speedo? thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 oooooooooooooh, so the seal where the cable meets the trans is leaking, and thus the cable spinning the speedo is working the fluid INSIDE the cable and it's coming flying out inside the dash, then running down and costing me mucho $ on my cleaning? Yup, you've got it! Lockjaw has the diagnosis dead on in my opinion. Take everything a dealer says with a grain of salt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 you guys rock, but check my edit in my previous post... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockjaw Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 YEah try the grommet and see what that does. Make sure the cable is tight where it attaches to the tranny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 ok, just so i'm clear, the grommet would mean there is supposed to be trans fluid inside the cable to keep it lubed, and that this service guy at the dealer is an idiot telling me that all that's in there is graphite lube? in that case, maybe the grommet just slipped off and i can just plug it back in. while on the subject of speedometers, i have a couple questions.... 1) my speedo is currently running close to 10 mph ABOVE the actualy speed, but it's proportional (less difference at low speeds, blah blah blah), how do i fix this? 2) i'm eventually putting in an autometer speedo, and by adjusting the current one, would i have to redo anything with the aftermarket? thanks a lot, you guys have been great. and when's that bill coming lockjaw?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockjaw Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 No the cable is not supposed to have fluid in it, the reason it does is because fluid is getting by something. The cheapest thing there is that grommet or whatever it is. If that does not fix your fluid creep, you will have to replace the speedo cable and/or the drive gear in the tranny. Graphite is the proper lubrucant for the cable. Your speedo issue is likely due to your changing of either the trans or the diff, and one doesn't match the other. Ie the drive gear in the trans doesn't match the diff that is in the car. You may also have much shorter or taller tires on the back of your car too. If you have a turbo ZX and you put one of the 130 mph speedo's out of the 79 ZX in it, it won't read right either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockjaw Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 NO you don't need to take the dash out, just remove the speedo cable, and get the seal replaced at the tranny. I think if you pull the thing the actual cable part comes out, and you can clean it up and then push it back in. Just don't kink it. The part you need fits inside the speedo cable at the tranny, and they dealer will have to pull it up on the computer and look at it. Just get every little part down there that goes betweem the speedo cable and the drive gear in the tranny. It cannot be very expensive. Then march in there and slap that service guy in the head and tell him he is a dumb anus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 oooooooooooooh, so the seal where the cable meets the trans is leaking, and thus the cable spinning the speedo is working the fluid INSIDE the cable and it's coming flying out inside the dash, then running down and costing me mucho $ on my cleaning? edit: i had the guy at the dealer (different one) look up the seal between the cable and the trans, adn he says it's doesn't exist. there is, however, a grommet at the end of the cable right before the speedo. does that make any kind of sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 well, the guy i talked to who ordered the part said the grommet goes between the speedometer and the speedo cable, NOT where the cable is attached to the transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 That makes more sense. That way the engineers were taking advantage of the wicking effect of the cable and using trans fluid to continuously lube the cable. Good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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