randompacking

I just took my 2005 Scion tC in for a quick oil change, and the mechanic pointed out that i may have an engine gasket leak based on the residue on the outside of the engine.
He recommended that I replace the gasket.

I have included two photos:
a. close up of the engine at the engine cover
b. engine at the engine cover after i wiped away a small section of residue.

IIRC, my engine has always been this dirty. My car is old. Also, I check my engine oil level every 6 weeks. I have never had an issue of low engine oil liquid level.

My questions are these:
1. Do you all think i really have a leak, and if so, is this a major issue warranting an engine gasket replacement operation?
2. If you think there is a leak, can I just remove the plastic engine cover, and tighten the eight bolts that secures the metal engine cover to the main engine?

Thanks.

PS. I had previous posted a question about engine noise (https://www.scionlife.com/forums/sci...2/#post4284914). Now that it is in the summer time, the noise went away. IIRC, this pretty much happens annually. Thanks for everyone's help on this, too.

randompacking

any comments?

randompacking

FYI, online research seems to indicate that this issue is real and can potentially be bad. Some people recommend tightening the bolts on the cylinder head cover. So, i will clean up the engine exterior, tighten up the bolts slightly, and then see if the leak persists.

drizzoh

A valve cover gasket isn't a strenuous job, just a few bolts and the valve cover comes off, you then pop in the new vc seal with some black silicone in a few places and you're good to go. Usually with that type of leak you can see a clear trail of oil coming from the leaking area. That looks like a fine mist so I'm not convinced the vc seal needs replacing from those pics. Pull the plastic engine cover off and see if anything looks leaky up there - might just be extra residue from oil changes and topping off.

randompacking

Thanks. Will do. I am going to wait til weather gets cooler before i do car work. Thanks.

bbsciontc

Valve cover gasket can be found online for ~$20. It's an easy job. That kind of leaking is pretty common, especially considering your car is 13+ years old. Not a major issue, but leaving it alone can get messy. When you reinstall the new gasket, put 2 dabs of RTV where the head and timing cover meet. Also, make sure to torque everything to spec so you don't overtighten. I would retighten everything after a few hundred miles, as the bolts sometimes start to loosen as the gasket heat cycles.

randompacking

thanks for the advice!

xdejablu3x

It's a simple job my dude. Just don't go crazy with the RTV and only apply it where the gasket makes their bends. Plus it's a cheap way to figure and good maintenance upkeep to see where oil is leaking and preventing. It's like swapping out new tires. These have to get replaced over time.

randompacking

thanks for the reassurance. i was a little apprehensive with doing that myself.