Looks to be valve cover or timing cover leak. Clean up the area and monitor.

 

Agree with cleaning it up. Get some brake parts cleaner or something like that, and spray it down real good.

 

Most likely the camshaft oil seal since it's leaking up higher than the crankshaft. It could also just be the valve cover gasket in that area.

How much oil are you losing? If it's not too bad you could put off fixing it until the next timing belt change, then change the cam and crank seals along with the new timing belt. How old is the current timing belt?

 

Yes looks like cam seals or valve cover gasket from the photos.

 

Hi all! First time poster here. I own a 96 Corolla with 138,600 miles automatic.
It seems that there’s oil leaking from the lower timing belt cover - but I’m unsure if it is. If so, it seems like a pretty imminent fix. I attached some photos I took. It also seems like that valve cover gasket is wet, unsure if that’s correlated.
The first image is taken from the front of the engine, in front of the exhaust manifold. The second image is taken on the side of the alternator/main drive belt. the third is taken above the alternator, and shows more of the timing belt cover.
i really hope you guys can help me solve this!!
View attachment 324113
View attachment 324114 View attachment 324115

How's it look down under by the oil pan and towards the trans?

I have at least a vc leak and gathering parts to clean up before outside temps stay above 60 or 70 overnight

 

If oil is reaching the timing belt, wouldn't that ruin pretty fast?

 

In theory yes. However I've yet to heard of a timing belt for 7A-FE/4A-FE being ruined by oil leaks - despite seeing several posts about bad seals and oil leaks - so in practice it doesn't seem to be a big issue. Oil seepage from the types of leaks these engines get doesn't seem to make it to the actual belt.

 

my 1996 toyota corrola oil leak is all over the belts and leaking onto the ground. Camshaft/crank seal the problem?

 

Hard to say, could be either, or could also be a leaking valve cover gasket. The timing belt covers will obstruct much of it, but you should be able to remove the screws and carefully pry the side of the cover open a bit to peek in. It also typically helps to clean up all the visible leaks and then start observing from a clean surface where the oil starts to resurface from.

 

Some photos of the area in these threads:

DIY Timing belt and water pump replacement Corolla 93-97

It was time to do my timing belt along with the water pump. So I thought I write a DIY for this. I took the pictures during the reassembly process since everything was cleaned at that time and thus looked clearer. So don't be surprised if you find the exact same picture during removal and...

www.toyotanation.com

DIY add-on: Timing belt/water pump, oil seals, drive belts

Hi - This is a write-up to augment the already excellent DIY thread on timing belt and water pump replacement to be found here: DIY Timing belt and water pump replacement Corolla 93-97 The purpose of this "add-on" is to supply some more information for those of us (myself included) that are...

www.toyotanation.com