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6G Celicas Forums > 6th Generation Celica > Engine/Transmission/Maintenance
celicaluva79
My celi has been leaking oil like crazy. Probaly half my oil is gone in about a week. Just wanted to get some ideas on how much im looking at in repairs. Like just an estimate, how much would it probaly run me to get my seals and stuff replaced?
trdproven
depends, have you pinpointed the source of the leak?
celicaluva79
QUOTE (trdproven @ Apr 10, 2012 - 2:50 AM) *
depends, have you pinpointed the source of the leak?


No i havent...not really mechanically inclined so to speak. All i know is its losing alot of oil, and if i look at the engine area, its all over the bottom.
Tigawoods
welcome to the club.

ive been leaking heavily since late '09

I know mine is one of 2 places, Rear main seal or crankshaft seal.

Add those two plus oil pan gasket, valvcover gasket, camshaft seals to your list of possible areas.

Start with replacing the easier to get to ones, and see what happens.
Special_Edy
The first step before any engine repair is to wash the vehicle and clean the engine compartment/undercarriage. Do yourself a favor and spend $5 at the self service carwash cleaning all the crap off your engine before you put your clean hands and tools all over it. It will help prevent crap from falling inside the engine during disassembly/reassembly, but more importantly for you it will allow you to see exactly where the leaks are coming from.
Always always always spray the engine clean to find the oil leak, it will be the greatest investment of centerconsole quarters you ever made. I would remove the two plastic covers under the engine compartment, they have 10mm bolts that hold them to the bumper, fender and crossmember. Take a peak underneath and have a plan of what you are going to clean.
Leave the engine running anytime you wash it, otherwise you may have trouble getting it started again. It is okay to use the high pressure water just be careful, DO NOT directly spray the distributor, electrical devices, electrical connections, gaskets (such as the oilpan or valvecover gasket), and vacuum lines(including the TB) with high pressure water. Feel free to use any low pressure spray or soap but avoid getting liquids into your spark plug tubes(they dont work well wet tongue.gif).
Thats pretty much it, get it squeeky clean so you can find the exact location of the leak and so that you are ready to rebuild a clean engine not a grimey one.
Tigawoods
after its clean, immediately try a dye test. which is an oil safe dye inserted in the oil, then you wait a while (dont drive the car around but you can start the engine to mix the sye in with the oil)
and use the black light provided in the kit, and see where the dye is escaping from
lagos
QUOTE (celicaluva79 @ Apr 10, 2012 - 2:59 AM) *
QUOTE (trdproven @ Apr 10, 2012 - 2:50 AM) *
depends, have you pinpointed the source of the leak?


No i havent...not really mechanically inclined so to speak. All i know is its losing alot of oil, and if i look at the engine area, its all over the bottom.



Sounds like you will have to take it to a mechanic to get an estimate. No one here can tell you the source of the problem or the cost because we can't see the car.
celicaluva79
Thanks for the help guys... long as i keep oil in it till i get it fixed it shouldnt explode or anything right? LOVE THIS PLACE!!
Special_Edy
Yes just dont let it get more than a quart low(the add line on the dipstick). Dont try any of the stopleak oil additives they are terrible for your engine.
You could also try a higher viscosity oil like 10w-40 or 20w-50 depending on where you live and what the lowest outside temperature is going to be. 10w-40 will be fine as long as you arent below freezing and 20w-50 if it isnt getting below maybe 60 degrees at night where you live. The thicker oil in theory would leak less, maybe a negligible amount but both are recommended in the service manual for warmer climates so go for it.

I would also recommend trying to locate the leak with the methods previously stated just to make sure you arent getting ripped off by the mechanic. There are only a few places I would expect to find an oil leak.
- the oil cooler(where the oil filter screws on)= oil will run down the front of the engine from here and the wind will coat a strip of the oilpan all the way around to the back of the engine with oil. Around the exhaust pipe.
- Valve Cover Gasket(top of the engine) oil will run either down the backside of the engine over everything or down the front of the engine and get onto the exhaust manifold which will smoke.
- Oil pump, camshaft/crankshaft seal( inside the timing belt cover) you will have oil leaking out of the timing belt cover by the passenger side tire. When you turn the engine off oil will continue to drip in large quantities for a short time period because oil gets trapped inside while the motor is running(most other leaks stop when you turn the engine off )
- oil pan gasket ( bottom cover of the engine). Oil will dribble out slowly and coat the bottom of the engine, wind may whip it up the backside of the engine slightly
- Rear Main Seal(inside the bellhousing where the transmission mates to the engine)- hardest gasket to change, oil will leak out of the bottom of the transmission bellhousing. Your clutch will start to slip and you will smell burnt clutch/oil

Let us know what the mechanic says and how much he is going to charge when you get around to getting it fixed
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