Mystery oil leak on this '12 Toyota RAV4. Why can't the CAR WIZARD find it?!?

It's not uncommon for a vehicle to have an oil leak, but it isn't common for it to be impossible to find. Why can't the CAR WIZARD 🧙‍♂️ and Magic Mike find this oil on this 2012 Toyota RAV4? Does Magic Mike have to work this weekend?
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[@Kevin09210]

There is this guy called The Car Care Nut which is a Toyota master tech and he mentioned this video in a recent video of his, and he says the oil leak is from the timing cover. Its a pretty common issue on the 2GRs according to him. Guy seems really knowledgeable.

[@chakibElIdrissi]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH7Zm5uLi8-smZI

[@OOICU812]

Right. I came here after watching his video.

[@kevincrawford6734]

Yeah, me too ....just finished watching it.. Do what he suggested.. Keep an eye on it and clean it regularly .😊

[@Kevin09210]

@@kevincrawford6734 thats not a permanent solution 😅 but granted, the job is huge. I believe the pentastars from Chrysler also leak from the timing cover, but that one is much more easy, especially in longitudinal setup.

[@tylerjunkin6840]

A lot of Toyota engines have a major issue with timing cover leaks on the passenger side of the engine where the block meets the head. I have personally had to reseal multiple 1GR and 2GR engines this year due to that. It’s due to oil dripping down into that corner at the factory and the sealant never has a true chance to set.

[@AD-xt9og]

I worked as a bus fleet mechanic 36 years one of the things I was good at finding leaks like this one. I love troubleshooting. Your test drives should start off short and get longer with the engine working harder and getting hotter each time. If you go to far the first time you might just end up with oil every where again. If that does not get it done ask the customer what type of driving they do and go do that. The last hard leak I had was a leak P/S leak on a Ford 550. Other good mechanics had looked at it, so I new to take my time on it. You could clean it up, take it for a drive, no leak. So I found out that it was being drove around in the yard where the steering was going lock to lock. Found the leak was at full left turn and was a faulty casting, it was a leak right out the side of the cast iron case. A pin hole fault in the casting. I like to use Magnaflux Crack Detection Developer to find leaks, clean the engine like you did then spray that on it dries to a white power. A leak will show fast with this.

[@tonywestvirginia]

And who cares about the look of an interior of a car leaking oil???

[@theotherchannel2279]

@@tonywestvirginia I do!

[@aarontheidinut8926]

That leak powder is awesome A coworker showed me a crack in a block before that you could not see without the powder. Crack was less than 1" long but leaked oil. He said he had found porous blocks seeping oil that way before as well

[@michaelwelschmidt9338]

A blown seal from excess crankcase pressure would be my guess. Need high RPM for sustained periods to increase crankcase pressure to a level allowing blow by.

[@coronicus6681]

yeap.. overfill the oil a little cause we all know costumers just blindly adds oil when they see oil spots and hit the highway @65-70 for 30min.

[@johnevans9751]

@@coronicus6681 Another vote for an overfill.

[@fubartotale3389]

Judging by the butchered oil pan seal job, I'm going with they never cleaned up after the reseal.

[@ALLin-one1]

Am with #michael

[@LLYoutube565]

100% customer over fill, id bet on it.

[@wicky383]

As a former Toyota tech I've seen those 2GR's leak from the left front upper timing cover. The way the engine sits the rear bank is tilted back the oil likes to pool up in that spot and leaks out due to improper FIPG application.

[@chakibElIdrissi]

Just like explained here kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH7Zm5uLi8-smZI

[@smitty2jones]

Can you do this without removing the engine? It looks like there should be plenty of space, but prodemand says it requires pulling the engine.

[@MostGenericUser]

I've seen a lot of cars where the oil leaks are difficult to find even with cleaning and dye. Sometimes it's just a matter of someone spilling oil while pouring it in during an oil change and just not cleaning it up afterwards.

[@cb-gz1vl]

I've seen it where someone complains of a leak but really its as you say and the over spill pooled in a well somewhere and shaking caused it to dribble down.

[@throwback19841]

That would be clean oil though. Fairly obvious when that's happened.

[@MostGenericUser]

@@throwback19841 maybe if they just spilled it but if it's sat on greasy and grimey engine for a little while it's harder to tell especially since people usually clean the easy to reach spots and the nooks and crannies where the oil dripped down in to stays there for a lot time and tricks you into thinking the leak is in that area

[@davidkelley2336]

I have a Lexus with the same engine. It had developed a pin hole leak in the oil cooler line that suddenly blew oil all over the front passenger side of the engine. I found out later the rubber bends in the line were bad and the entire cooler line was a recall item that the dealer failed to notify us on. The dealer refused to cover it.

[@nuthinbutlove]

Damn

[@ahill007ny]

I was going to mention this, I knew it was common on the RX350 wasn't sure it applied to the Rav4. Terrible that they wouldn't cover it.

[@kazegakun]

I'm not sure on Lexus but I believe on Highlanders and RAVs it was an extended warranty coverage, not a recall or customer support campaign.

[@HawkingHorizon]

@@kazegakun The recall only replaced the rubber section of the pipe with a thicker rubber section, which was still at risk of developing pinhole leaks after a prolonged period of time, it was fixed in the later models by an all steel pipe, which is backwards compatible with earlier versions of the 2GR-FE.

