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What's that thing just above the right/upper side of the oil cooler line?
Hi all,
I am experiencing a tiny leak, although looking like mess over time, of either the right side/top side of my metal oil cooler line. The rubber cooler line was replaced with the metal part 4 years ago. Anyway, I believe the leak is due to the mechanic didn't line up right side's gasket correctly, as you can see the protruding gasket along edge if you zoom in the first photo. The 2nd photo shows that I cleaned the right/upper side (shown in photo #1) of the cooler line completely. I then noticed the part (in red box) right aboev the upper side of the cooler line has some oil as well. So, I am honestly don't know which part (hopefully NOT both) is leaking, because the it leaks only when I drive, and the incoming air could splatter the oil to places. If it's oil cooler line that is leaking, I can replace the cooler line without much effort -- knowing how to take out the hard-to-reach bolts.
My question: What is the part (in the 2nd photo) that is right above the upper side of the oil cooler line? Btw, the 3rd photo of the oil cooler line shows the LEFT/lower part of the cooler line, and it is spotlessly clean, without any oil whatsover. Notice it has NO protruding gasket.
Now that I have cleaned out all the area, I am going to take my car for a long drive and hopefully can pinpoint the where the leak is exactly.
That's the cooler itself, it has contains an o-ring to help seal it. I think mine is leaking from it as the oil is coming from high up near the puck/cooler, and only the front of the car. I thought it was the timing cover at first, but mine is a tiny seep. My cooler is leaking enough to have oil dripping on the ground.
That's the cooler itself, it has contains an o-ring to help seal it. I think mine is leaking from it as the oil is coming from high up near the puck/cooler, and only the front of the car. I thought it was the timing cover at first, but mine is a tiny seep. My cooler is leaking enough to have oil dripping on the ground.
I cleaned out the oil area and started the car this morning. Sure, enough the leak is from the oil cooler itself, and all I have to do is to replace the o-ring. @MattRX it looks pretty easy (unlike the Sienna shown in the video) to replace for the RX350. All you have to do is to remove the shield above the oil cooler and use the right socket. I am pretty happy about actually, because I thought my metal oil cooler line was leaking, as it is pain in the **** to remove that. I am going to give it a try.
Thanks for the clear pictures! Good to know, I’ll be ordering that o-ring and also doing mine. Thankfully we don’t have Siennas! I’d rather do the steering rack again then remove those rusty manifold bolts. At first I thought the metal oil cooler lines I put in were leaking too until I cleaned them.
Thanks for the clear pictures! Good to know, I’ll be ordering that o-ring and also doing mine. Thankfully we don’t have Siennas! I’d rather do the steering rack again then remove those rusty manifold bolts. At first I thought the metal oil cooler lines I put in were leaking too until I cleaned them.
Crap! I jumped the gun. Looks like it's going to be exactly like the Sienna! The exhaust manifold is right under the aluminium cover. Damn...oh damn. I've got my o-rings already. I ordered two from the local Lexus dealer. Around $5 each.
If you do: When taking out the aluminium cover, there are THREE 10mm bolts -- one upper left, one upper right, and one lower right. Always do the lower right first when taking it out or putting it back in. The upper left and right ones need a 2-inch or so 10mm socket. For the upper left, remove your oil dipstick to give yourself a little more room to swing your rachet but NOT passing the oil dipstick tube! Make sure the bolt does not fall down, as it is hard to get it back! The lower right one needs a 1-inch 10mm socket to give you room.
I spent too days to verify many times that it is indeed the oil cooler itself that leaks NOT the metal oil cooler line.
I am defeated. Will have my mechanic do it. He has not seen such problem -- it's always the oil cooler line issue that he has seen so far -- not the oil cooler itself! Hopefully, he won't charge much. Probably $200 for labor. He wanted to charge $350 (parts and labor) for the entire replacement of the *oil cooler line* as he though that was the problem I had. So, probably $200 for labor for this job.
Wow, Looks like someone didn't take the time to line up the gaskets, or possibly scraped part of the gasket installing it. It is tight thou. Since your there, swap out the spiced rubber bank one vvt oil line w/ the all metal one as well.......
Wow, Looks like someone didn't take the time to line up the gaskets, or possibly scraped part of the gasket installing it. It is tight thou. Since your there, swap out the spiced rubber bank one vvt oil line w/ the all metal one as well.......
