Nissan Repair: oil leak, oil pressure sending unit, pan gasket

Question
I took my 95 maxima (120,000 miles) for an oil change last week and was told the gasket pan was full of oil (i think that is what the said) and there was some type of leak but my engine still was full. ive been checking over the weekend i noticed when i turn off the engine there is a pool on the ground i checked by placing a cardboard box underneath and it was oil and not fluid from the a/c. is it worth fixing or should i carry extra oil in case it checks out low. how expensive is it to fix. (they put lucas in to help seal but that obviously didnt work) HELP!

Looking forward to your reply,

Eli

Answer
Eli,

Using clean card board place it under the vehicle.  Note where the fluid collects on the card board.  There are only a couple of places that oil will leak out.  If the drain plug is leaking it will show there.  The oil filter is another place that it will leak if not tight or if the gaskets have been double stacked.  Other places are the front and rear of the oil pan.  If this is the case either the pan gasket needs to be replaced or the front and/or rear seals.  The oil pressure sending unit is another leak point that should be checked.  A valve cover is possible but not as common as those described.  Now, if you keep up with the level of oil, do not let it run over a quart low or engine damage could occur, you could run it for quite some time.  Just keep up with the oil.