Timing chain cover leakage

#1
Hey all. It's been awhile since I have posted but I just got back from the dealer where I got my oil changed for free thanks to a contest they had on FB. They told me that my timing chain cover was leaking and needed to be replace. I went back to see exactly where it was leaking as they still had it up in the air. You can see a smidgen of oil and dirt around the seal area but no drops. I had the tensioner replaced a few years ago cause that was leaking at the time. The dealer wants $1200 to fix. The car, a 2010 S, runs perfectly and I have about 92K miles on it. Should I go ahead and fix it or wait and see if it gets worse. Your thoughts? Thanks.
 
#2
If there aren't spots in your driveway I'd say no. Toyota dealer tried that same thing on me when I brought mine in for a 120k service, saying it looked like my valve cover gasket was leaking, needed a radiator flush, brake fluid change, atf fluid flush, etc... Considering I had already changed that stuff out and the area around the gasket was dry as a bone, I declined their offer to "fix" it.

Clean the area off around the seepage and monitor it. If your oil level isn't dropping between changes you are probably fine. Don't let the dealer break apart a perfectly running car trying to "fix" it.
 
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#3
If there aren't spots in your driveway I'd say no. Toyota dealer tried that same thing on me when I brought mine in for a 120k service, saying it looked like my valve cover gasket was leaking, needed a radiator flush, brake fluid change, atf fluid flush, etc... Considering I had already changed that stuff out and the area around the gasket was dry as a bone, I declined their offer to "fix" it.

Clean the area off around the seepage and monitor it. If your oil level isn't dropping between changes you are probably fine. Don't let the dealer break apart a perfectly running car trying to "fix" it.
Thanks, that is what I'll do. No spots on the driveway. I'll clean it and watch.
 
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