leaking oil after replacements and more

**advan** · April 5th, 2013 12:19 PM

Hi. I really need some advice please. The mechanic is a very nice person, but I just want to know if I'm taken for a ride, since I am not an expert in cars. Sorry for the length!

Three months ago, there was a weird sound coming from the front and it turned out the engine support had cracks. The mechanic replaced it and advised that since they're disassembling for that might as well replace the old clutch disk and crankshaft oil seal. We went ahead with the replacements putting in original parts. These cost us around17k, labor and parts. I test drove it for a few minutes after their work and it seemed ok.

The following day, and the succeeding days after, whenever I went over a hump (regardless if sharp high hump or low gentle), or drove through a mini pothole or there's a change in road levels, I noticed that there was a faint "metallic" sound (like a faint high pitched "hee") that would come from the front of the driver's side. It is not loud, but you'll hear it clearly and consistently when there's no one making noise inside the car. At first, I thought it might just be the bolts/nuts/new parts adjusting themselves in place, so we left it as is for a few weeks, but the problem never left.

Together with this problem, we noticed that every morning, there's a drop of oil (size of a 10-peso coin) on the floor. Not a puddle, just a drop, but noticeable enough since it has NEVER happened to this car before, and the amount is noticeable if the car is left parked for a few days straight. Again, I thought to give it some time, just in case the oil seal is just "warming up" or being conditioned to its spot, being a new seal. A few weeks later, the problem never left also.

Third problem, the speedometer isn't working properly. It would go up to the 10km mark then the pointer would wiggle up and down to be dependable. If you speed up, the pointer would increase, but still wiggle up and down +/-10km. It will go down, when you brake. But what's up with the wiggling?

A month after the replacements, I brought the car back for adjustments to solve these 3 problems. The mechanic said the speedometer is not his fault and most likely gave out coincidentally during the replacements. For the 2 other problems, he fiddled with it a bit, tightening of bolts, etc, 10 mins tops. He told us to bring it back if the problem still persist.

A lot of weeks later, all 3 problems are still there. We brought it back a second time this morning and he didn't touch it, just looked. His advise was: most likely it's a crankshaft problem, which he said needs to be disassembled and sent to a machine shop for fixing. About the metallic sound, it is most likely bushings that need replacing.

My concerns are:

1. All 3 problems (oil leak, metallic sound, speedo wiggling) DID NOT exist before the replacements. Is it logical to believe what he's saying about the busted speedo, crankshaft and bushing being a NEW set of problems, or is it more believable to think there's something wrong in how the replacements were put in? I asked him this, but he said if there's a problem with how it was put back, since the parts are "size-exact", there's no way it will be put together.

2. Re crankshaft, in the first place, if the crankshaft really had problems, shouldn't it have been leaking already BEFORE the replacements? also, let's say it is a crankshaft problem, I am a little irritated that when they disassembled everything to replace the seal (which cost P1,700!), didn't they bother to check if the crankshaft itself had a problem, like what he's implying now. Wouldn't it have been visible to the mechanic? He said that if we're fixing the crankshaft, we have to replace the new oil seal with another new one. Grr.

Please advise on what you think of these problems. He quoted that fixing the crankshaft would be around10k! He really seems like a nice person, and seems like an expert since a lot of people go his shop, so it's frustrating that he keeps saying these alternatives, and I am second-guessing myself when I bring up my concerns and doubting his explanations.

Any help would be appreciated.

Car: 2000 M/Tl Corolla

**oj88** · April 5th, 2013 12:37 PM

Sounds eerily like what one would experience at Rapide.

There's no such thing as "warming up" the seals. They either leak or not. If ever there was such a thing, brand new vehicles will be dripping oil all over the showroom floor.

If I have to ask him one question, it would be this... If the main seal wasn't leaking, why did he have to replace it?

