“engine oil leak from engine front timing cover gasket” $2500!!

It is a big job but I would think you could find an independent for half the price. But most of the timing chain cover leaks are not that big. I would wait for the head gasket job which includes this gasket and sealing. Often for less money.

If you would have shared your location you might get more help.

Timing Chain Gasket Job

 

There's a big difference between a seep and a leak. If the car is dripping oil on the road or parking space, I would consider that a leak and evaluate the repair. If it's a seep, were there just some oil stains or just a film of oil in the area, I would let it ride. EVERY engine made consumes some amount of oil. It's nature of the beast for an internal combustion engine. How often do you have oil changed? Do you check the dipstick frequently between oil changes and add if needed?

I've had several Gen 2s in the family, most consumed around a quart of oil between oil changes (every 5k miles) My current 2007 is about 1/2 quart or less between oil changes.

Does your faucet drip one drop a day or is it a drop a second?

It all depends on what the dealer is trying to convince you about the size of the 'leak'.

 

I would have no part of that nonsense. Until I was putting oil in the vehicle say once a week and with some of y'all's driving that would be a minute. There is no way I would pay that I'll change the engine and the transmission to lower mileage stuff for less than that or right at that why in the world. Would I pay $2,500 to have a mechanic that doesn't really care about what he's doing anyway replace a bunch of parts on something that has 215,000 or close to it. The ldidnt seem sound for me n my car. I've seen and had this engine apart not the one I just put in but the 2Z FXE. And to get the timing cover off you've got to raise the head breaking the head gasket seal which needs to be The factory Toyota gasket is not going to light to go back down and seal back up. Sure now you're doing the head cleaning up grinding valves carefully checking pistons and bores on an open deck engine. To me these weren't good options and so we didn't do them. I would drive your car until I started noticing oil a lot on the cardboard or the plastic pan I have slid in the driveway or my carport whatever. And once I start seeing oil of any magnitude then it's time to start thinking about what we're going to do and if that gets you another two or three years or something most Americans will be done with this car and on their way. We keep our cars to the nearest 600,000 mi range we've done many all Toyota's Corollas Hilux trucks and prii. Good luck

 

Timing cover reseal quotes mention here vary; first I recall was $1700 USD. I would look for yourself, see how bad it is: the cover runs up the "front" of the engine, basically the passenger side end of the engine. You can look from above, with a good light, get some idea.

For a better view, if you take off the front passenger wheel, a few of the fasteners on the plastic panel at back of the wheel well (the most accessible ones), and flex the panel out of the way, you can see the bottom end of the cover, the pulley on the end of the driveshaft and so on.

If the area is hopelessly coated with grubby oil, then worth doing. But get some more quotes.

 

The oil is low probably because the engine is burning it. You should check it at least
every other fill up, which you can do as the pump is pumping the fuel.

This is true:
“the timing cover gasket is used to seal the mounting area of the timing cover to the cylinder block. The timing cover gasket prevents dirt and debris from getting in to the timing cover.”

But, the valve cover gasket is a likely cause. But also, the oil pressure switch is
a more likely cause. And it's a lot cheaper to replace. And you can do it yourself.

Get some "Gunk" engine cleaner. The can that says "flamable", the other one is useless.
Spray the areas around the valve cover, timing cover, and behind the engine where the oil
pressure switch is. It's at the top of the engine, at cylinder #1. And all the area below.

Wait 5 minutes and then hose it off really well. Then drive the car a few miles making sure the
engine comes on so it can dry it off. Then look for leaks. You probably won't see any. But if you check
the area after you've driven a day or two, you "might" see where it's leaking.

You could also ask them to show you where it's leaking. It's very rare the timing cover leaks as the say.
You'll get "seepage", but not nearly enough to leak a quart or two of oil. You would see a huge mess of
oil if it was. The oil pressure switch really causes a mess.

 

ignore it bobby, and learn how to check your oil.

 

I like castrol's super clean very much and anything that's much dirtier than that goes to the machine shop to go in the safety clean or similar tanking type of cleaner I will be taking my EGR coolers down to the shop and put them in the safety clean when they come out the inside will be silver just like that outside guaranteed

 

its burning the oil, clean off the timing cover leak will not help with issue

 

Again, small oil leaks from the timing chain cover is common. Usually no big deal except it will make a mess in the area as it builds up. You may have had this for years.

These engines also develop serious oil burning as they age. From the piston rings primarily. Flawed design that Toyota repaired if it occurred under 60k. A production change was made in mid 2014. It does start abruptly as the rings stick and the cylinder wall is scored. This can cause big problems all the way to engine replacement and should be monitored weekly.

Other big dollar issues often happen to older gen3s including brake booster, hv battery and inverter. So consider your ev purchase timing carefully.

I am surprised you found the argument above helpful. Not knowing your location is not helpful.

 

Again, have a look? At the least: pop the hood, look down from above with a good light, at the passenger end of engine.

 

Funny all this was fine about 30 years ago 35 or maybe 40 now and then somebody got it in their ideas that we needed to create more people and boost the population by millions I don't know who that was but that was just pure foolish now we can't take a dump without polluting the planet because there's so many people everywhere pretty soon we're going to be standing around like the movie soylent green

 

@Grit, this qualifies for your signature.

"I don't know who that was" is really all the males in the world from 13 to 73. Maybe you could blame Englishman Alexander Fleming who discovered penicillin.

 

When you add millions of people to the mix who all want to do the same thing then everybody has to stop pretty much how it works out it seems

Now car washing people are paying thousands of dollars for a car wash water reclamation mat so they can wash cars in the ghetto on the side of the road holy Christ glad I don't live for their water problems I have a well

 

my wife and i got it in our ideas that we needed to create more people, sorry