When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Could be the drain plug gasket, but could be the drain plug. Make sure you have an oem drain plug with a new crush washer on there, with the plug torqued to the correct amount for our cars
I guess by the look of the leak in the picture, it is not leaking at the drain plug. It may not have anything to do with the guy who did the oil change. you need to wipe it all clean and inspect it yourself to find the leaking source.
Wash the engine down with engine cleaner and hose off.
Let dry real well and then douse with baby powder. Drive for a few hours and follow the damp spot to the source.
-I know there is a good joke in there but I will let it go...
Yeah, as these guys suggested.....clean things up !
Then it'll be easier to isolate the source of the actual leak. It could be the pan's gasket or drain plug, but also may possibly be something above......which is leaking down onto that area. Ya gotta clean it before knowing for sure !
oh gosh, its contagious... now our '03 TL non-S with 93k miles has this leak too. Even though the oil level hasn't dropped yet, we are finding about 10 oil drops everynight under the engine!
Is it a coincidence that I switched to Full Synth (Pennzoil Platnum) Engine oil about 900 miles ago?
I guess I'll clean the bottom and powder it to try to track down the leak. Maybe switch back to DINO oil next time too!
Anyone experienced Synth-induced oil leakage like this? Where's it usually come from? Does it stop if you go back to Dino?
I've been running full syn for 180k miles now (currently at 210k on car). I've had an oil leak for like 2 or 3 years. It's getting progressively worse, but I'm pretty sure it's my rear main seal. Sucks the big one but nothing I can do about it now. It's not worth getting fixed.
Yeah, clean everything up underneath first. Try to isolate the source of the leak. The oil pan's plug or gasket should be easy enough to eliminate as the problem. It could be the oil filter gasket or V-tech solenoid above the filter assembly.
If it appears to be coming from higher up, as Fsttyms1 suggested checking the possibility of a rear main leak. Something to try would be replace the PCV valve, because if it's gunked up....it'll cause higher pressure internally, just looking for a weak spot to ooze out.
Syn oil can also find it's way to seep through old worn dry gaskets and seals which had been primarily used to a dino diet .
Mine is leaking from the front engine cover (sort of behind the a/c compressor area).
Next time I do a timing belt/water pump I will drop the a-pipe and pan and pull the cover.
Right now I have a strip of sham-wow bungee corded around the front of the pan behind the pulley. I swap it out every oil change and it keeps the drips from getting on the floor.
It was mentioned to me that the leak was coming from the rear valve cover gasket.
Is anyone familiar with this and how much does it cost to install a new valve cover gasket.
It was mentioned to me that the leak was coming from the rear valve cover gasket.
Is anyone familiar with this and how much does it cost to install a new valve cover gasket.
It was mentioned to me that the leak was coming from the rear valve cover gasket.
Is anyone familiar with this and how much does it cost to install a new valve cover gasket.
Thanks.
Yep. I've heard the same thing about my car. Get an inspection mirror and good flashlight, and check it out yourself.
BTW, mine was not leaking. Even after a "real" mechanic said VCG was the issue.
It is happening to me right now, started using Synthetic oil 10k miles ago. So I bought my car for inspection and he showed me the source from above the oil housing, suggested me to change all the gaskets inside (that gonna take around $300, he said need to open the timing belt housing...). Do I really need that change??
Hey Hugous, how many miles are on your TL ?
Was the motor primarily used to conventional oil prior to this situation ?
Some of the residual oil seepage shown in the pic is older than the recent synthetic change.
How bad are the leaks presently and how long do ya wanna keep the car, will ultimately determine the necessity of gasket/seal replacement.
My TL 99 is on 151k miles now, I guess the previous owner used conventional oil, cause i bought it when it has 139k on it.
Its still running strong and I wanna keep it as far as I can, I did the timing belt change right after I bought it. The leak is aggressively worse, I have to pour more oil to compensate for the leaking. The shop owner suggested me to get it fix in next oil change, but what happens if I dont get it fix? Will it affect any other parts??
If it's so bad of a leak.....that you have to frequently replenish the oil, then attention towards finding the main source of the leak should be done promptly. Minor oil seepage is a nuisance, but if a substantial amount of oil is being lost....it could cause problems.
Clean the undercarriage with a degreaser and try to isolate the area where the leak is originating from. Place a piece of cardboard underneath the motor when you park it. The leak may be up higher and will leave a fresh trail leading to the bottom. Make sure that the drain plug is secure.
T-belt and synthetic oil were apparently done at about the same time. Were there any previous problems with oil leaking ?
It is happening to me right now, started using Synthetic oil 10k miles ago. So I bought my car for inspection and he showed me the source from above the oil housing, suggested me to change all the gaskets inside (that gonna take around $300, he said need to open the timing belt housing...). Do I really need that change??
