2001 Nissan Altima Oil Leak

2001 NISSAN ALTIMA
250,000 MILES • 6 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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ABMONK
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Does the timing belt have anything to do with the oil in a car?
I have an 01 Nissan Altima. Oil was leaking from under the car. It started as just a little puddle after the car was started, but didn't leak when the car was off. Then it slowly got worse, more and more was leaking. One day, I drove to work an hour away and when I got out of the car you could see a line of oil from the road all the way to my parking spot and the oil light came on. I have driven it since, but we have tried to crank it few times to move it. Now, when the car is started it makes a terrible noise. Someone said that it could have jumped timing and the noise it the timing belt. Is that possible?
Feb 24, 2009 at 5:55 PM
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ZACKMAN
  • CAR REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
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If you have a 2001 Altima, you have a 4 cylinder, not 6 cylinder. Your engine is driven by timing chains, not timing belt. And no, the chains have nothing to do with the oil in the car.

As you have been driving for an hour (probably with very little oil, if any) you may have done some internal damage into the engine. Probably to the crankshaft, connecting rod, definitely the oil pump.

The noise that you hear is probably coming from the oil pump, not the timing chains jumping a tooth.
Feb 25, 2009 at 1:22 AM
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