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Timing Cover Gasket - Oil Leaking at timing cover seal
Hi all - went in to Lexus for an oil change at about 85k on a 13' ES350. Has been well taken care of, perfect on time service records. Was informed of a bad Timing Cover Gasket - Oil leaking at timing cover. Bill was $4k - haven't gotten it serviced yet. Photo below. I know these are great engines that last a long time, so I was surprised this happened. But I've also heard that Lexus engines leak oil, but still last a long time. Potentially this may not be a big deal if it's not leaking much?
Report quoted - "If the timing cover gasket is broken or damaged then you could get dirt and debris in your timing cover. The dirt and debris can lead to damage of other vital timing components"
Anyone else experience this? Any advice is appreciated.
Some gasket seepage isn't a problem. If you're not having to add oil between changes, I personally would not worry about it unless it was under warranty and on their dime, until the leak got larger.
I employed this strategy when I noticed a small oil leak from the timing cover on my MR2 at 80,000 miles. I figured for the size of leak it wasn't a huge deal, and if I was wrong and I blew up the motor, well hey that's an excuse to put a bigger motor in there.
I finally had it fixed at 175,000 miles when the leak got bigger (so I never got that excuse! Darn!). Didn't do any harm to let it go that long, other than my annoyance at seeing a little piddle of oil on the floor where I park it.
The line about "dirt could get in there" is, while technically true, somewhat like saying you shouldn't go outside because of the possibility of getting hit by a meteor. Probably not going to happen. I'd at minimum get a 2nd opinion from a good, local, independent non-chain mechanic who gets good reviews from locals. No sense spending thousands unless it's actually necessary. That'll cost you a diagnostic fee, but it's worth it.
As you said you got your oil changed at the dealership I assume you have been having the car serviced by them routinely. If so, you might be able to get a good-will repair credit for at least some of the bill. You should ask.
Toyota is known for this. Check out the 4runner and Tundra forums.
Tundra ( or any toyota with that same V-8) is the worst with their camshaft tower leaks - 76 pages worth https://www.tundras.com/threads/cam-...se-read.20102/
Toyota uses a FIP gasket (form in place). Some leak and some don't depending on conditions during assembly.
No way I would pay that. 1,000 job at an Indy shop. Personally I would just monitor it.
Unless it is dripping on exhaust it will not hurt anything but pride.
Change your PCV valve to ensure blow-by pressure is being released. excessive internal blow-by can make it worse.
Dirt is not going to enter there so do not worry about that.
What about the famed reliability and build quality of the mighty Toyota/Lexus? This is unacceptable. They should fix it under the drivetrain warranty. Engine is part of the drivetrain.
What about the famed reliability and build quality of the mighty Toyota/Lexus? This is unacceptable. They should fix it under the drivetrain warranty. Engine is part of the drivetrain.
Agree if he has extended warranty, otherwise at 85k it is out.
There is no such thing as a car that never breaks. Even Lexus.
Definitely agree, but an oil leak at 85k is not quality in any sense. Look at the Tundra site I posted. Engine oil leaks at less than 10k.
The Tundra V-8 leaks have been happening for a long time (since 2008 on Land cruisers) and the 2019's are still affected by the exact same leak. Definitely not quality control.
I really wanted to buy a Tundra but gave it up after a very thorough research on the camshaft tower issue.. Same on the Sequoia and others with that V-8..
luckily the 4.0, 3.5 and 4.6 are nowhere near as bad. That is why I own a 4runner and ES350.
They are still the most reliable drive-trains in the business. A leak is frustrating but will not leave you stranded.
Yeah, I agree with that too. I've always thought the standard manufacturer line (and they all say it) of losing a quart between oil changes is "normal" even on new cars to be a big pile of BS.
I've never been a fan of FIPG gaskets. Toyota decided to do a hybrid one on the valve cover of my MR2. Most of it is a normal gaskets, but there are little half-moon plugs that you have to use gasket maker on to complete the seal. Dumb.
Maybe Toyota has a reason for doing this, but I kinda wish they'd stop. That said, compared to other brands, luxury or otherwise, even with the goofy gaskets we're much less likely to have as many maintenance problems.
Sorry folks. If a $48,000 Lexus leaks oil at under 150,000 miles that is unacceptable. Very disappointed with Toyota if they still cannot even build a leak free car.
Their idea of innovation is to build meaner looking trucks. Companies like Telsa are running circles around them.
They have more money than most countries but all they are focused on are to cut costs and build cheaper leaky cars. My 300h sunroof leaks after 4 years. That did not happen in a 15 year old Mazda.
One more argument for an EV. Toyota will remain in the buggy whip business till the bitter end.
Sorry folks. If a $48,000 Lexus leaks oil at under 150,000 miles that is unacceptable. Very disappointed with Toyota if they still cannot even build a leak free car.
Their idea of innovation is to build meaner looking trucks. Companies like Telsa are running circles around them.
They have more money than most countries but all they are focused on are to cut costs and build cheaper leaky cars. My 300h sunroof leaks after 4 years. That did not happen in a 15 year old Mazda.
One more argument for an EV. Toyota will remain in the buggy whip business till the bitter end.
I agree. I bought this car for the reliability everyone is raving about and it's very surprising this came up. I contacted Lexus and they offered to pay for half of the $300 part...doesn't help much. It's a 16 hour labor job.
Companies like Telsa are running circles around them.
No one here is disagreeing that the oil leaks shouldn't be acceptable, but that statement is just, sorry, laughable.
The Model S has a well known and widespread problem with its display, which will turn yellow over time because Tesla decided that using automotive-grade components wasn't necessary, and basically kitbashed an off the shelf touch screen monitor that was never meant to be used in motion, much less in 100+ degree temperature variations. Replacing the display (5 grand) is only a temporary fix because it just gets replaced with the same non-automotive-grade display.
The Model X has well known and widespread problems with its gullwing doors.
The Model 3 has well known and wide spread problems with collecting debris under the rear bumper. Some people have pulled 50-100 pounds of dirt and road salt out of there, which not only adds weight and therefore decreases range, but also poses a sharply increased potential for rust. It also has well known and wide spread problems with soft, overly thin paint that peels off very prematurely.
And if you want to go back a bit, let's not forget that the Roadster was famous for bricking itself by allowing its batteries to discharge so far that they died, permanently. And Tesla's response was basically "screw you, charge it more." Tesla has a long history of quality issues - most of which are stupid crap that mainstream auto makers solved decades ago.
Yes it's true, Teslas don't leak oil, but probably only because they don't have any oil to leak.
Tesla is certainly building more interesting cars than Toyota/Lexus, but the idea that they're better from a quality standpoint is patently false.
02-28-20, 07:16 AM
Timing Cover Gasket - Oil Leaking at timing cover seal