@Felix What is the "rubber bank one vvt oil line"? Don't know what that is. Got a picture? I didn't see any, except for the oil cooler line, which was replaced with the metal one for my car?
Hey @MattRX , thanks for the info and photos on the above. I had decided to have the local mechanic do the oil cooler's o-ring replacement. He originally quoted $500 for labor!!! But he is an honest guy, and charged only $$370 (still steep) after realizing that he could do it without taking out the exhaust manifold, plus other things. It's not an easy but certainly not a real hard job. Good things that all my bolts are not rusted out. It was 3 hours of work.
I take that you replaced your VVTI oil line to the metal one. Was it hard? By the way, the VVTI oil line part you posted (15772-31030) does not fit for the 2007 RX350, according to the web site. My local Lexus dealer pull up a different part for this number.
>>>>> does not fit for the 2007 RX350, according to the web site.
That is because before 2013 (2010?) or so, OE included the rubber segment. The metal one will fit, exact same engine. Tell him to look it up for a 2013.
It says it won’t fit but was a perfect replacement for my car. Poor documentation on Toyota’s part. Other than not having to remove the exhaust manifold, was there anything else in the way? Glad to see the procedure was able to be completed relatively easily, hope the leaks stop!
I think you’d be quoted a similar price for the VVT-i line or a little less. The service manual says to remove strut, cv axle, and a whole bunch of other stuff but that is not required. PS pump was enough for me to squeeze in there. Getting the pump back in was the hard part. Lots of light helps. I’m sure me doing the job in the driveway didn’t help either in terms of time.
Other than not having to remove the exhaust manifold, was there anything else in the way? Glad to see the procedure was able to be completed relatively easily, hope the leaks stop!
The service manual says to remove strut, cv axle, and a whole bunch of other stuff but that is not required. PS pump was enough for me to squeeze in there. Getting the pump back in was the hard part. Lots of light helps. I’m sure me doing the job in the driveway didn’t help either in terms of time.
I wish I knew what exactly the mechanic did. I dropped off my car and picked it up later. The service manual is frankly a scam, detailing MORE work than needed. Initially, when I dropped off the car, he showed me what the service manual says, and I told him: "You don't need a coolant flush or even an oil change! It's an oil cooler not coolant, and oil will be in oil container WHICH IS BELOW the oil cooler, so no way the entire engine oil will be lost." I am lucky that he is honest. His shop has more than 1500 5-star reviews, none of which is below 5-star.
MattRX, I saw your post on how you fixed up your 2008 RX350. Man, that's impressive. My 2007 RX350 is only 134K miles and it had the oil cooler leak. That's crap! My 2007 RX350 was made in Canada, btw. Typically a car would have this problem way after 200K miles. I did replace the radiator by myself, because it got cracked after a truck lightly back into the front bumper!
My next task is to change the rear differential oil. I saw you did the trans-case oil replacement as well. Any tip on that would be appreciated.
Thank you! It was a diamond in the rough for sure, but was a pretty big risk and a first for me. Mine is a J-vin and it is a miracle my cooler lines underneath didn’t blow before I got the car. They were very hard/dry, and actually broke when I was flexing them after putting the new part in.
For the RX t-case it is a lot more annoying on that car vs the 2002 Highlander (same t-case) because the exhaust is on the passenger side on the RX vs the driver’s side on the HL. I could not get a 24mm impact socket on there for the life of me, I had to use a shallow 24mm chrome socket on a small breaker bar, then I used a 24mm open end wrench to finish it off. 1L of oil drained out and I put 1L in of 75W90 GL-5 gear oil. Toyota says 0.9L, but it has always been 1L on the Highlander and RX. I imagine Lexus would probably tell you to drop the exhaust or something - LOL. Just like them saying the subframe needs to be dropped for the front sway bar. Removing the front two struts and rear engine mount was far easier!
Diff and t-case take the same gaskets, but I would toss the stupid 10mm allen key plugs and switch to t-case ones. Chiselling those out on my rusty Highlander was not a day I enjoyed very much. They use a very soft metal and it loves to strip out. The best possible way to get them out is to first dig out the dirt, spray them with oil, whack the plug with a hammer, hammer in the socket and then crank down on it. I like to use a little heat too and have the car be up to temp.
12-23-22, 06:18 PM
What's that thing just above the right/upper side of the oil cooler line?
