Car smoking from hood, smells bad, burning oil...Does it sound like a rear oil seal leak?

Car smoking from hood, smells bad, burning oil...Does it sound like a rear oil seal leak? That's what one guys told me but haven't got a second opinion yet. They said it'd cost me about 1 grand to fix because they need to take either the transmission or engine out to put a new seal on. Does this sound like it could be that or something else and cheaper? It's a 98 Nissan Maxima.Car smoking from hood, smells bad, burning oil...Does it sound like a rear oil seal leak?
If it's smoking and smelling then oil is getting onto very hot engine parts such as the exhaust, so have a look. Valve cover leaks can run down and look like a rear main seal and this is easily fixed.





If the engine is really dirty have it expertly cleaned and you will be able to see the source of the leak far better after running the engine for a short time.





As for a rear main seal, it's true that you have to separate the engine and transmission and in the case of a manual, remove the clutch and flywheel and the drive plate in the case of an auto trans. Not an easy or cheap job.Car smoking from hood, smells bad, burning oil...Does it sound like a rear oil seal leak?
no i doubt it, its most likely the valve cover gasket, nissans are notorious for this problem, i have a 97 nissan pathfinder and it had the cover gaskets replaced because they fail commonly on nissans, also i had a rear main seal leak and i had none of the symptoms you are describing
Could be a rear oil seal, but I would have a technician check to see where the leak is coming from. I'm not sure if you have a transverse or in-line engine, but if it is transverse, an oil seal leak will probably not cause the smoking from the hood.
It doesn't really sound like a main seal, those leaks usually just drip on the ground. Valve cover leaks tend to run over the exhaust manifold and make smoke. Get it checked out then decide what to do.
It could be a valve cover gasket. If i is the rear mail seal you should have oil all under the car. Mabey oil spot on the ground where you park your car.
have it checked by a mechanic could be a hundred different things as easy as a value cover gasket have it checked before jumping to conclusions
It could be a rear seal, but one thing is for sure, oil is dripping on your exhaust. Let it cool and you should be able to find the source of the leak.


Good luck!

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