So I reported earlier I had a very minor oil leak - started back in December last year. Dealer wanted $1400 to replace rear main and oil pan gasket. I didn't do it but took the advice of this board and replaced the PCV valve and switched to high mileage oil (Castrol 5w/20). On the subsequent oil change (just a couple of weeks ago) - the dealer is still saying I need a rear main seal because it's leaking oil. Since switching to the high mileage - I don't see any oil leaks in the garage at all (zero). It did take it some time to stop - it wasn't overnight and this last oil change I switched to the Valvoline Max Life high mileage on the last change (only because there was no Castrol on the shelf).

1. So do I need to get under the car with a degreaser to clean up all the oil residue before the dealer is going to stop saying I am leaking oil? That's the only reason I can think they are still saying it's leaking - because it's not leaking any more. At least it's not visible anywhere in the garage where it's parked (same spot)

2. The dealer said on that last oil change the oil was very dirty. They have never told me this before and the driving condition and oil change interval were exactly the same (the dealer has changed the oil on this car since new and they have just used their shop oil - non-synthetic). The only change is that this was the first time semi-synthetic was used in it. I have changed it religiously at 5k since new and have them use the OEM filter. I spoke to the Castrol people and they said this was unusual and the oil should not be any dirtier despite switching to a semi-synthetic. Strange to me.

Just wondering if any of you have thoughts on the above. I am just curious about all of this - nothing urgent of course. Thanks.

 

Why are you listening to the dealer so much? If your car isn't leaking oil, that's great. There's no need to degrease the underside unless it bothers you. If the car is not consuming oil, you're done. High mileage oils usually have seal conditioners (well, for leaking seals) and more zinc for worn metal parts, such as valve guides. As long as consumption is low, say 1 qt. in 3000 miles or so, I wouldn't do anything but regular oil changes at the appropriate interval (on my old 00TL, I generally did them at 7500 mile intervals- that car is now owned by my brother and has 160,000 miles on it). Stop worrying about what the dealer says and drive on. I guess you have to look at the cost vs benefit of changing the main seal. If your car has 140K miles on it and currently doesn't leak oil (meaning you don't see appreciable increase in consumption), and it's worth less based on mileage and year, is $1400 a cost you can live with?

I probably wouldn't spend the money but that's just me.

 

Stop going to the dealer for such an old out-of-warranty car. You are nothing but dollar signs for them. Now if you have a good relationship with a trustworthy dealer, that's another story. Find a reputable Honda-friendly mechanic who can take you under the car and show you whether it's the pan seal or the main seal that's leaking. Don't replace what ain't leaking. If the rear seal is leaking, then a reputable privately-owned transmission shop will charge you much less to remove the tranny and replace the seal. They remove trannys all day long and can do the job in a few hours.

 

I also forgot to add that the appearance of the oil has nothing to do with it's effectiveness or the detergent package within it, so the fact that the dealer says the oil is 'dirty' is meaningless (unless it was caked on the stick like sludge, which I doubt is the case). I agree with finding an independent shop to do the work from now on. Pulling a transmission and putting in a rear seal would more likely be $500 or so from an independent shop (I had a 6 speed installed in an MR2 for that price at an indy shop) and changing the seal at that time would be easy, if you were inclined to get it done (if you were keeping the car for a few hundred thousand miles more).

 

Thanks for the replies. Very helpful. I do mostly ignore the dealer. The only reason I go to them is they have great hours of operation. The private shops are weekdays from 8 to 5. I have to take off work to go there. Dealer is open to. 7 am to 7 pm and Sat and Sun too. They only charge me the cost of the filter when I bring my own oil. But you are right about them wanting to find things. I mostly listen to them and then take care of it myself if its something simple. The reason I posted here was I was concerned that I was missing something. Could I have a leak that was not visible on the concrete but
still needing to be taken care of? Sounds like I don't need to be concerned ... thanks.

 

Hey Jdigeorgio, As these guys were saying......ignore the dealer if you've got things under control. The PCV and high mileage conventional oil will help lessen your leak to the point where it's not going to hurt anything.

The oil may have been dirtier....due to the prior synthetic's use, which will clean deposits and even find it's way through older weak seals. So, if ya are not presently experiencing a substantial amount of oil leaking....just stick with the conventional oil, IMO....you'll be ok !

 

I find better oil increases MPG and longer oil changes(8-10k are easy even with dyno). Bob the oil guy is a great place to learn about oils and you can send oil I for inspection. Every engine is different. I just use what other suggest. I just like to drive a stock car for daily driving. I find the don't improve MPG, comfort levels. Learn about REM coating for lower friction(race technology) . I like a WIX filter with synthetic oils. Yes if you burn or leak it can be increase with synthetic over dyno or base. High mileage oil is just a semi-synthetic or different additive package. I'm sure everyone will have a different idea

 

Thanks. You guys helped put this in perspective for me. I bought the car new back in early 2001 and paid almost 30k for it (2002 models had just come out - even though it was very early in the year still). It's been a good car overall - probably one of the best we have ever owned. No regrets even though it seemed like a fortune to spend back them (for me anyway).

It is now over 12 years old and I guess I still think of it the same way I did when I bought it. But obviously it's probably not worth more than several thousand dollar at this point. My daughter has been driving it the last 6 years or so and so I have been very obsessed with keeping it in excellent working condition so she won't break down on a very long school commute.

Anyway, I just bought an impact wrench and sockets. I think it's about time to start doing those oil changes myself. I probably won't forgo the dealer completely - e.g. I like to have the transmission fluid exchanged every 30k or so (ever since it went out about 75k miles ago). I probably won't use them for a brake job - they are almost twice as expensive on that as the local tire shop whom I really do trust for brakes and tires. But I find the dealer sends out a lot of service specials and if you use those - they really aren't that bad in some cases. Also, I found that the Honda dealer will do the same job for substantially less. That $1400 rear main seal job is $900 at the Honda dealer and they even include the oil pan gasket replacement.

The brakes are down to 4 mm so we are about due for those. Anyone know if it's important to use the Acura OEM pads? On past cars, I have had some issue with aftermarket pads grabbing. Just curious ...

 

Yeah, DIY can not only save some money...but give you some satisfaction of knowing that things are done right and not getting taken by the dealer for bigger profit repairs which are not always necessary.

Most anything you may need to know in the way of DIY's is available on this site. I wouldn't be too concerned with OEM brake pads now, just buy a better quality aftermarket brand. Many of which have a free replacement.

On the tranny, you may want to consider doing the drain & fill yourself....loosen the drain plug and refill with 3 qts. Honda DW1 fluid once a year and your TL's tranny will last longer.