Civicnoobie

I just wanted to get second opinions on what you think i should do. I was about to change my oil today until when I got under the car, I notice oil on the bottom. wasnt dripping or anything but i could tell it was fresh oil. Ive been checking my oil lately and the level hasnt dropped at all.

So i went to see one of my mechs and he said its coming from the left side of the engine (driver side), we started the car and let it run and he could see it. It was coming from the timing belt cover so my guess is its the camshaft seal.

Ive been running Mobil 1 5W30 for the past 1.5yrs (4 oil changes) and at first it was fine.

So he said to not go with syn anymore and because I have 101K miles to use conventional high milage oil. He said synthetic is 10x more likely to get leaks and high milage oil should be used in high milage cars. And add this Lucas stop leak stuff (white bottle) and it will fix it. He says its either this or I have to pay someone to replace that seal and its a big job (timing belt). When I had my tensioner dont last Jan, we checked the seal and it was fine.

He said he had leaks on both his cars and worse leaks and hes used high milage oil + lucas stop leak and it fixed the leak 100%.

So I got him to change the oil and put in Motomaster high milage conventional oil and bottle of the Lucas. He said change it every 3 months.

What do you think i should do now? I have to monitor it for the next couple months every time I drive to see if its leaking still. I can check by looking in the driver side wheel well cause thats where we saw the oil before.

How many seals are on the left side of the engine? (driver side)
I dont know forsure which seal it is, but because he said its coming from the timing belt cover, then its most likely the timing belt seal (which is the camshaft seal?).

1) My concern is how wet the timing belt and inside the cover is, if the oil was coming from that. Mech said if you stop the leak now, the oil inside will dry up over time. I asked how long and he said short period of time, cause dust and the heat will get inside and burn it off. He said if i left it, then the area would be drenched in oil and the belt would slip and then do all sorts of chaos to the engine.

ezone

SMDH
So you got a leak now. Not the fault of the oil. Find and fix the leak if you are worried enough to start a whole thread about it.
Wives' tales.

I'd be checking on the dipstick.That's as far as I'd worry about it.


I might ignore the whole thing unless it is going through oil rapidly.
Unless it is getting oil on the timing belt (doubt it).
Or dripping on a brand new garage floor.

There isn't one of those.
You have a camshaft seal,
a front crank (oil pump) seal,
and a gasket (Cheez-Whizz) and O ring for the oil pump to mount to the engine block.
Valve cover gasket.
Um....someone spilled a bunch of oil while filling it. Went all down the side of the engine. Got everywhere.

Bullsh!t bullsh!t bullsh!t.
Maybe.

Pull the upper timing cover off, I bet the belt is as dry as a bone.

Most areas that COULD leak are purposely funneled away from the timing belt.
Someone should actually tear it apart to find the real source of the leak before just replacing seals that may or may not fix the actual problem. But that would take some commitment on your part, and a bunch of the mechanics time.







And you're still paranoid.

Did you buy a Hyundai yet?
Buy the Hyundai.

Civicnoobie

This is how ive been checking and the reading on the stick stays the exact same. This has been over months.


But oil is getting around the time belt area and when i look under the driver side wheel well, it looks like the oil is coming from the bottom of the timing belt cover. Would oil not get inside and on the timing belt? Im worried that its all wet inside the timing cover.

Thats what i thought too, that someone spilt over everywhere when doing an oil change. But the oil on the bottom today was fresh! The oil closer to the engine block (looking from engine bay) was more dried up.

I can do this without taking anything apart?

So oil cant get on the timing belt?

yes and expensive, i need to find the cause first but right now it looks very serious.

Im worried cause it looks to be serious because its coming from the timing belt cover.

Where is the oil pump? Cause i have yet to change mine and theres a thread on here, recently that a guys o-rings in the oil pump were leaking and his was leaking from timing belt too.

ezone

Then it ain't very bad of a leak, quantity-wise.

Then take the covers off and look. See what is going on in there for yourself.


I was trying to throw in realistic possibilities.


No. Duh.

Didn't say that. I guess I should have said AVOID.
Um, how much oil is it using again?

There's a lot of area inside there. ANY drips all end up coming out at the same spot. Like a big funnel.
I think Google is working up there in your area now. Try it out.
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/...-+OIL+STRAINER
Find the cause of the problem first. Don't just replace crap without a reason.

Civicnoobie

If its from the timing belt area then it cant be good.

Do you think i now should do another oil change back to synetic Mobil 1?

Why do you think the Lucas stop leak is bad?

How does the timing belt cover come off or up without taking anything apart?

When i checked the dipstick its not using any or very very little to not notice any drop.

Im going to double check and make sure its not my valve cover, the driver side corner (right by the oil cap). I had a very minor leak for about a week last winter on my previous valve gasket before having it replaced.

Stock 99

ezone

Leaks have to go somewhere.Nah.
Snake oil. Masks the true problems (seal swelling agents), if it does anything at all. Band-aid. Temporary.

It doesn't. Work is involved.
So it's not much of a leak, right?




You got any idea just how much surface area one entire quart of oil can cover? It's a freeking LOT.

lowlife9

your mechanics name P.T barnum ???

ezone

I think if he'd quit throwing good money after bad on this car, he could afford that Hyundai.

Stock 99

The OP should consider leasing a car, then all these issues he's having would be SEP*

* Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference...

