The dealer told me my oil pump seal was leaking about 8 months ago on my 07 TL-S. They also told me the timing belt tensioner is leaking as well. Last month I started noticing drops of oil on the ground (3-4 new drops per week). What is the urgency to fix this in your opinions? Can I wait a few more months? It's gonna be pretty expensive because it's labor intensive. By the way, I have 140k miles on it.

 

That sucks.

I'd get a second opinion before doing a repair like that, since it'll be so expensive.

The oil pump seal is just hondabond HT, but to get to it the oil pan has to be removed and all the timing belt components.

How did they diagnose it? Did they remove your timing belt covers? Was it leaking from the bottom or the side near the serpentine belt auto tensioner?

I'd also check the oil drain plug, it might just be the drain plug is leaking and it was mistaken for the oil pump seal. Could be the oil pan seal as well, which is also a PITA to re-do I just changed my oil pan recently.

Before paying someone a ton of money to replace those components I'd get a second opinion.

A few drops probably isn't going to kill it, the timing belt tensioner if it is leaking and it loses its ability to keep the timing belt tensioned would be bad though.

Did you have your timing belt service done around 105k miles?

 

I don't know how they diagnosed it but they diagnosed it when the alternator failed and was being replaced.

It doesn't seem to be leaking from near the serpentine belt tensioner. I looked recently and didn't see any oil in that area. I already took it to one place for a 2nd opinion but they didn't know where the leak was from. At least they were being honest. It seems like a very tough one to diagnose for sure. I'll search for another shop's opinion.

And yes, timing belt service was done around 105k.

 

Well I can definitely say the oil wicks around, my drain plug was leaking slowly for a long time after I put a time-sert in it.

The oil drain bolt is easily stripped in the pan on these cars. The oil pan is made of aluminum. If it were leaking it'd be more noticable with the car on an incline (nose up higher than the rear) you'd be able to visibly see drops coming from the oil drain bolt which is the way mine was.

With your next oil change you could get a look at the threads inside of the oil pan where the drain bolt goes in.

I was able to verify it was just my drain bolt by using some hondabond HT on it when I installed it during the oil change I did right before I changed my oil pan.

The hondabond held a seal for a while and I had the pan dry, but after a month or so it started leaking again.

Sucks that the timing belt hydraulic tensioner might be leaking, it could just be mis-diagnosed and maybe just a leak at the oil pan or drain bolt.

Any warranty on the timing belt components? Only 35k miles on the tensioner if its OEM I think they come with a warranty.

 

Thanks for the advise. Yeah next oil change I'll definitely check the threads on the oil pan. I have no idea how they diagnosed the timing belt tensioner leak. It seems like it's in a location that's very difficult to see.

I didn't have the timing belt changed at the dealer. Saved a few hundred bucks by going to an independent shop. That shop didn't get it right the first time though. Timing belt was "1 tooth off" and produced a lot of vibration when idle. They did redo it after a couple of weeks and the vibration went away. I'm sure the tensioner is covered by warranty but only if I take it back to the independent shop.

I'm hoping it's just the drain plug or oil pan.

 

Sounds like a typical dealer upsell scam. I bet if you called back and spoke to the service manager, he wouldn't be able to tell you how they diagnosed it (because they didn't, they just threw that in to upsell.)

I wouldn't worry about it for now. Sometimes these leaks go away on their own. I find it hard to believe a TB tensioner is leaking after only 35K miles...But do keep a sharp ear out for any strange noises from the TB area in case the tensioner is really leaking.

 

As you have a high mileage car, any chance a high mileage oil with seal conditioners might help? I would doubt it's the tensioner if it was replaced at the time of the TB service.

 

What kind of noises would it make if it was leaking?