Yes. I will have to clean away the old RTV on the engine side. However, the cast aluminum will not peel off like the black paint on the steel lower oil pan. My concern is that the black paint will also start to peel on the inside of the oil pan as well after scraping the off old paint on the edges. I bought a new Dorman lower oil paint for about $60; so it was not that expensive to replace. I usually just swap out old painted lower steel oil pans if I need to reseal them. The steel lower oil pans are cheap to replace.

The Toyota/Lexus 3.5 engine has many lower oil pan options that were even cheaper than the Dorman brand for about $35. But I did not trust the cheaper unknown brands due to the questionable paint used that can peel away inside the oil pan and clog up the oil pickup tube. Dorman is a decent company that I have purchased many oil pans from over the years without any issues..

 

Sorry that you are having to deal with an oil pan leak as well as the infamous timing cover oil leak. How many miles on your vehicle now?

 

Thank you. It is an 8 year old car so oil leaks will happens(covers, water pumps, etc). Even on a Lexus. The good news is that the leaks are just minor weeping and seeping; not full on leaks that is gushing oil enough to matter on the dipstick.

My 2015 RX350 AWD has about 182K miles on it. I bought it used with 172k miles. The good news is that it has a new(recently installed) transfer-case for some reason; so that should not be an issue for a while.

 

I have a seeping oil pan for the past 2 years. 2011, am at 135k miles. No leaks as yet, I tightened the bolts every so slightly the last oil change, sprayed some brake clean to keep the area around clean. No drops on the driveway.

 

Hence why I love Toyota engines.

Yes, Toyota engines leak oil after 100k miles like any other automaker. However, most of the time Toyota engines usually just weep oil for years before needing to be repaired.Heck, if you change the oil every 4k miles then you will never know it is sweeping unless you do your own oil changes and notice the residue on the engine; since the oil level stays nears the full mark.

I will fix the oil pan issue the next oil change. I will leave the seeping timing cover as is for now since the Permatex spray sealant seems to have it under control, but I will keep an eye on it. My plan is to just buy a Quick Jack unit and drop the engine and sub-frame to seal it if the timing cover leak gets worst. A $2000 quick jack is still better than the $5000 estimate I got from my local Lexus dealership to repair the timing cover leak. Heck, I can even just buy an used engine for less than the Quick Jack and drop it in. But, I will just reseal my timing cover.

 

Thank you for sharing your knowledge on your link. I am wondering if it is still holding up years later. I just bought a 2009 rx 350 and have had it for a week. Now after my initial pre purchase inspection was flawless, I was told I have a timing chain leak. Is it because I am a 70 year old female or what. Anyways, before I despair I am now taking it for another inspection at Toyota... worst case scenario there is a leak I will follow your advice and find someone here who can hopefully follow your instructions. Thank you again so much Appreciated your expertise!

 

I was wondering is using RVT caulk and spray would be a permanent fix on a leaking timing cover. I am going through a half litre a week.

 

Was there any warranty on this used vehicle from the folks you bought it from?
I would not trust any expensive diagnosis from a Toyota dealer, or any car dealer. The service writers work on commission. They often lie and try to scare folks into spending large amounts of money for repairs that are not needed.

I would get a second opinion from another independent mechanic that works on a lot of Toyotas. Use Google and Yelp to find well regarded independent mechanics near you. I would also try a Google search using the phrase "Toyota specialist near (your town) " avoid any dealer names that pop up.

If that much oil is flowing from the timing cover, which I doubt, I do not think cleaning it then using RTV etc would be a permanent fix, but it may slow it down. Are you checking the oil yourself after it warms up, is shut off and sits for 10 minutes on a flat surface?

Are you sure it is just the timing cover that is leaking? That is a very large leak for a timing cover. Nobody has ever had a timing cover leak that large.

It may be one of the banjo bolts for an oil pipe near the cover, or a valve cover gasket or another engine gasket or seal.

