Hello, I have a 2013 prius c. It has an oil leak around the gasket near the timing chain and to get it fixed is almost as much as the car. Instead of using 0w-20, I was thinking of switching to 0w-30 to minimize, if not stop the oil leak. The immediate downside is decreased fuel economy and more wear during cold starts. I live in alabama so the later is a non-issue. GM went to a heavier oil to minimize oil leaks. Thoughts or ideas?
yeah, how bad is this leak? It is a fairly common place for a Toyota engine to leak, but most reports are that it barely gets the seam wet, almost never anything landing on the ground beneath.
You’ve got quote(s)? How bad is it, pics? when I google: cost to reseal prius c timing chain cover AI summary says $1200~3500, presumably USD.
I'd never put heavier oil to stop a leak....that VVTI system is pretty sensitive to oil viscosity and you don't want to make a minor problem much worst! (Same goes for that "stop leak" stuff.) My dealer misdiagnosed my V-8 as having a timing change cover leak and quoted me $2,500....double what it should cost. If you love the car, I'd call around, I know many smaller shops who would do it for around $1,200
You have a low mileage car. You're wrong to think that the car doesn't have value. Forget what the book says. Think about what it costs to replace that car. That car has a lot of value. And if the service history is good you'd be a fool to toss that good car. If you really must do so and you're near Lakeland Florida come on down I'll buy it from you. Send me a PM
You don't want to do this. It would be like getting a heart-lung transplant to correct something like asthma or mitral valve prolapse. I will not do either one. Trust me. If you put an eeeeeensy weeeeeeensie hole in the lids for bottles of 0W20 and 0W30 and hold them upside down you won't be able to tell the difference either. yup..... LOOK at my avatar. Trust me when I tell you that I know a little bit about leaks. Your timing Chain Cover gasket is allowing a little bit of oil to either weep or seep out. Go and check your oil first. Then change your oil or have it changed. Then? Start monitoring your burn rate by checking your oil level every other time you fill the car up. Like all 12-year-olds - your car is probably smoking behind your back, so you should be changing the oil every 5,000 miles anyway. I know... The owner is always the last to find out. Chances are most of the oil that you're using between changes isn't weeping (or seeping, or maybe even leaking....) out of your timing chain cover. I would tell you to put a newspaper under your car to see if you car is dripping at night, but nobody reads newspapers these days. If you know about what your fuel efficiency is you might try switching to 0W30 for 5,000 miles and seeing if this affects your MPG. You didn't mention mileage, but most 12-year-old engines are about as loose as our President's relationship with the truth - so the 0W30 isn't going to hurt anything....especially if you live in the planet's habitable zone(*) which lies south of I-20. You're going to want to be more careful about 'seeing other viscosities' if you live up near Tennessee..... Best of luck to you! (*) at least in the winter.....
