96 4cylinder leaking problem,pls help!

[Toyomia]

Hello everybody, I'm new to this forum and I don't know much about cars...so please bear with me..

Recently I've notice leaking problem with my car, it has 130000miles, I bought in 96 and I drove at least 20,000.00 per year ( starting yr 2000! )

I took my car to the mechanic, they have changed Dist. seal, but the car still leaking. I just cleaned my engine and everything, just trying to see where is the leaking.

I've found several oily places, 1 right next to the place where you check your engine oil, and right side of the car also has oil there.

My mechanic came today, he check the bottom of the car and showed me how much oil is leaking..and tell me he have to take the tranmission out and replace the seal, also suggesting that I can change my clutch at the same time.

My question is: will that stop the leaking? Should I also change my clutch at the same time? Is it necessary to ask mechanic to change ALL the seals at the same time?

Thank you for the help!

[ishop4less]

Take a second opinion to different mechanic. Clutch job is not cheap. Oil that leak from the top will eventually drop to the bottom so it might look that it's coming from the transmission, but need to inspect carefully. The way you stated it, it seem to me that you need valve cover gasket change which is a lot cheaper job, but again it is hard to tell unless be able to see it. Oil that coming from engine is different than oil coming from your transmission (2 different oil types), so you can inspect and smell it which one really the one is leaking.

[Toyomia]

The mechanic did state that he needs to replace seal for the enging, in order to do that, he will have to take off the transmission and replace the seal in the engine. I saw the oil( he showed it to me ), it's kind of brownish color..not the red one( for transmission ). He will not chrarge me extra for changing my clutch.
tks!

[ishop4less]

Sorry, but i did not ask earlier...is your car automatic or manual transmission? first you mention about clutch, then you mention about the red color transmission oil, so please let me know.
Anyway if it is an automatic transmission (which is Red color) and there are no leak around it why he has to take the transmission out, because the one is leak isn't it the engine oil? the brownish one you mention?

[Toyomia]

Yes! I have manual transmission....and I was just assuming my transmission oil is red...sorry about the confusion.
He said that it's easier to take transmission out, then change the engine seal, rather than take the engine out( more work ).

[ishop4less]

I still believe that you need to have a second opinion, but it's all up to you. I still don't know why he has to take the transmission out, they are two different seal, unless the transmission is the one leak then I will agree. If you open the hood and you be able to see the oil trace where you put your oil, that means you need to replace valve cover gasket. Ok, there are oil seals, valve cover gasket that need to be check. Usually oil leak from engine crankcase pulley oil seal, camshaft oil seal, valve cover gasket these are the main area that need to check for oil leak. Transmission seal is only betweet the engine and transmission and only leak transmission oil not engine oil, so please inspect again what type of oil that is really leak.

[Bossman]

You could ask your mechanic to pour a little fluorescent dye into your motor oil and then he could use a black light to visually trace the engine oil leak.

[Toyomia]

I think you're right about that.
I took my car to Fire Stone at the first place to get a quotation, and they told me the engine is leaking and several other places are leaking too. Therefore, they're quoting me approx $3000.00 to fix the leak. They told me they have to take out the engine and replace seals and takes about 1 week to finish.
Then I took to other mechanic (smaller). He first changed the valve gasket, then distributor seal. Now we are looking at rare main seal, cuz the car still leaking.
Since he told me it will be lot easier if he takes the transmission out in order to replace the engine seal, and he charges much much less.
He didn't mention to change the seal between transmission and engine though....

[gator2764]

Get a second opinion. My 95 Camry was dripping a little oil and the dealer tried to tell me it was the head gasket. I took it to another place and they found it was the Dist. O-ring and valve cover gasket. A whole hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!