Hey Everyone,

I have just been told by my oil change place that my main engine seal has started to leak. I am wondering how much it would cost to replace it? Is there more than one seal on the engine with regards to oil? I have 117,000 kms on my vehicle.

Please help

 

Did you recently change from dino to synthetic oil? Here is something I found about that part.

"Symptoms of failure are usually a wet area on the rear of the oil pan, an oily wet spot on your driveway or a completely oil covered transmission; depending on the gravity of the leak. You can try to temporarily "fix" this problem by adding heavy 50 weight oil or thickeners, by adding chemicals that soften rubber and other schemes, but eventually you will have to remove and replace it.
If you are planning to replace this seal, prepare yourself for a very oily messy job. To have a dealer replace this part will cost upwards of $500; it is very time consuming and they charge by the hour. Don't despair however, you can do it yourself. In most cases you will not even have to remove the engine. This article will show you the steps you need to follow for a typical rear main seal replacement. Your total cost in parts and supplies should be about $50 or less"

 

Thanks for that. Great info. I have not changed the type of oil, I dont believe the seals have ever been replaced. I am thinking its an age thing. I am using 5w30 and thats what has always been used. I just switched to high mileage mobil 1

 

As seals age they will leak. Is it leaving a puddle or using excessive ammounts of oil??If not it just may be "weeping" or damp. If that is the case it may not be worth the cost to fix.
Trans or engine must be removed to access the seal.
Check carefuly, any leaks up top will drip down appearing to be the rear seal. I had valve cover gaskets leak that looked like a real seal.

 

Ah well its only a slow leak right now leaving drips at a time. i am keeping track of oil level incase but dont want it to get worse. I drive the car alot.

 

I just recently got this car last year. it had 102,000 kms when I got it. I am the second owner its been well maintained.

 

Mobil 1 is synthetic! And you just switched to it! That's what I asked you. The previous owner of my 97 Concorde used synthetic in the oil change prior to me buying the car, and it had begun to seep oil too. And he said he read that synthetic sometimes does that. It cleans sludge out that might have masked small leaks.

 

Well mobil 1 is not synthetic, it is a semi synthetic I did not switch to full synthetic. Sorry i might have misunderstood. Type of oil I thought was weight like 5w30 vs 10w30

 

Mobil 1 is full synthetic. From this link:

"Mobil 1™ High Mileage 5W-30 advanced full synthetic motor oil is designed to help maximize engine performance and extend the engine life of vehicles with more than 75,000 miles."

5W-30 Synthetic Oil | Mobil 1™ High Mileage 5W-30

 

Update:

It looks like MR. LUBE was incorrect in the diagnosis of my issues. I took my car into my mechanic and it turns out it was the power steering pump was leaking. This was the leak they saw. Thanks for the link regarding the oil. MR LUBE told me that the oil was a semi synthetic. I did not check. I wont be going back there at all. Anyways car is working fine now, after replacing the power steering pump. No oil leaks, they checked and all seals are perfect. I will stay with synthetic from now on.