Hi all,My 1995 nissan altima (122k on the odometer) stalled for a few minutes this morning. I noticed that one of the sparkplug holes ( where the cable from the distributer connects to the spark plug) is sorrounded by oil. I cleaned it out and it got filled with oil again. luckily for me, and by god's grace it somehow started normally and i drove home. I am sure its the valve gasket. There is not much oil leakage, the oil level is fine.I need to know if its going to damage my engine if I ignored the problem for 3-4days.Thanks.
It wont hurt to drive the car. I would replace the valve cover gasket. I would get a complete gasket set with valve cover,half moons if they are separate, and spark plug tube gaskets. If the spark plug wires are soaked with oil and feel soft i would replace them also.
that guy sleepydo DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT..........no it wont damage a thing ......just keep an eye on your oil level...and make sure it stays full.....just have youre valve cover replaced pretty soon...
becareful it might hurt electrical stuff on the car. i would have valve cover gasket replace with new spark plug gasket for valve cover too.
The part itself is less than $100. It's a little rubber gasket that goes inbetween the valve cover and the engine block to make a tight seal between the middle and top of the engine. Depending on which engine you have (the 4 or the V-6), it can be a VERY simple fix with about an hour's labor because the valve cover is on top. However, some (very few) cars require you to remove the motor to get to the cover. If this is the case, 7 hours seems about right.