This same engine is used in the RX350, Lexus Es350, IS350, GS350 and the following Toyota models: Avalon, Camry, Highlander, Sienna, RAV4 - Meaning it is such a common engine almost every mechanic has worked on them. There are millions of them on the road.

 

Thank you clutchless for your response. I have no recourse as I bought this from a used car dealer and there is no lemon law here. sigh. I will try to find an independent mechanic to take a look. If it is not the banjo bolt( which would likely not be as expensive to repair) but a valve cover gasket or another engine gasket or seal. I may as well try to sell the car as a mechanic special. A valve cover gasket or engine gasket or seal is likely thousands to repair as well. I took it for an inspection before I bought it and it all checked out, and 1 week after purchase I have discovered this problem. I went to a local independent for a diagnosis after I noticed the oil was low. He is the one that determined it was the timing chain leak, as well as need all new struts around, a shot transfer case, and sigh again...Trying to go some type of compensation from the mechanic that did the pre purchase inspection is impossible here in Calgary. I thought maybe this guy sees a 70 year old woman and dollar signs. I actually have an appointment at the Toyota dealer for tomorrow am, but now that you pointed out they work on commission I am scared to go there! If anyone from this forum knows of a good Toyota mechanic please let me know. Oh, I have been checking the oil first thing in the morning on a flat surface before I start it. So now I am hopeless as well.

 

I think they pulled a fast one on you and you should sue the mechanic that did the pre purchase inspection. Are there any Consumer help government agencies up there?
You should get a second opinion regarding the engine leak, the transfer case and the struts. All of those repairs may cost more than you paid for the vehicle. You never said how many miles are on this vehicle.
In the end it may be best to just trade it in for something else. You do not need to sell it as a mechanic special, do not tell them anything is wrong with the car, just trade it in or sell it to CarMax or someplace similar. If trading it in just say you do not like the driving position or the controls or cannot afford it or want something smaller or bigger etc. Make it up. I have a friend who does that all the time. He has owned almost 70 cars.

 

I will try to book an appointment for this week with the mechanic that used to work for Toyota for 15 years(found through a local forum) I am cancelling my appointment for tomorrow at the dealership, as you scared me away from dealerships. I never knew about the commission part of it. There are no government agencies here that assist with this type of consumer problem. It is the wild west and no Lemon Law like in the USA. I may be able to sue the used car dealer in small claims court as he provided me with a car inspection that was perfect...no issues. That being said the owner of the dealership is coming back at the end of this month and I will then go and meet up with him with all paper work and estimates for repairs in hand. If nothing else maybe he will allow me to pick something else off is lot. He does not have to do anything for me at all. So will see...The car has 150,000 miles on it with 2 previous owners. I greatly appreciate all your feedback clucthless. Thank you!!

 

NO, but it may help slow the leak down. I say this because it is almost impossible to apply the RTV on the outside of the timing cover to properly seal the leak. The oil will just ooze pass the minute(as in small size) opening between the RTV layer and the timing cover and slowly seep out over time.

 

Now I see that the problem appears to be that the place that sold you the vehicle did the pre-purchase inspection. Andl lied to you, as expected. What you need to do is take it to a different independent repair shop (such as the former Toyota guy) and get a pre-purchase inspection. They are usually around $100 US. If the seller refuses an independent inspection, move on to a different vehicle.
Having said that, let us know how things turn out with the next mechanic and your interactions with the used car lot owner. I think a trade may be the best option.

 

Hi, I am going to try the RTV fix for the front cover oil leak on my 07 ES350 with 65K miles. There are great photos of the leaking area where the block meets cylinder head meets front cover, both after cleaning prior to RTV and then after the RTV fix. I have my car up on jacks but I can't seem to see this area the same as in your photos. Do I need to remove the power steering pump and move it out of the way? Sorry if you've already posted these details on other threads.

 

You posted in the 3rd Gen RX thread. The 3RX does not have a power steering pump,as it has electric power steering, so unless one of us happens to own a Lexus ES or RX of your generation, we may not be able to answer.