Timing cover oil leak

Same as OP, I was told the cost was due to it being a two day job because of the amount of disassembly to gain access to the area.

 

You apparently did not read my post in this thread.

It could be just the crankshaft seal, which is a relatively inexpensive repair. Crankshaft seals are the main wear area in the timing cover. I'd take it to an independent garage for another opinion, if you are not well educated on car repairs.

 

If it's warranty, no charge, there's no downside to getting it done through the dealership.

Out of warranty, my first choice would be to see the leak. If it's really minor, just leave it be, keep an eye on it. If you do decide gasket replacement is warranted, I'd definitely consider DIY. It's really not that challenging. I'm NOT the kind of guy to pull motors or take on anything really serious, but with Hondas I've been checking valve clearance for decades. It used to be extremely easy. Now the big hassle is dealing with aerodynamics, and how the engine is getting increasingly buried under the front of windshield. But it's very doable. No special tools needed.

Start by watching Nutzaboutbolt's spark plug access video, very thorough walk through all the steps needed to get clear access to the cylinder head cover. It will have you shaking your head: it is ridiculously involved, but there's no way around it. And none of it's really tough. I struggled the most with the fiddly plastic trim pieces, getting them off, and getting them to seat properly at re-install. But no big deal.

I've pulled the plugs on our Priusfor a look, so have dug down there, took me maybe 2 hours, because I take my time, no point in rushing. I haven't removed the timer cover, but I can't see it being that difficult. I dug up the relevant pages from Repair Manual in the file attachment: it has the cover bolt torque value (7 lb/ft). They also recommend to put a little sealing substance at some junctions. I've used Permatex Ultra Grey for that, works ok.

 

OP's engine apparently needs to have the timing cover removed and the RTV sealant refreshed. The timing cover covers the timing chain which connects the crankshaft to the camshafts.

If the crankshaft seal was leaking, then in principle it should be possible to replace the seal after the crankshaft pulley is removed.

This is not the same thing as removing the valve cover. However the valve cover does have to be removed as part of the process.

Removing the cowl is not a big deal, that would add maybe 10 minutes to remove the wipers, wiper motor, and cowl, and another 10 to replace those parts.

A price of $1,600 - $1,700 does seem high for this work, but the price is not necessarily tied to labor hours effort.

 

Ok, guess I'm misunderstanding which gasket and component it is.

 

My understanding is that the timing cover re-seal requires engine removal on the Prius, which is why the labor time is quite high. This isn't the first time that I've heard about the issue, either.

 

I would still suspect the "front seal" on the crankshaft, unless there is oil oozing from the cover gasket area.

 

Tha being so. I will be sure to do a thorough inspection with the engine cover off before the 60th month of ownership.

 

It's pretty easy to get a good view of the timing chain area when you look from the RF fender well area.


iPhone ?

 

I'll try that the next time that I'm under the hood to check engine oil level.

 

This is the problem area then, I think. It's described as "Timing Chain cover" in the Repair Manual. The job seems similar to a timing belt replacement on a transverse mount engine. Not something for the casual DIY'r, working in very tight quarters on a transverse-mount engine, requiring removal of an engine mount.

 

Hopefully they're careful.

I remember one time with an Accord it was in for a timing belt replacement. I wanted to get something left in the glovebox. They had the car around back, timing chain already removed. There was a little card on the steering wheel, saying something like:

DO NOT START THIS CAR. Anyone one doing this will be FIRED immediately!

Loved it.

 

If it was the crankshaft pulley seal, I'd eplace it, is a simple job.

If the cover is weepinga quarter a quart in 5k miles, an it is NOT under warranty, I'd just live with it.

 

You'll need to look from underneath. Remove the right-front tire for optimal access.


iPhone ?

 

^^This - in my case it was described as "a small seepage of oil from the timing cover gasket". I was told it is not critical to fix immediately unless the amount increases substantially. I plan on having them monitor for the next couple oil changes and then make a decision.

 

I had a 5 liter 1977 Camaro that the Chevrolet dealer did three front oil pan seals on. It still leaked when I traded in the car 10 years later.

 

Got around to reading it a bit: with each success step I became more convinced: I would never touch this, lol. That's a crazy amount of labour and expense though, poor design that has to be that complex. And if it's weeping a bit of oil, out of warranty, let it be.