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Hello, changed oil today and noticed what looks like a leak above the oil filter housing closer to the engine. It looks like it is on a bottom of what looks like a pump/compressor. Can’t tell exactly what it is. Doesn’t look like it was caused by oil overflow from the fill tube and it is north of the oil filter housing so can’t be from oil spill when filter housing is opened. I took a picture. Any ideas / thoughts ? It’s a 2014.
I am trying to remember offhand in that location. Maybe the power steering pump leaking or could be front timing chain cover leak. Are you able to get some pics that are zoomed out a little?
I'd probably clean it all up with engine cleaner or brake cleaner first. This should better help pinpoint where it is coming from otherwise just guesses.
Yeap. That’s the plan. Just wanted to see if leaks in that area are a common issue to this generation of GXs and if so quickly identify the component. Thanks again!
I’m glad you’re posting this question. Prior to purchasing my ‘13, I must have looked at 10 GX, and lo and behold all of them have this leak. The source is still unknown to me but all the AC compressors and surrounding areas were wet. Of course I asked one of the techs for a ‘12 at a Lexus dealer- he didn’t have a clue. Weird
It's more than likely the timing chain cover. Search for timing chain cover leak and Tundra and you will get more hits. It can happen on the 5.7L in the LX 570 and LC as well.
Use engine degreaser and then high-pressure spray wash the area ... allow to completely dry ... then spray suspect area with a good coating of Gold Bond Foot Spray Powder and allow to dry ... then run the engine ... the jet-white powder will turn dark at any sign of liquid. This is a great way to visually pinpoint weeping fluid leaks.
So after about 2 weeks at the dealer I got the GX back. It was a leak in the timing chain cover. Local dealer covered under Powertrain warranty and provided a loaner. Good communication and 0 total cost so nothing to complain about. Mechanic said that it is a fairly unusual defect. They ended up taking a large portion of the engine apart and changed multiple gaskets along the way. Hopefully everything will stay sealed - I guess time will tell. Thanks all for advice.
Hi everyone, I could really use your advise/help! My husband is deployed and I received some very unsettling news today from the Lexus dealership service department regarding my 2011 GX460. It has 80K miles on it, sits under a carport at home and is only used to drive my kiddos to school and home. We also get it serviced at the dealership regularly. There was an oil leak which is why I brought it in. Here's the message from the service rep.
First message..."good morning, DJ at Lexus Carlsbad. I hope you enjoyed the weekend. So my Technician just came back to me on your vehicle and we have a major oil leak for sure. leak is coming from the driver side head gasket and the timing cover. We also have slight seepage starting to come from the water pump. We would need to take the top of the motor apart to re-seal the gasket on the driver side and take out most of the components from the engine bay to get to the timing cover. It's a very labor intensive process and would be looking close to $7,600 to perform the repairs. The repairs would include new drive belts and a new water pump which we always recommend when we are around the timing cover because we are right there and it's no additional labor. Also, full inspection of the vehicle also finds back brakes all the way down to 3mm and the back rotors have been turned already so we would have to replace rotors as well $765.55 is the cost for full rear brake job. I realize this is a lot of money, of course I would go to my managers and see what I can discount it down to, but I wanted your thoughts on moving forward. Is it something you may want to move forward with?"
After I asked him a few questions, here is his second message..."The valve cover gasket is very delicate and prone to oil leaks. Over time the gasket becomes brittle and will crack due to exposure to dirt, debris, heat and other elements. When this occurs, the gasket can lose its integrity and leak. The leak at this time has not gone into the tube seals or spark plug chamber. Once the oil leaks into there, your spark plugs will not fire properly causing the engine to misfire, and that is when your check engine light will turn on. As of right now, the oil leak has not affected any operation of the motor. This would be a preventative valve cover seal to prevent any damage to the motor. As for the brakes, I looked into your history and we have had to change brakes about every 20-30 thousand miles, we performed both front and rear brakes at 64,000 miles. so a little less than normal but not to far off. We have just resurfaced the rotors the last two times, so there is just not enough metal to resurface again without going below the safety specs on the rotors. I have my manager putting together a new price for you and as soon as he is done, i'll let you know."
They know my husband is deployed and I rely on the vehicle for my three kiddos. This all just seems very strange to me. I would GREATLY appreciate your thoughts on this matter. Thank you so much!
03-31-19, 05:35 PM
Leak?
