About a week ago I had the dealer replace the T-belt, aux belts thermostat housing (it broke) idler, tensioner etc. After I got it home I thought I smelled burning oil. I have paid attention and slowly I noticed a developing leak over the past week. Figured something is loose and I would get around to taking it back, but was not concerned as it was just a drip or so each day on the ground. Tonight I got home and when I pulled in the garage I smelled oil more strongly and looked under the front of the motor and it is wet with oil (Mobil 1). I am color blind to red so if it where trans fluid it would look like oil to me, but I am fairly sure it oil. I checked the level and I have lost a half quart over about one week (most in the past 24 hours I think) on a car that never lost any oil between changes for 100k.

So is it coincidence (cam seal failed?) or is it possible they messed something up? I do not know what is on the front of the motor that would leak other than cam and crank seals. The service manager is calling in the morning, and I would love to have a better sense of the possibilities when I speak with him. He is a good guy, but I do not want to be fed a line of BS.

Thanks

 

If they only did the belt I doubt it was a cause from them.

 

do you have the turbo or n/a ?

 

Turbo. Is there a rubber sleeve on the oil pump that get removed?

 

There is an anerobic seal that from what I understand is like a valve cover gasket that is leaking between the two haves of the head. Hope I got that translated right. It is about $1200 to fix it. The Service manager said if it was his car he would switch to heavier conventional oil as it might stop the leak and he would just keep track of it. If and when it is bad enough to spend that kind of money he would recomend a few other overlap items.

What do you think?

 

The leak is at the upper cam cover, apparently it is a roll on gasket material. I wonder if cleaning the PCV system would help by reducing pessure. It is due in 3k anyway. The strange things is after the dealer looked at it I have been driving it and there is no sign of fresh oil. Wonder if he snugged it down and stopped the leak.

 

I doubt the cam cover is leaking. They very rarely leak.
Maybe a cam seal is leaking.
Or maybe the VVT pulley is leaking oil.

 

As you said they remove belt,the leakage may be due to its remove or it may be due to the removal of rubber on oil pipe.