Oil Leaking...which Seal Is This?

[ihateduke]

My 99 RX 300 has 85k miles and it recently started to leak oil. I changed the oil this weekend, thinking that the oil filter was loose. This was not the case. I took a picture of the leak and it's posted here:

http://www.unc.edu/~scorcher/oil_leak.jpg

I'm worried that this is the rear main seal, but I have no idea. Can anyone help me identify this?

Thanks!

[eric618]

That, my friend, is a rear main seal. Sorry. I know because mine looks EXACTLY the same!

[2bears]

I hope you have extended warranty. My 2000 RX300 did the same thing with 53000 miles I took it to the Lexus dealer and it was covered under warranty. The service tech told me it would be 1100.00 to replace the seal if I had to pay for it myself. Good Luck!!

Fred

[ihateduke]

Thank you both for the fast reply. I have an 8:30 appt. on Monday with Lexus. My warranty has expired, so unless I can talk them into an early Christmas present, I'll be giving them $1100 or more.

I assume this isn't something that I should take to a local person? I really don't know any good mechanics in this area. For something this serious, I would like to get it done properly.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[ihateduke]

I forgot to mention that I live in Durham, NC, in case you know of any specific people.

[RX in NC]

Here are several high-quality independent shops to call in the Triangle area if Johnson Lexus will not replace your rear main seal at no charge for you:

- Quality Plus Automotive in Raleigh, phone 231-6164. Ask for Randy.

- MPG in Raleigh, phone 878-0007. Ask for Steve or Mike.

- Happy Jap's in Cary, phone 467-2884. Ask for Rex.

Just tell them that you have a leaking rear main oil seal. I think you'll find that all of them will be considerably less than Johnson Lexus. This repair is not rocket science, but your transmission does have to be dropped. That's why it's so expensive from a labor perspective to get to and replace a $20 part.

The current redesigned seals are far better than the original seal now in your vehicle. Once done, it is unlikely that you'll suffer this problem again. I had my wife's RX done at about 71,000 miles. Johnson Lexus did it for me at no charge when I approached them with the understanding that this is a very common premature failure in the RX series.

[ihateduke]

So far, the best quote is $650 from Quality Plus. Thank you for the reference. I'm still working with Lexus to see if they will cover this. The bad part is that the warranty ended 15k ago.

Any chance that this premature faliure is a result of the engine sludge/gel problem? I'm not sure if I have this or not, but I just wonder if the two issues are related. If so, I believe they extended the coverage for our vehicles because of this issue. Does anyone know?

[sgriffith]

I had the exact same problem. I do have an extended warranty, so the repair was covered. I did get the same quote as you, though, around $1100 from a dealership. The worst part for me is that it took about 4 days to get my car back (including the weekend). I second what RX in NC said....approach the dealership with the fact that this is a common problem with the RX series....that is your best avenue. Good luck and keep us informed. If you do decide to have it done somewhere else...I recommend purchasing the seal from a lexus/toyota dealership and taking it to the independent shop to have it replaced...then you know you are getting the OEM seal put back in your vehicle.

[RX in NC]

To answer your question, the lousy rear main seal issue and the engine gelling issue are two completely separate failures with neither having anything to do with the other. In the case of the rear main seal, inferior materials and design were used in the original component. Better components and a stronger design are now in place for the replacement seal. Compare your original seal to the new one that will take its place during your repair and you'll both see and feel the difference.

And by the way, I hate UNC (the University with No Chance) much more than you hate Duke. Sounds like someone's a bit jealous of Coach K....

[ColinBarber]

anybody know when the replacement seal started to be fitted as standard?

[klambrecht]

My 99 RX300 has 71k miles and I just noticed the same @!#$*^%# thing under my engine! Unfornately, I bought mine used almost 2 years ago so any hope I have of going to Lexus is nil. Was a TSB ever issued on this problem? Looks like I'll have to start shopping Toyota mechanics - any suggestions for the Manassas, VA area or Northern Virginia in general?

Thanx,

Kurt

[RX in NC]

Colin Barber,

A Lexus mechanic who has proven to be quite accurate with the information he has shared told me earlier this autumn that any RX built before 2003 probably has the original inferior rear oil seal. Unfortunately it appears that the only way you'll know is if you develop a leak.

[ihateduke]

Followup on this issue. The dealership has had my car now for over a day and they just called to let me know it was a Rear Main Seal leak. At first they were not going to help at all, but I explained that this was a known problem. He told me that he would have to look at my records and when we talked again, he offered me a 50% discount. I agreed to this, but now he said the estimate would be over $1250 to fix it. I explained that the first estimate was $1100 and he said that he didn't know where that came from and that this was a 12.5 hour job. Every place that I called said it took 5.5 hours. Are they still trying to rip me off?

Does anyone know a good contact at the Johnson Lexus dealership that I should call to discuss this?

[ihateduke]

I contacted the dealership in Charlotte and got a quote of $950. I'm waiting on a manager to call me back from Raleigh now.

[bowtie3]

Take it to a Toyota dealer or an Independent import shop for an estimate. The RX is basically a Toyota Highlander. I called a Toyota dealer for an estimate after I had the rear main seal replaced under the Certified Warranty [ 2000 RX 300 ] and found that the SAME repair using the SAME parts was about HALF the cost of the quote from the Lexus service director. [ Customer-pay was about $1000.00 ] Just ask around for a recommendation on an Independent repair shop!

[RX in NC]

The General Manager of Johnson Lexus is Mark Striebel (I believe that's the correct spelling of his last name, but I may be a letter or two off). I suggest that you speak with him. You may also want to speak with Candice Rassette, the Service Manager. Both Mark and Candice were 100% willing to cover full costs of the two different problems my wife's RX experienced over the past four months (a bank one sensor failure in August and a rear mail seal failure in October).

You must be professional, fully informed, and firm. But remember, your vehicle's past service history (or lack thereof) may affect the final outcome. Previous routine maintenance doesn't need to have been performed by Lexus, but it does have to be identifiable and evident.

[metaxas]

Does anyone have the part number of this Rear Main Seal?

Or a schematic where is located or even a picture of it?

I will appreciate it............

[Ericok]

Does anyone have the part number of this Rear Main Seal?

Or a schematic where is located or even a picture of it?

I will appreciate it............

It's located on the engine between the engine and transmission. It's fitted at the engine around the shaft that connects the transmission to the engine. Once the transmission is off, it a simple matter of pulling it off the engine and putting the new seal in.

Part number: 90080-31053 $23.09 (Seal, Type T Oil)

Labor at Lindsay Lexus of Alexandria= $1223.76

[metaxas]

Does anyone have the part number of this Rear Main Seal?

Or a schematic where is located or even a picture of it?

I will appreciate it............

It's located on the engine between the engine and transmission. It's fitted at the engine around the shaft that connects the transmission to the engine. Once the transmission is off, it a simple matter of pulling it off the engine and putting the new seal in.

Part number: 90080-31053 $23.09 (Seal, Type T Oil)

Labor at Lindsay Lexus of Alexandria= $1223.76

thanks for your prompt reply

That is the ONE!!!!!