Has anyone used ATP Re-sealer or similar substance to successfully stop minor engine oil leak in his LS430 temporarily while awaiting for a more permanent fix? Anyone has real life experience to share, be it a success or failure?

Many friends and experts here have advised me in another thread how to detect where the leak is or to have the valve cover gasket, cam seal, etc. replaced immediately, which I know already after 30 years of driving and car maintenance experience. The thread has been digressed to discuss other unrelated issues too. However, no one has been able to share with me his real life experience of using the ATP Re-sealer or similar substance to stop the leak. I am considering to use the ATP Re-sealer to stop minor engine oil leakage (lose half qt. in 6 months) in my car but fear that it may cause more damage than good to our engine. I have now changed the title of my thread in the hope that I can get more relevant advice.

 

This guy has been using it for years:
This guy used it a couple of years ago with positive results:

 

This guy also had positive results:
And this guy likes it:

 

Thanks for the videos. I know the ATP Re-sealer works on MANY vehicles but was not effective on some and have made a mess on others too, according to my research of the many reviews of this product in the internet. However, there is no specific review of its use on LS 430, except one successful use in a LS400. So, my Q. is has anyone here used it on a LS430 and successfully stopped the leak or made a mess of the engine? Any real life example within this LS 430 group?

 

I used it on our Avalon and a Nissan. It did help minimize leaks from seals(rear main), but not as much on gaskets(valve cover, oil pan etc).

 

One may discern such anomalies to be more leak specific than vehicle specific....

 

You're prob barking up the wrong tree here...
Half a quart every 6 months is NOT a minor leak. Most 3UZ-FE engines only lose the amount that's wiped off the dipstick when checking the oil.
I'm sure some forum members have tried the ATP product but generally were a group of fixers. You'll get a much better response if you find the source of the leak and ask how to correct it properly.
The product "works?" by swelling all the seals inside the engine. It doesn't care what make or model the car is. Potential success is dependent on the size of the leak not the year make and model of the automobile. If your 430 has already suffered an overheating episode dumping a reseal product into the crankcase is likely the least of your concerns.

 

If it's the pan or valve covers that product will do nearly nothing, the pan uses a form in place gasket that once breached anywhere along the diameter requires the parts to be separated, cleaned, conditioned to mirror, and resealed. The valve covers when loose enough will just pour oil out, the only seals that that conditioner will work on would be front/rear main and cam seals but at the cost of weakening those seals when they are likely not the issue at all. They are also the far far far harder ones to replace involving doing a full timing job and removing the trans if something goes wrong.

Those conditioners literally work by eating/dissolving the seals to make them expand similar to what happens to a latex glove exposed to brake clean. In the case of an engine it may stop leaks temporarily but the likely culprit wouldn't even be affected by it in the first place and you're going to wear out the more critical seals.

 

Think I told this story. I loved Volvos as a junior high / HS student. So when I was 19, I bought my 3rd Volvo. A 264GLE for $2,000 (those of you who know cars are slapping your forhead with the palm of your hand already!).

This old guy (probably 35 hahahahahahahahahahahaha) shows up all cool and everything, and I buy it. A few days later, it has no power. Look at the oil and it's all milky. My buddy tells me the radiator is full of all these pellets that dude poured stop leak in the radiator.

I think the stop leak did exactly as intended and it's what it's for. To temporarily allow a car with 2 blown head gaskets to drive. I think that's what this stuff is for, if you're going to dump the car, why not? Even that guy on YouTube who bought a Range Rover for $1400 poured it in, because he just wanted to get it to drive, it's not like he's going to keep it a year or two or five.

Who knows what the long term effects are of this stuff? Heck, in the back of my mind, I was thinking if I have a rack leak, why not pour that stuff in, I'm getting rid of the rack anyway, right? But what would it do to the pump and lines?

I think this stuff should be avoided if it's your car and you want to keep it. But again, in the shady auto business to me it totally makes sense that stuff one can pour to temporarily stop leaks does exist. my .02

Again, if we could prove there are no ill-effects, then why not? Like if someone tells me oh you can't hurt your steering by using stop leak stuff, maybe I would try it? But I kinda think it goes against better judgement. We drain and fill stuff to keep it clean, this is contaminating the systems in a way....

 

Thanks for the replies above. Perhaps I should share with you all my situation. The current market price of my LS430 in Hong Kong is roughly US$2500 and will soon be of scrap value in a few years since rich people here buy NEW prestigious cars and common people here buy less powerful but newer Toyota or Honda and the like. Unless I want to keep the car for several more years, it will not be wise for me to spend $1500 to 2500 to change the timing belt/water pump, replacing the seals, etc. Even if the car is dead on the road, which is unlikely to happen with other proper maintenance, the towing fee here is around $100 only. More importantly, my mechanic advised me that I can just top up oil periodically and the car can run as usual for several years, despite the leakage ( demonstrating that Lexus is a well built car). So, I am not worry about a breakdown. Since I hear that ATP Re-sealer may help to stop the leak, I just want to investigate if it is applicable to our LS 430 engine in order to delay repair or until I want to dispose the car. If it will make a mess of the engine, then I'll just do nothing but top up oil to maintain the life of this old car and dispose it when the time comes. A few drops of oil on the floor is not a big concern to me.

 

As said before and as followed by another member's post, the product may be effective for some types of leaks and not effective for others. It is the type of leak which makes the difference. Not the engine. The product is as applicable to the LS 430 engine as it is to any other engine because it is applicable to the engine oil. If you are worried about using the product, which would be drained out on you next oil change, don't use it and keep adding oil. Maybe put a piece of cardboard on the floor to catch the leak. Using ATP may stop the leak. Or, it may not (e. g. the leak is because of a torn gasket). It depends on the type of leak, not the engine. It is up to you to make the choice. This article "At-205 Re-Seal Review – Is It Worth Your Money?" may be worthwhile for you to read as it may address some of your concerns: https://righttorisesuperpac.org/at-205-re-seal/ But, if you don't mind checking the oil, as should be done anyway, perhaps just keep doing that. Irrespectively, no use keeping on looking for some sort of guarantee when none exists.
(If you decide to try it, would make sure to run the engine for some time immediately after adding.)

 

Do what your mechanic suggested...keep topping off the oil and drive it until the wheels fall off.

 

That's what our Japanese indie told my wife's cousin about his CR-V that was whining. They told him it's the tranny after carefully inspecting even having it driving while lifted. They said not worth it just drive it it may fail tomorrow it may fail in 2 years or longer. Well it's been 3 years and it's still on the road headed to 300k.

1/2 qt is a pita, I would stock up with some cheap Costco or Amazon on Walmart oil (not that cheap but you can get down to 5 qts. for around $12.50 full synth, maybe dino is cheaper not sure). Maybe clean things up every so often. Probably a shade tree would be willing to buy that car and fix it properly themselves, but get some use out of it before doing that.

 

Look in your owners manual. I believe Lexus states that a quart every 600-700 miles is acceptable. Half a quart in 6 months does not seem like much of an issue. .

 

As for it dripping on the floor, you can add a dye and use a black light to find out where. As for the stop leak, it swells seals and o-rings and in my opinion will cause more harm than good.