Hi, i have a 96 RL and its been leaking oil under the car. Brought it to my mechanic and he said it was the rear main seal. paid around $700 for the repair and problem still not fix. he said now that it seems like it wasnt the rear main but around the oil pan area but it will be pretty pricey.

it usually only leaks when the engine is cold like in the mornings and when it is not driven for several hours. Once the engine is warmed up, it seems to be ok. i guess once the seals and gaskets are warmed up, they expand and kinda seals back up....what do you guys think is the problem?...

is this a common problem with this generation RL? please help. really dont wanna keep on driving it and one fine day, the oil light comes on while i'm on the highway and bam! the engine locks up on me....

 

Have you ever used the High milage motor oil? It may help if the leak is not very bad.

 

If the the car only leaks in when it is cold, I would not worry about it. Just check the oil once a week. The fact that the engine leaks, is not the problem. Most older cars leak some oil.

 

What is your mechanic going to do about the $700.00 he charged you for a job that wasn't needed? He admitted to you that it is apparently leaking around the oil pan and not the rear main seal that he said needed to be replaced. That just doesn't sound right to me but it's just one mans opinion.

 

well, the oil leak is usually a patch about 3-4 inches wide in diameter. kinda a problem coz i just dont know when it willl become a high pressure leak and dump everything while i'm driving. one time, i took a drive about 20 miles round trip and it ate up half a quart of oil.

on the $700, the mechanic said there was nothing he could do about it coz when he did the rear main, there was a little leak there and he thought that might solve the problem. he didnt see any other leak while he was fixing the rear main. it was after he put it back together, he started the car and the leak came back.

is this a common problem with this gen RL?

 

Try some restore. It helps fix old seals in the engine that may be leaking. I wouls also try a different mechanic.

 

I had the exact same problem with a 98 RL. I took it to the Acura dealer and they fixed it by replacing a seal. I am sorry, don't recall the details but they were aware of this problem. Suggest you take it to your Acura dealer. There are design problems that they will fix for free even if the warranty is over. It is worth the effort to ask.