**advan** · April 5th, 2013 01:03 PM

Thanks for the reply. No, not Rapide. There was technically nothing wrong with the crankshaft seal; it was still performing but it was old, as in original-when-the-car-was-bought old. He didn't insist on it. He just advised that since they're disassembling to replace the engine support and clutch disk, might as well replace the seal, rather than wait til it breaks than disassemble everything again just for the seal. In fairness, they showed me the old seal and it was not pliant anymore. Is it possible they put in a wrong/ill-fitting seal even if it's original? Is a leak traceable to know it's a seal problem or is it too inside the many parts to know definitely?

**JohnM** · April 5th, 2013 01:06 PM

It's possible they put the oil seal in the wrong way.

The speedo cable is connected to the tranny and most probably they disconnected it to drop the tranny and replace the clutch. The speedo cable might have been reconnected incorrectly.

**advan** · April 5th, 2013 01:13 PM

JohnM, re speedo, I forgot to mention, when I was test driving after the replacements, the speedo was dead. They checked immediately and, yes, it was connected loosely daw, and "fixed" it to its state now. Is there any way to get the re-connection wrong twice? I don't know what it looks like or how complicated it is.

Any thoughts on the oil leak?

Thanks.

**JohnM** · April 5th, 2013 01:38 PM

There's a gear (usually plastic) at the tranny end of the speedo cable that connects to another gear in the diff (most likely). One of my trusted talyer's assistants accidentally dropped the plastic gear inside the tranny and they had to take it apart to get it out again at their own expense. The assistant is still the butt of jokes during inuman sessions hehe.

Did they clean out the seat of the oil seal before putting the new one in? The old one might have left a bit of residue causing the new one to not seat properly.

**weisshorn** · April 5th, 2013 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by advan

JohnM, re speedo, I forgot to mention, when I was test driving after the replacements, the speedo was dead. They checked immediately and, yes, it was connected loosely daw, and "fixed" it to its state now. Is there any way to get the re-connection wrong twice? I don't know what it looks like or how complicated it is.

Any thoughts on the oil leak?

Thanks.

Maybe you need to refix the speedometer cable mounting, it seems the cable is not correctly mounted. Renewal of the speedo cable might be the best option if the problem comes back.
For the oil leak, best to do is wash & dry the engine especially the crankshaft rear seal area. use the the car for several days then reinspect the seal area, if it is not dry anymore then the problem is in the oil seal. Normally with prolong use, the old shaft seal developed a shallow groove around the crankshaft. If the mechanic installed the new seal on the exact position where the old seal was before then the lips of the new seall is not sealing tight because it rides in the groove thus leaking the oil. HTH

**advan** · April 5th, 2013 04:22 PM

*weisshorn, thanks for the reply. can you tell i'm refreshing this thread like crazy because this problem is stressing me out that I really need to get as much asvice as I can get. The speedometer problem was never solved. It still wiggles +/- 10km back and forth when the needle passes 20km or so. I will try to bring the car to a diff mechanic and have him re-attach or replace the cable. Is replacing it a simple job, nothing to disassemble? Would you have any idea how much the cable is?

Re oil leak, yes, that what the mechanic did the first time we went back. He cleaned it and told us to use it a few days, it leaked in the same place. The question would be, is the problem with their workmanship, the "original" seal itself, or the crankshaft groove that you (and the mechanic) mentioned. My only contention with the last one is that, if there was a groove before the replacement, isn't it supposed to leak way before the seal replacement, why leak now the day after the new seal was placed. Since the day the car was bought, it never ever leaked, only until the day after the replacement. And now he wants to disassemble the crankshaft >

**advan** · April 5th, 2013 04:26 PM

*JohnM, they actually did it twice. Before starting, I told them to use an original seal to replace. The mechanic's assistant put in a generic one and had a hard time putting it in, complete with mild hammering. Then they put the transmission back together. Whenn I found out and complained to the mechanic boss, they disassembled again, and the original seal was an exact fit without forcing it. I really don't know whatelse to do at this point. The last step putting it back was they placed silicon at the edges... could this be the source of the problem? Maybe they didn't put enough?