I have replaced the oil pan gasket and the oil pan. The shop that did the work had to re-do the oil pan gasket because it was not done correctly and continued to leak. The technician told me that he "really made sure" that the gasket was in tight and even glued it in there. I was told that everything was fixed and that I should NOT have anymore oil leaks. I am still leaking oil, so I took the car back in. This time, they say that the rear main seal is leaking and they mysteriously don't have the tool needed to fix it. It seems strange to me that I was told I wouldn't have anymore leaks, yet a week after they work on it, the seal starts leaking. Is this just an issue of the car being higher mileage or is it possible that they caused damage to the rear main seal when they worked on the oil pan and oil pan gasket?
2007-03-07 08:08:31 · 11 answers · asked by every1lovesamixedgirl 4 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
They shouldn't have told you that you wouldnt have any more leaks after the repair, it usually doesn't work that way if you have a couple of leaks to begin with.
It's like a hose, poke a few holes in a hose, some very small, some large. Now turn on the hose and water will come pouring out the large holes, you wont see much from the small holes. Now plug up the large holes and turn the water back on...those little holes that didn't leak much before are squirting water all over the place because there is so much pressure in the hose now that the big holes are gone.
Some things do take special tools, I don' t know about this but it could be true.
I would say it is an issue because of the high mileage, leaks happen and if they get to that point it is very hard to get rid of them all. If you want to keep fixing them, that's fine, but others may continue to pop up.
Also, if the gasket wasn't supposed to be glued down, it shouldn't have been. Using sealants and glue on gaskets can actually cause it to leak more, so that may be something to look into.
I don't know if they could have caused that damage. You could always take it to another shop, have them verify where the leak is coming from and get their opinion on the possibility of the other shop causing it if you have all these doubts.
Again though, I sure it is just like the hose scenario as I see it alot. You can honestly tell the shop how you feel and see what their reaction is, I'm sure that they are frustrated about the leaks as well. If they had known about the other small leak before, they would have told you upfront since you would have wanted that fixed as well. There is no point in them setting you up to come back later, they know you will be mad. Trust me on this, these are the reasons that we no longer fix oil leaks without lots and lots of customer signatures saying they understand all this information.
And I have to edit to disagree with the guy below, I don't think they are taking you for a ride. His mechanic would charge him for the second trip because it's NOT the same problem. Yes, it is still an oil leak, but it is a different location, different oil leak.
Eddies response is correct about they should have told you WHAT leak would be fixed and not leak again.
2007-03-07 08:17:23 · answer #1 · answered by starwings20 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I had a friend with this problem. The rear main seal is a hard seal to get at and requires a lot of labor, you have to remove the transmission or the engine to get at it. and as for the mechanic he was correct you should not have any more oil pan leaks. The dodge neon had a engine with very small seals that do tend to leak. My friends neon had a Major failure and lost the rear main seal completely.
You can try switching to a thicker oil but this is just a temporary fix until you can fix the seal. Try a 10W40 and if the leak gets very bad you can go to a 15W40 (can find a most truck stops under the name rotilla) but don't use this oil in the winter it is very thick and will put extra stress on the oil pump and oil system.
Good luck
2007-03-07 08:22:00 · answer #2 · answered by JaberJaw18 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When they told you it wouldn't leak anymore, obviously they should have specified to you that it wouldn't leak from the oil pan area anymore. The trouble with oil leaks is that the oil is everywhere so it will take time in determining where the main leak is comming from.
As for the oil pan leaks, unless you damaged it they normally don't leak. The rear main seal tends to leak first.
They should have checked that also when doing your oil pan work.
As far as it being damaged when they did the oil pan, it is unlikely.
Should you have some kind of discount? Sorry, the oil pan probably was leaking and they did that job and solved THAT problem.
For the not having the right tool. They make different motors for different models, so the tools that they do have may not fit in the work area of that model automobile.
That is why you want to find a mechanic that you can trust.(Easier said then done)
2007-03-07 08:21:52 · answer #3 · answered by Tyson boy's dad 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The most common oil leaks found on Neons are the head gasket. They leak on the drivers rear corner of the head. My guess is that it got misdiagnosised. Suggest you see a different shop, not saying the oil pan might not have been leaking also, but I would take to another shop.
2007-03-07 13:28:38 · answer #4 · answered by mrautomechanic 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take it somewhere else and have them check the valvue cover for a leak or the oil sending unit these are problems with all dodge vehicles If I were you I would get a laywer and go after this place because it sounds to me that the leak is coming from the top (the valvue covers)leaking down the engine so they figured that the leak was the oil pan.Unexperienced people make this mistake all the time
2007-03-07 08:20:51 · answer #5 · answered by slp9209 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The rear main seal leaking is very common on older engines. It was probably just more obvious once the pan gasket was fixed. You have to pull the transmission to fix it, so if it's minor, it's usually not worth doing.
2007-03-07 08:38:41 · answer #6 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your lucky this car still runs. I have yet to see a Neon that is completly leak free. One problem that might be causing oil leaks is your P.C.V System. simply put it is designed to vent your crankcase (engine) of pressure if not working correctly your crankcase develops too much pressure and blows by gaskets and seals. Keep in mind also that fixing one leak will generally make another weaker gasket or seal start to leak.
2007-03-07 08:59:24 · answer #7 · answered by D J 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
its the oil pressure sending unit.my 97 does the same thing they are plastic and when it gets to much at once it cracks ,its located on the driverside of the motor,on the side of the head. i spent 40 bucks on a valvecover gasket to find this out.i think its 30 for a replacement and its hard to to see it.
2007-03-07 13:14:35 · answer #8 · answered by brian1219@verizon.net 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they didnt do the job right the first time.they cant harm the rear main seal,because they got a bearing cap on it.a seal isnt hard to change.iam just a shadetree mech.,and ive changed them.they are just leading you on,so you will keep bringing your car back.its all about money these days.
2007-03-07 08:18:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's leaking from high miles, but that more than likely was it to began with. You will need to have it changed but its not cheap.
2007-03-07 08:15:11 · answer #10 · answered by James B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