Question about driving with an oil leak?

Question

I recently bought a 1992 Camry, runs amazing with 137,000 miles, except that it has a pretty bad oil leak- how crucial is it to fix, or can I just ignore the leak, keep adding oil, and save myself the quoted $1,000.00 to replace the gasket(s)?

Answer 1

get the leak fixed. running low on oil can cause major engine damage and that will cost alot more that fixing it now.

Answer 2

Get it fix, you'll be doing the enviroment a big favor.  $1K is a little too steep for replacing an oil leak, take it to another shop for second opinion.

Answer 3

It all really depends on how major the oil leak is.  In the long run it will be cheaper to fix it and stop spending all of your money on oil and save it for anything else.  $1,000.00?  That sounds way too high.  I would suggest looking around and getting different quotes.

Answer 4

As with any leak, it will just get worse.  Eventually the leak may become so severe that you can be driving down the road and have whatever seal or gasket fail completely, dump out all the oil from the engine with seconds and before you can realize it the engine will seize and now all of a sudden that 1,000 repair doesn't seem all that expensive considering now you'll have an engine that can double as a boat anchor.  

Better get it fixed before its too late.

Answer 5

you need to have it fixed because depending on where its leaking from it can get a lot worse, and if it does it could loose enough oil to cause the engine to blow up or lock up(same thing ) either way it can ruin a really good engine,that's a chance you don't really need to take on a good car,good luck.

Answer 6

Take the car to a shop for another quote/estimate.  Sounds toooooo high. They should be replaced.  Also, you can run an oil made for high mileage vehicles which might slow it down. This oil is made to recondiion seals and gaskets.  Worth a try.

Answer 7

$1000 to replace the gaskets on a Camry is a bit pricey, I agree. Now if its the rear main seal thats leaking I would happily pay that price to have it repaired. I'll assume you meant gaskets. There are many fine products out there that will slow down a oil leak. Some even claim to stop oil leaks. I have heard that the makers of "High mileage" oil for engines, put a little transmission fluid in the oil as an additive. I hear it causes gaskets to swell up a little, thus stopping oil leaks. I do not know if there is ANY truth to these claims.



Truth is there are as many tales of EZ fixes as there are people willing to replace gaskets for $1000. What I have found in my automotive career is that you can't buy a rebuilt engine in a bottle. Car wax companies aren't selling you a new paint job in a bottle, though they would like for you to believe that the are. I am not knocking all of the additives out there because some actually do what they claim. Take Sea Foam for instance. WONDERFUL product that comes with a long list of everything its continued use will do for your fuel system, printed right on the front of the label. For an older car such as your Camry, I highly recommend it. Lucas additives are another must for ANY engine but it's made for engines like yours. Lots of miles and crud inside.

It's not crucial to the detriment of your engine that you fix the leak(s) but in my opinion it would be a matter of pride. Do you really want to leave a spot everywhere you park? You will  always be checking your oil... almost daily. You will become an expert at opening a 92 Camry hood with one hand. To be honest, gaskets are not that difficult to replace. Some are more time consuming , don't get me wrong, like head gaskets, and the afore mentioned rear main seal. Frustrating too. However with a basic set of wrenches, sockets, s***w drivers and a Chilton or Haynes repair manual. You would be surprised what a highly motivated guy or gal can accomplish under the hood of his or her car in a week end. I mean it's not rocket science. If you have any buddies that are car guys or gear heads, you might ask them for some helpful supervision or something like that.

Think about this, if it keeps leaking it will only get worse and in a year to 18 months you will have spent a grand on oil alone, and basically poured it right onto the ground. There are environmental issues to consider as well. If your state has inspections you will not pass.  

Answer 8

At 1000 dollars is sounds like a rear or front main seal if that is the case it sounds reasonable Geshtal is correct fix the leak before it fails completely and leaves with an unreasonably large paper weight...high mileage oil is not a fixall like people think and will not make a difference in your vehicles oil leak...Good Luck

Answer 9

An oil leak repair would be cheaper than a car or drive train replacement. If it is just your valve covers leaking, then I would tackle it myself. Now the front and rear main seals, I would hire it out.

Transmissions and power steering pumps also may leak. Try to find out what kind of leak you have and save up to have it repaired. Just adding oil does not remedy the problem. You can forget or put it off too long. This will damage your engine, it will seize on you in traffic, or could cause an accident due to hard steering.