OK...I need to vent...and get some advice...

I just bought my 2008 Acura TL a few months ago, and paid above Bluebook because this car is in high demand here in the SF Bay Area, and the market actually supports a higher price... (I didn't pay crazy amounts over KBB...but it was definitely a premium over standard Bluebook).

Not really relevant here...but it just paints a picture of where I am mentally with this car...

The car is my wife's, and she loves it...so no complaints...

The car has started to leak oil all over my newly installed paver driveway. Again, not necessarily important to this issue, but paints a total picture for you. It's a large driveway, and the paving work cost me a bundle...so I am irate at the least, and a little pissed off.

I took it to the shop, and they've told me that it's the seal in the oil pump that sits right in front of the timing belt.

Bottom line: To take care of this leak, they will need to perform almost the same work as a timing belt change, which will cost me a lot more money than I expected to pay.

Recommended timing belt replacement is 7 years or 105K. I am admittedly at the 7 year mark (my mileage is 70K).

Do I can either avoid the cost for a little while and park in the street... Or take care of it now...

What would you do? I think I know the answer... I am just still feeling the pain of paying a premium for the car...and then to turn around and do a timing belt change is deflating my spirits a little...

 

Did you do a PPI before purchasing the car? Maybe they would have found the leak if you did.

If you're already at the 7 year mark, why not just do the timing belt change and fix the leak at the same time? You're going to need to do the TB job anyway so no point crying over spilt milk, just do it early and get it over with!

A worst scenario would have been: did the TB job. came home a few months later to oil pump leak. Have to do it all over again. But your case doesn't seem as bad..


Park on the street and risk getting sideswiped and who knows what else ? Just fix it and call it a day..

 

Do the 105K service. That sounds like the main seal not an oil pump seal but at any rate, just do the full service...you knew it was coming eventually.

 

correct me if wrong but isnt the "main seal" sandwiched between the transmission and block?

 

Thanks for the responses so far...

Yes, I did do a PPI, and the inspection (by my regular mechanic) saw some seepage at the oil pump seal, but he said that it was such a low amount of seepage, that he didn't think it would have enough volume to actually create a drip. That was several months ago... So obviously, the problem has gotten a little worse. It's not a lot of dripping... It's like a single drop or two overnight.

His recommendation (because my mechanics are pretty good about not over spending their customer's money) is to park it on the street and wait a year or so before doing the timing belt. He says that the leak is so low that it is not losing meaningful amounts of fluid...and the timing belt can safely go another year or so...

But he also admited that his recommendation would mean that my wife would lose the convenience of driveway parking... And that it really depends on whether or not my wife is greatly inconvenienced by parking on the street.

I live in the 'burbs of Sunnyvale on a low volume traffic street. So I am not greatly concerned with side swiping...

But I really do value all of your opinions... Please do not interpret my "thinking aloud" to having already made my decision, and why did I post a question if I already have my answer...

Truth be told, I am going to take my mechanics advice, the advice from fellow 'ziners here, and my wife's opinion and come to a decision with all of that information!

Thanks all...

My current leaning (and it is only that...a leaning) is to wait a year and avoid the $1,680 cost for now. My job stability is a little up-in-the-air right now, and I am not sure I have the luxury of spending money earlier than I have to...

 

front main seal...on the crankshaft. rear is between the tranny and block

 

I agree... THAT would really upset me!

 

Thanks for the explanation and clarification of where these seals sit.

 

I would do it now and been done with it. No need to put it off and you are at your 7 year mark anyway.

 

You're going to pay now or pay later so why put up with the inconvenience and be aggravated every time you see the car in the street, let alone hearing the wife. If it's leaking fix it now as it may get worse, but do the timing belt service, water pump, tensoner, pulley, but I'd wait on the plugs.

Get some good stay dry/oil absorbent, not kitty litter, not fond of the junk from AutoZone, and put on the oil spots and scrub with the bottom of your shoe and the oil will be absorbed by the stay dry. With all the car work done in my garage, no oil spots at all on the concrete.

 

Have your regular mechanic clarify which seal. The front crank seal also seals the front of the oil pump. The other oil pump seal is between the oil pump housing and the block. I suspect it's the second seal, although they usually go 10 years/200,000 miles. I didn't do my daughter's when I did her second timing belt at 220,000, and it started leaking within 10,000. There are several things that can, and do leak in the immediate vicinity of the oil pump seal. The oil pressure switch, vtec pressure switch, vtec solenoid, oil filter housing seal, etc. are all suspects. As others have said, get it done with your timing belt and be grateful it didn't start leaking a year after you had the belt done. Be prepared to spend some additional on labor, as the oil pan has to come off to remove the oil pump housing.

 

Will this work if the pavers seem permanently stained at this point?

I have already treated all of the oils spots with concentrated concrete cleaner, and have "worked" the spots daily for the last 3 days... Still can't get it out, even using the full strength concentrate and taking a wire brush to work the oil out of the pores...

I have almost given up... I wouldn't mind getting some dry absorbent material and trying to work it into the pores to see if I can at least dull out the spots and try and get it uniform with the rest of the driveway...

 

Thanks...will ask my mechanic about the details!

So what are you going to do about your daughter's leak?

 

Pavers may be more porous than concrete, but fluid stains that have been in the concrete will come out. Can't hurt anything to try, but just purchase a small bag.

 

cars are money pits.

sorry, ive got nothing.

 

^^^^ this. Lot of good points in that post. You'd hate to blow ~$1400 if it was only a Vtec leak.

 

I clean off the mess whenever I have the car in for service. Having learned my lesson about not doing everything when you have something apart, I also painstakingly put in a rear crank seal when I replaced her trans. It didn't leak before, but does now. I just can't win.