So my battery light went on last week and I found out my alternator was shot on my 98 GS400 with 160,000 miles. No biggie, right? Then my local mechanic called and said he couldn't replace the alternator because the engine was 'puking oil' and clogged the alternator. 6 months ago the dealership replaced my valve cover gasket, and now oil is spewing. So is the dealership responsible for the oil leak that killed my alternator? they want to charge me big bucks for the parts and labor, but maybe i should push back on the 12 month guarantee on the work they did? Any advice appreciated...

 

Is the oil actually leaking from the valve-cover gasket? Oil can leak from a number of places...the gaskets are only one of them. A common technique to determine where oil is leaking is to change the oil, put a florescent dye in it, and it clearly shows up when an ultraviolet light is shone under the hood.

 

Sounds like they did not replace the gasket correctly or damaged it when they were putting it on. Either way it sounds like they owe you a new alternator and valve gasket job done properly.

I don't think there are any other areas on most modern engines where a oil leek would be hitting other components in the engine bay like the alternator and it would take a pretty nasty/big leak to take out a alternator. Sometimes for a minor oil drip leak on a engine over 50K miles a gasket fluid like ATP205 can be tried before doing a gasket job but it won't stop a incorrectly applied valve gasket or a big hole or tear in the gasket. Rebuilding your alternator can save a lot of money over a brand new one, I don't think re installing it is too difficult either.

 

This is a bit complicated but I could use some advice. My 98 GS400 (160,000 mi) has been a great car, and bought from a little old lady who serviced it well. Earlier this year oil was leaking and the dealership put in a new valve cover gasket (~$800). Then last month my alternator died, and it turned out it was flooded with oil. When the dealership replaced the alternator (~$700 with part I ordered online), they found more oil leaking [cam seal, crank seal, cam gear assembly]. Since the alternator is on the other side of the car, I'm guessing that the old alternator got flooded with oil from the leaking valve cover gasket before it was repaired [?]. If that's the case, then my new alternator should be fine and not at risk if getting flooded with oil from the cam leaks. But to fix all the new oil leaks is ~$2400 (mostly labor) and they said that they might as well go ahead and replace the timing belt and water pump while they're in there for another ~$600, for a total of $3000, which is about what the car is probably worth anyway :-(
I see my options as:
-paying the $3000 and hoping the car runs another 10 years without any more major problems.
-trying to find a garage that could do the work cheaper [but could be risky if the work is overly technical].
-selling the car and getting a different old used car [but it's not cool to sell a car with oil leaks?].
-just keep on driving it and putting oil in it when necessary. This could be best, IF there's no way my new alternator is somehow going to get flooded with oil again [it's still a mystery to me how the original alternator got flooded anyway. Some on Club Lexus suggested the dealership messed up the valve cover gasket and it leaked on the alternator, but of course the dealer says that's impossible; more likely that was from oil leaking before they replaced the gasket?]
So for anyone with the patience to read this far and offer advice, very much appreciated!!!

 

Your driving a 18 year old car that has basic maintenance issues.

If you are not willing to learn how to do the work yourself, then it may not be worth keeping the car; sell it and drive something newer.
This forum is the best DIY resource for your maintenance issues.

If you car is rust free I might be interested in buying it for my daughter.

Good luck

 

Did they check the power steering pump for leaks? It is located directly above the alternator and it's common for these cars to have a leak there that kills the alternator. I wouldn't be surprised if that was your problem rather than the previous valve cover gasket leak.
If that is the case, search here before you replace the pump, there's another piece on the pump that's a common cause of the leak but wouldn't be included with a new pump. Don't remember the specifics but search here to make sure you're replacing the right part.

 

Your last option is a bit relative. I've had nasty oil leaks for about 2 years now (leaking a quart of oil every 3 or so weeks) and my car runs like a champ!

... but doesnt mean something can still happen. Not to mention having to park the car over a pile of kitty liter all the time. Spending the value of the car to fix the engine seems like a hard decision to make. I'd look at other options for $3000. Might be able to buy another engine (GS400 or not, maybe even an LS engine swap) do a simple gasket overhaul on the new engine, some mods and swap out the old engine (sell it). In the end, you still spend the $3k and get a better deal under the hood.

Question is, how bad is the leak? Is it just a drip a month, or is it pouring out? Is it really worth spending that much to fix a drip?

 

The real ? Nathaniel is why have you not fixed yours yet? a Quart every 3 weeks :/

 

Thanks all! I don't think it was the power steering fluid that clogged the original alternator bc we could see the oil everywhere when we removed it.

it looks like I'll keep driving it and monitor how much oil is leaking. If it's minimal then just keep on truckin.

I hope there's a way to check that the new alternator isn't getting hit with oil. I can eyeball it but that's not very exact. could oil be dripping from the leaky cam seals into the splash shield under the engine and then blowing up into the alternator? If that's the case I could just remove the splash shield.?..

Despite the oil leak, the car is immaculate and runs like new...

 

I'm pretty sure it's your P/S high pressure return line (below your P/S reservoir). This is a common problem area on the 2GS. I've had mine fixed twice; so pay close attention to the P/S level. Mine went bad at 149,000 miles and again at 214,000 miles. I've also had my valve cover gaskets done at 182,000 miles but the leak wasn't nearly as bad as the P/S leak. The best way to tell is put a piece of masking tape on the reservoir and if it moves at all that's your problem.

Btw, you don't need a TB/WP change if it was done recently. I had my first TB/WP change at 120k and most recently at 220k, so I think you're good if it was changed in the 90-100k range.

 

I went through the exact same scenario you went through, same year/modle and even the mileage, mine had 166k.

My VC destroyed my alternator, alternator was making all types of noise. I had 2 culprits, one was the valve cover gasket and the other was the cam seals.I fixed both including the denso alternator/water pump/tbelt/cam seals etc..

 

lextout did you do the work yourself, use a dealership, or a garage? What were your costs for parts and labor? Thx

 

I'm also wondering if I can just let the cam seals, etc, leak for a while (checking oil level when I fill up gas), since I got the valve cover gasket replaced already. Or would that possibly screw up the new alternator, even though it's on the other side of the car....

 

OP I think you should be fine for a while. Just keep an eye on the P/S level and oil level daily. Keep in mind it's in the dealers interest to find more things wrong with the car. My car is almost exclusively dealer serviced and they are always telling me I need this or that. Most of us have an indy that works on Toyota/Lexus who will do the same work for less. I would check around your area and see what you can find.

 

i had a friend that was an ex employee from a toyota shop do the work i paid him 500$ for labor and 500$ for oem parts, btw IF your cam seal is leaking it will wreck havok on your tbelt, may drip on the belt its self, so if your cam seals are good then that will save you alot of money.