Somebody Else's Problem.

That's as much as I can comment on this thread without being rude.

Civicnoobie

Ah just got back, did another oil change to get the Lucas stuff out. Put in Castrol High milage GTX. Got really worried when you said that and went and immediately got another oil change done.

Thats what i was saying, theres no way to check if the timing belt is oiled unless you do all the labour to take the cover off. You got me a bit excited thinking i could find out.

I know but im not losing a qrt.

ezone

YOU ARE FREEKING PARANOID!!

I said NAH, about changing it.
Leave it alone, get your moneys worth out of it.
Too late now.
Still SMDH.
I can open it up in like 10 minutes.
I know you can't, but I can.

ezone

You change your own oil? I can't think of anyplace in the world that would do it at this time on a Sunday night in less than an hour.

Civicnoobie

I know but just worried about having the Lucas in it and it swelling up other seals that arent leaking and possibly causing problems later. So I wanted to get it out for piece of mind. Since i got home, ive been reading some bad things about the stop leaks and what it can do to your engine. Lack of lube, clog your oil filter, etc.

Well if you lived here then i would get you to do it but I cant open it so i cant find out if its wet inside. Thats what worries me.

Im worried about the leak because if I dont fix it, wont it just get worse?

ezone

Not when I'm away from work you wouldn't.




How much does it leak again?

Civicnoobie

Well from under the car you can see it noticably.

How would you go monitoring this? Im sure checking the dipstick everytimr the car is driven isnt enough.

ezone

I'd probably pull the dipstick about once every 500-1000 miles unless I know for a fact the oil disappears faster than that.

My GFs Saturn can use a quart every 500 miles.....or it could take 1500 to use a quart. I check hers at about every other tank of gas.

lowlife9

its been over a year since you joined this site and you still don't change your own oil ???. better make sure that quick lube place properly tightened your drain plug or your really going to start losing oil.

ezone

You are gonna have him all up in a panic now.
PANIC PANIC PANIC PANIC PANIC!!!

Civicnoobie

Im just seeking advice on what to do, i dont think thats bad. I want to find out the cause and obviously i cant find out if its wet on the timing belt. That is my biggest concern.

But is heres leaking at the timing belt area?

ezone

Yeah I'm giving you a bunch of static.


Grab some 10mm and 12mm tools and yank the valve cover and the upper timing cover off. Have a lookiesee.

GFs Saturn has stuck oil rings. It doesn't have a timing belt.
It does sprout an occasional coolant seep on the back side of the cylinder head, I have added some official GM cooling system seal pellets for that.

Civicnoobie

If I take the upper timing cover off, doesnt that mean the valve gasket has to come off and then resealed? Ive seen it done first hand when i had my valves adjusted and no way im capable of that. Its too bad theres no way to get the top timing cover off without having the valve gasket loose.

ezone

If the VC gasket is recent, it should still be very pliable and reseal without a problem.

Even at 100k, they aren't included in the price of a timing belt job here, so we have to reuse them if at all possible. Usually no problems, especially on more recent cars that use better rubber for seals (might be EPDM type).

Besides, I only lift the end of the cover just enough to slip the timing cover out from under that lip. Same to reinstall it. Rarely do I ever have to actually remove the entire valve cover to get it done.

Civicnoobie

I really wish i knew how to do it. I just need to find out if its wet on the belt. If the belt is wet, so theres no way the oil gets dried up over time? Im guessing that timing belt cover is so well protected that nothing can get inside?

The gasket was put on Jan so 10 months old. I could double check to make sure its not leaking from the gasket (that side), but if it was then im sure the oil reading would drop.

How long should i have the car running to check if the gasket is leaking?

ezone

What do you mean? If it doesn't leave a puddle on the ground, it must be good enough to drive for a minute....Check until you are satisfied it isn't a huge prob.............................


You're right. Better let someone else do the work.
I'd really hate to toss you to the wolves.

Check the oil dipstick at every fill up of the gas tank.

Civicnoobie

Ill keep my eye on the valve cover driver side and see if any oil is there.

Ill look for a DIY but theres no way im capable of removing the top timing cover off. Looks like the PS and Alt belt has to come out first.

From what i read, the oil pump o-rings are common to go on these cars. And if thats the case then the belt is forsure wet cause going by the diagram where the oil pump is.

Wet timing belt = faster wear rate and can fail at any time

ezone

You can't know for certain until you can see it for yourself.


Yes, the O ring is rubber, they tend to harden and crack with time and heating cycles.
So far, nobody has ever wanted to pay to have me do one. I know I have mentioned a few that were badly leaking in the past.

It isn't the end of the world.

Civicnoobie

And i bet those few had wet belts no? Those were on civics?

I know wet belt isnt the end of the world but just the fact it can cause it to fail anytime is what scares me.

ezone

No.
Yes.
You're still paranoid.

You will have to see yours for yourself to know.

Civicnoobie

Interesting that they werent wet hmm. Perhaps thats why no one has asked to have them replaced or cause they saw as minor issue im guessing.

Is it possible to remove the top cover without having to move out the PS pump and Alt belt? If you could get the cover off by just loosening the 5 bolts on the engine valve cover, then popping up the right side of the valve cover and reseal that side after that would be a relief. Maybe it isnt a 3hr job afterall.