Oil Leaks, Mechanic Says Timing Belt Related

[IlyaIlya]

Just curious if it is a urgent thing to fix? my dad took car for inspection and the bottom was covered with oil. The mechanic said that timing belt/water pump etc should be replaced.

my car is 97 es300 so I know it is non interference engine, so if tbelt snaps nothing will happen. But can the leak cause other big problems? I check my oil every month and it is at Full mark all the time.

ALso can that be related to the clicking /ticking sound I hear from that side of the engine bay?

thanks

ILya

[RussA]

Just curious if it is a urgent thing to fix? my dad took car for inspection and the bottom was covered with oil. The mechanic said that timing belt/water pump etc should be replaced.

my car is 97 es300 so I know it is non interference engine, so if tbelt snaps nothing will happen. But can the leak cause other big problems? I check my oil every month and it is at Full mark all the time.

ALso can that be related to the clicking /ticking sound I hear from that side of the engine bay?

thanks

ILya

Hi ILya,

I too have a '97 ES300 with the same oil leak. It seems to appear only when I don't drive it daily. It is the crank shaft seal that leaks only a small amount. One or two drops of oil can made a large oil spot on the garage floor. It can easily be changed when the timing belt is changed. The part is about $11.00 US. When you change the timing belt, change the water pump too. The timing belt changeout is an invovled job and it would have to be removed to get at the water pump. The leak is likely too small to worry about so put off the seal replacement until you change the timing belt and water pump.

RussA

[IlyaIlya]

yes thats exactly what I was thinking. And you are correct about it leaking more when car is not driven. I have it parked most of the time now since i am taking the subway every day. So now they see the leak when before it was all clean.

I will most likely ignore it for now. Since the 97 is non interference , i can just wait untill the belt snaps or if I have money to waste for the tbelt-water pump.

Thanks for reply

Ilya