Bad Oil Leak, HELP !!

[GaviN]

Well some of you may remember, but I made a post a few days ago about my car burning excessive oil ? Well I kept checking for a leak continuously and saw nothing. Then yesterday, I decided to check my oil since putting 2.5 quarts of 20w50 in it this past saturday. I checked it 2 days ago and it was bone dry !! I added another quart to it and parked my car for 6 hours, came outside and there was a big puddle of oil on the ground I put another quart in it and it left puddles everywhere I parked, even if I was parked for 15 minutes. Its leaking at least a quart per day ?? Does anyone know where it would be leaking ?? I cant get to my car because its locked in a parking garage which is slowly collapsing and they wont let anyone near it until its OK ? I just want to know what the problem could be so I can take it straight to the shop if it doesnt get smashed where it is


Thanks in advance.

[oibone781]

maybe a busted oil pan...

[REAPER STRAIN]

I'll tell you what I did when my last engine was doing the same (well not a quart a day but...) My buddy and I rolled the front wheels on a ramp with more than enough space for one of us to look under there (emergency brakes on and brick behind rear wheel) with a light while the other was in the car stepping on the accelorator. The pressure in the engine from stepping on the gas revealed leaking from several spots on the oil pan seal. We spent an hour or two fixing that with a new cork seal. After the pan was back on we checked for leaks again by stepping on the gas. This time the leak was coming from the oil pump seal. I think they were both leaking but he reminded me that when you seal one leak on an engine you increase the pressure on other potential bad seals. Since changing an oil pump is expensive and tedious I opted to let the engine die on its own and just buy a new engine (that engine was giving me all kinds of grief anyway). It died the following week.

It could also be be the rear main seal. I never saw oil leak faster than from a rear main seal. To change this you have to take the transmission off. Hope this helps.

[whocares04]

not to sure on this but maybe your oil filter is not on correctly or something and it's just letting oil pour out...

that sux ur car might be crushed...i hope they would pay for damages or value of the car if it did collapse...def. sue if not!

[GaviN]

I hope my engine doesnt blow... Ughh I hate that its leaking. I got a call today and I was told I can pick my car up between 4pm-6pm for good, no other times ever, haha

I hope my engine doesnt die because I really need this car since my insurance is insane on my new car, my Camry is all I have... Im gonna get ti checked out later on this evening. Thanks for the replies, I'll keep you guys updated..

[GaviN]

Well I had the car checked out, and I was told that the front oil seal was leaking and my oil pan gasket was leaking.. The mechanic told me that the timing belt and what not would have to be moved in order to change it ?? Is this true because that is really expensive. He quoted me $300 just for labor and Im not sure whether or not that included parts, but I wasnt trying to hear it. He was acting like he was doing me a favor with that price ? He also said that all the oil was leaking down on the timing belt and not to drive the car long distance or anything like that. I dont know what to do, if I have to end up spending that much money on this car, I may have to let it go..

[88 LE]

Originally Posted by GaviN

The mechanic told me that the timing belt and what not would have to be moved in order to change it ?? Is this true because that is really expensive.

Correct.

The timing belt drives the oil pump. And the front main seal is on the oil pump.

[REAPER STRAIN]

Sorry to hear that. The oil pan leak you can fix yourself I am sure but that front main seal is no joke. If you can find a shade tree mechanic then you may be in luck. Mind you the shade tree mechanics I'm refering to are the dudes that work in the autoshops during the weekdays and do jobs on the side on the weekend for extra $$$. You can usually ask around the autoshops in your neighbor hood. Someone is usually down for a Saturday shift. Also ask around. If someone comes recommended then that takes most of the footwork out of the whole enterprise. If your enigne is in good shape and has relatively low miles then this would be the thing to do. But you did say that your engine ran out of oil once or twice. Depending on the oil and how hard you drove it you might have nocked off 50K off of the life of your car.

[GaviN]

Well, within the past month, I've been driving like a grandpa. Now that I think about it, the mechanic was charging me $300 for the entire job which includes, the timing belt, water pump, seals etc.. I explained to him that I was a struggling college student and that I just moved into my own place..

I may end up getting it fixed though.

[REAPER STRAIN]

For $300 you better. That's a steal for all that he is doing. And what better you will probably never have to worry about that stuff for as long as you own your car. Buy him a 12 pack when he is done.

[GaviN]

Yea Im gonna hook him up. He even said that he would put on a new left axle for me too free of charge, I just have to supply that part... Aye paying this is definately gonna break me but I gotta do what I gotta do

[Your Uncle Moe]

Good luck man. What parking lot are you parked at by the way? Where is it so I dont park there? And what mechanic are you going to and where? I might know of some good people who may charge less.

[GaviN]

Oh, this is a small garage down in the West Village in Manhattan. Its now condemned haha. The amount of money the renters were paying per month to park there was ridiculous anyway..

I dropped my car off to the mechanic this morning and he's gonna change the oil pan gasket, oil seals, timing belt, water pump, putting on new brake pads and putting on a front left axle for me all for $300. I just had to buy my axle and the gasket set which ran me $125 alone . At least I get $70 back when I bring back my old axle so that really $55 I spent. So altogether the entire job is gonna cost me roughly $350.. I have no other choice but to pay it because I need my car

The shop I took my car to is on Liberty Ave in Jamaica Queens. He does good work and he's cheap. So far he's replaced all my struts, motor mounts and front wheel bearings on my Camry within the past 1.5 yrs..

Also, he's mainly a Camry mechanic too. When I dropped my car off there this morning there were 4 other Camry's on his lot. My aunt had her oil pan gasket thing changed by him 2 months ago on her 2000 Camry.

[Pineapple]

For those that likw to ignore oil leak:

Think again.

[ArmyofOne]

what the hell is 20w50 doing in a camry? thats way too thick!