Anyone know what that plug (it is a plug like the tranny drain, right?) is? Mine appears to be leaking from there too. Hoping I could just remove, clean, goop it and re-install.
OIL LEAKS>>>>>
I just bought a 2000 TL (120,000 miles) and its leaking pretty good from behind the oil pump housing area/main bearing cap side bolt area on the rear bank of cylinders; not obviously coming from the sender but thats TBD (only spent 15 minutes with the car so far). I put dye in the oil as its very clean and recently changed , and I will wash it off and see what I can see after I drive it a stretch...
BTW that plug (plug in photo) is the cooling jacket drain block....where a block heater can be installed. Dont remove it unless you drain (or want to drain it from there) the engine coolant. Thats just some crusty old coolant seeping out. I would not be too worried about it unless you see coolant seepage or evidence like a trail of dry coolant; otherwise normal stuff there.
A few things I discovered about this engine...
The OIL PUMP HOUSING (behind the timing belt) and OIL PAN are sealed with liquid gasket ( RTV )- no amount of retorque will fix a leak here- That will need R&R and reseal if leaking at the oil pan (or front cover) .. you can see it ooozing out of the joint btwn the oil pan and block in the photo there.
I included a PDF of the operation if you wish to attempt it.
Other than the usual, but unusual, leak from the cam or crank seal (easy to fix and should be replaced at t belt replacement/water pump), or from the cam cover gaskets, or the VTEC solenoid assembly (oil filter mount/adapter) this block (J30/J35 1998 to 2002) is know to have oil leak issues due to block porosity.
There are 6 areas to be concerned about.
UP FRONT...
1)Lower bolt hole of engine side mount bracket
.........Remove the engine side mount lower bolt, then look for oil on the bolt threads at the bottom of the bolt hole.
2) Bolt hole of timing belt idler pulley
.........Remove the bolt, then look for oil on the bolt threads or at the bottom of the bolt hole.
3) Pocket on right side of timing belt idler pulley bolt
.........Look for oil in the pocket, not in the threads, of the timing belt idler pulley bolt hole. (This is behind the timing cover so this would be if oil is in the timing belt cover area or seeping out))
IN BACK....
4) Upper two transmission mounting bolt holes
........Remove the upper two transmission mounting bolts, then look for oil on the bolt threads or at the bottom of each bolt hole.
5) Two oil passages on transmission end of block
........ Look for oil on the transmission end of the block.
UP TOP....
6) Engine valley, below intake manifold
.......look for oil in the engine valley.
there is a TSB that tells of using pressurized (40PSI MAx) air into the oil sender hole and a soap and water spray (like looking for a leak in a tire) to for tiny pinholes in the block or leak detection powder.
The official repair is basic... in the case of leak and a bolt hole, replace the bolt with new ones with new sealant (I would clean and reseal the existing bolt) or in repairs of the block surface, JB weld the problem away.
If the oil pump housing is leaking (failed liquid gasket), its a tear down of the the whole front of the engine to get to the housing, remove it clean it all up and reseal it. Major surgery. But then the oil pan and oil pump housing can be resealed at the same time along with t-belt and seals and water pump (my timing belt has only 2400 miles on it done by prev owner)
The oil pan is easy (re and re with new RTV after clean up)
I attached illustrations for reference
2 PDF's of the engine block upper and lower for a better idea of what you have under your hood (from service manual of an J30 but J35 is the same)
1 pdf of lubrication
1 pdf of oil pump housing removal
I will see what I can find. I will take a close look at it tomorrow and try to get some pics of oil I see.
Anyone know what that plug (it is a plug like the tranny drain, right?) is? Mine appears to be leaking from there too. Hoping I could just remove, clean, goop it and re-install.
My mistake... that plug is actually on the oil pump hosing; and internal channel, so there is oil pressure behind it. It is not mentioned in the pump overhaul, but if its resealed use an appropriate thread sealant (loctitie makes that product)
The block drain is a big plug with a bolt head cast into it ...
Used a blacklight and traced the oil leak back .
The RH axle is in the way for a great visual but I suspect the oil pressure sender/switch after looking at it closely. I'll start there as it's the most likely and obvious spot....From what I can see, and its tight...the oil pump housing is not leaking. The pics show the blacklight ( looks red in the camera) but looking at it with your eye you see a light purple light and the dye is green in the uv light. I bought the little blacklight on amazon . Has a laser pointer and a flashlight as wee. Not super bright but recharges with micro usb ...I have to pull the axle to replace the rh frnt wheel bearing so I'll pull the sender and replace it then and wash it off and see if it's fixed.
01-01-2013, 08:50 PM
