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A/C issues reveal oil leak

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by HaeMaker, Oct 7, 2014.

  1. HaeMaker

    HaeMaker Junior Member

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    Took 2007 Prius to check exhaust smell with A/C set to recirc. They couldn't find anything to cause that, but did find an oil leak. We saw no evidence of an oil leak in the garage or smoke in the exhaust.

    Recommend repairs:

    Timing cover reseal leak $1800 Valve adjustment $650.

    Seems fishy to me. Are these legitimate repairs for a small oil leak?

    Are these things that get worse/more expensive if we delay the repair?

    We are very good about timely oil changes, and have no oil-related issues before.

    Thanks in advance for your thoughts/opinions.
     
  2. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    From what I think your saying it's a small leak around the valve cover gasket and its leaking oil probably onto the exhaust manifold and creating smoke and its getting into the cabin.

    Man thats easy. Just find an indie and thats like a $150 repair. Buy a new valve cover gasket at the dealer for around $25.

    The Prius uses solid lifters and the only reason you would perform any repairs on this section is if the top end of the motor is severely worn and the engine would exhibit loud valve tapping noises. There is no adjustment just replacement of specific thickness spacers. Very labor intensive.
    Its like a high performance high horsepower motor in that respect. But high performance motors use that system because hydraulic lifters tend to float at high rpm. To be honest I have no idea why the Prius motor uses solids but it results in a noisey clackity little motor for sure.

    But very high valve section wear is usually caused by extreme mileage and or very poor engine oil maintenance. I would not spend a dime chasing that as it usually indicates end of life on motor. Or the dealer is really pulling your leg.

    Please list mileage on car and oil maintenance history like what kind of oil you use and where performed.
     
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. It is certainly possible that a small engine oil leak is dripping on the exhaust manifold, thus causing the smell in the passenger compartment that you have noticed.
    2. If you don't see any oil drops on the floor, then obviously the leak is minor.
    3. A valve adjustment will not help the oil leak. If your engine has logged more than 100K miles, it might benefit from the adjustment - but it usually is not necessary.
    4. You can always decide to deal with the oil leak at a later time, if it gets worse or if you decide you don't like the air quality in the passenger cabin. There is no reason for the repair cost to increase just because you decide to delay the repair.
    5. $1,800 is a lot to pay to remove the front engine cover and reseal it. I would not be in a rush to have that done unless you feel you are being asphyxiated by the smell.
    6. I suggest you ask to be shown the location of the oil leak. As Ed pointed out, a leaking valve cover gasket may be the issue and that is quite easy and inexpensive to replace.
     
  4. HaeMaker

    HaeMaker Junior Member

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    Thanks for the quick response.

    Is the A/C sealed when in recirculate? Could you smell the oil when it's on recirculate?

    To answer the question, it's at 115k mi, not sure what oil weight but we get it changed every 4k.
     
  5. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I've seen the timing cover leak before, it's on the passenger side when you look under the car. It's really not worth $1800 to fix it, that price can get you another engine
     
  6. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    There is a servo-actuated mechanism which allows outside air to enter the passenger cabin or not. The sealing around that mechanism is not perfect.

    After you've run the engine for a while and perceive the smell is present in the passenger cabin, stop the car, open the hood and see what the engine compartment smells like.