Need some advice...

[Kraeken]

So my mechanic is a Lexus mechanic who used to work on Toyotas. He works at a Lexus dealership and he services my truck there.

I was getting some stuff done yesterday and he pointed out that my front engine cover near the timing chain at the bottom is starting to leak oil. He said its very very minor, and looks like it just started. He also said that it won't get very bad, and its a known issue with these engines. Some of them start to leak at 2,000 miles.

If I do want to get it fixed, its like a 20+ hour job. I have literally 600 miles left on my 125k extended warranty, and this looks like its covered. I have an appointment at the dealership tomorrow.

So what do I do? If its covered, do I bring it in and have them take apart the front of my engine to fix what will be a very small leak on a truck that I will own probably for another 1-1.5 years at most? Or do I just let it go? My mechanic said at worst it would leak a very small amount of oil. I should have asked him to specify what a small amount is. He did say if its covered I should let them do it if I trust my dealership. I kind of trust my dealership.

Thoughts?

 

[salong53]

Fix it. It's under warranty.

 

[skratchd]

You paid for the warranty. Let them fix it. Plus, the next guy doesn't have to worry about it. A little bit of good karma goes a long way.

Sent from my SM-G360T using Tapatalk

 

[philsey]

Well, why did you buy the warranty in the first place?

You said 1 - 1.5 years. Consider what could happen in that time ... assume it gets worse ... then you have a serious trade-in issue, or an out-of-pocket repair.

Or, clean it up and trade it in. If that's a 'no' then I vote to fix it. Bird-in-the-hand thing.

Another possibility is that if it's so minor, Toyota won't warranty it. You'll know better what to do after seeing the dealer.

 

[philsey]

..... and its a known issue with these engines. Some of them start to leak at 2,000 miles.

First I've heard of that.

 

[Lightenup_bro]

If it's covered get it fixed. It will keep you from doing this when or if you sell it and they spot the leak. :ybrick:

 

[cutty01]

Is this a trick question?

A small leak will only get worse over time. If you are going to sell it in 1.5 years and it's still covered by your warranty do the right thing for the next fella/gal who will buy it from you and save them 20+ hours of expense.

 

[BLACK-FL4RUNNER]

Kinda depends on the "leak".

Seapage is considered somewhat normal, and not generally a factory warrantiable condition. They don't consider it a true "leak" unless it's dripping on the ground. This interpretation varies by dealer and state of course. lol
With an extended warranty, they will almost certainly cover any leak so they can get paid for the repair.

You just gotta ask yourself a question.... How bad is the leak really, and do you trust your dealers ability to pull off a 20+ hour job without screwing something else up? Sometimes the reward isn't worth the risk. Just my 2 cents.
:hello:

 

[jwkilgore]

You may be one of the 1-2% of extended warranty purchasers who actually get their money back. Congrats!

Seriously, if it's covered get it fixed.

Also, I've never heard of this problem on this engine. Can other people elaborate a little?

 

[Kraeken]

Kinda depends on the "leak".

Seapage is considered somewhat normal, and not generally a factory warrantiable condition. They don't consider it a true "leak" unless it's dripping on the ground. This interpretation varies by dealer and state of course. lol
With an extended warranty, they will almost certainly cover any leak so they can get paid for the repair.

You just gotta ask yourself a question.... How bad is the leak really, and do you trust your dealers ability to pull off a 20+ hour job without screwing something else up? Sometimes the reward isn't worth the risk. Just my 2 cents.
:hello:

This is exactly my dilemma. Right now it is just a little moist stain at the bottom of the cover- about the size of a silver dollar. You can't see it unless the truck is on a lift and the skid plate is off. I asked him to give the truck a good onceover and let me know if he sees any potential issues as the truck is almost out of warranty. I think he has been a Toyota/Lexus mechanic for almost 20 years. He works on these engines all day. He says he does see this leak frequently, and when it shows up it usually show up around 95k. I have 124,400k. I do not really trust anyone at a dealership to take apart a large part of my engine and put it back together without screwing something else up.

I have already gotten my money's worth from the warranty- They've done a bit of front end work, including all four shocks (which they gave me and installed my Bilsteins for free) after incurring some damage from working disaster recovery after Sandy.

Do I live with a tiny leak? Or risk a shitload of problems just to get some free work?

 

[TVA21]

Get the work done. I'm sure they guarantee the work they do and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

[Saker]

If it looks like a leak, it's a leak.

Use the warranty you paid for and get it fixed!