[@kazegakun]

@@HawkingHorizon The recall must have been before my time at Toyota, I've put more than a few of the steel countermeasure parts on older Highlanders though.

[@steelwheels327]

I think a crank seal behind the harmonic balancer!! The oil is being slung by the balancer itself!!

[@icuranis4597]

The car care nut has done many of these and he says it's the front timing cover requiring a reseal. He mentioned this video as he performed the same service. This is an engine out procedure. Also not mentioned directly is using the correct Toyota sealer, I have a tube in my garage. Great stuff. This leak occurs where the head junctions join the block.

[@cnorton1us]

My guess is it needs high oil pressure and/or high RPM for the leak to occur, so it may take some sustained interstate driving to find it. Perhaps something involving the variable valve timing but only when it's shifted to the high speed setting.

[@thebonefish]

My Corolla had an intermittent oil slick on the back of the engine that turned into an oil spill. The oil pressure sender turned out to be cracking. Haunted the car from 130k to nearly 190 when it finally split.

[@musikomax]

I worked at a toyota stealership and the oil pressure sensor is a occurrent common problem.

[@davebrown9725]

Had the oil pressure sensor start to leak on my 1980 Corolla 5-speed wagon, it was just pouring out. Of course it broke off flush with the block when I tried to remove it. Then the extractor broke, also flush with the block... Long weekend, but fixed it. Was a fun car, until it got over 200k miles & got scary in rush hour commuting, because no ABS. I had a good indy mechanic back then, fortunate because starter went out, ignition went out & a couple others issues beyond my repair abilities.

[@dodge33445]

Exxon Valdeez!

[@daveself6386]

Once you get it clean get some spray foot powder from the store and give it a good coating. It acts like developer for dye penetrate. The leak will really show through the white powder. Easy clean up and cheap

[@samholdsworth420]

Lucky you! You won a price!!

[@daveself6386]

@@samholdsworth420 yeah really what is the price???

[@samholdsworth420]

@@daveself6386 lol 😂

[@diverdave4056]

Ole Blue now has 462,000 miles on it and I clean and detail the engine 3 to 4 times per year... Some mechanics have complained ,that I keep it clean and others say it so nice to be able to work on my car and not end up getting their hands dirty ! its a lot easier to find a fluid leak when everything is clean !

[@Hedonistic0Frog]

I don't know why anyone would complain about working on a clean engine. I pressure wash all of my car's engines after I fix oil leaks, I don't get as dirty and it's easier to see if anything is wrong. If you're doing something like a valve cover gasket the last thing you want is debris falling into the head as well so I blow the area clean with compressed air.

[@samholdsworth420]

@@Hedonistic0Frog nothing like packing your fingernails with grease that doesn't come out

[@markcavandish1295]

@@Hedonistic0Frog Scotty Kilmer says not to, as too many electrical parts could be damaged. I do it once a year though.

[@Hedonistic0Frog]

@@markcavandish1295 Scotty Kilmer isn't a reputable source imo. I've pressure washed dozens of cars engine bays and not once did it cause any issues. They were mostly 20+ years old as well.

[@markcavandish1295]

@@Hedonistic0Frog yeah, I take most of what Scotty says with a grain or two of salt. But he has helped me fix a few things on my cars.

[@andrewweltlich9065]

First thing that comes to my mind is a thermostatically controlled oil cooler. The oil cooler could be leaking but if Magic Mike didn't get the oil hot enough, oil wouldn't be getting into the cooler.

[@Spring794]

I think some of the 3.5 V6 engines did have oil leaks from the front timing cover. Wonder if this one did or if it was suspected to be from there as all that was apart before.

[@azlindy4147]

Yes, the is quite a bit of info on youtbe. Back of engine where head meets the block at the timing cover.

[@Euroburger]

It's obviously a ghost leak for Halloween... 😅🎃🎃

[@nuthinbutlove]

😂🏆

[@Scarface693]

More scary too 😱

[@Hedonistic0Frog]

One oil leak I had was very perplexing until I went to look at where it was coming from. On my 1999 Mercdedes SL500 it would leak a lot of oil if you parked it facing down hill but not the other way around. There's an oil temperature sensor on the top of the oil pan that juts to the front passenger side of the pan, so when it faced down hill the oil pooled there and constantly leaked out. It was extra surprising because I owned the car for two months before I parked it facing down hill in my driveway.

[@MichaelRodriguez-nw5dt]

The most common oil leak on 2GR FE (the V6 RAV4) is the over-torqued filter housing but that would be obvious to find. These engines are usually good for 300K miles without many hiccups.

[@970357ers]

You need to get a couple of go-pros or knockoffs you can leave pointing at areas of the engine while driving. Would be handy for suspension noises as well.

[@obsoleteprofessor2034]

We noticed a thing on windy days on California's Interstate 5. Pickups would come in with a spray under the hood and the automatic transmission low on oil, with no drive. Customer would state that they'd hear a whoosh, smell oil, they the drive would quit. The hint was that the dipstick was always pushed out a little. What was happening was that these people were pushing hard against a headwind and the oil in the torque converter would flash (explode) and push itself out the weak points. One was a Cummins Dodge that sprayed oil all over the hot turbo and it caught on fire. The people were lucky to get it stopped in time to climb out.

[@desi4lyfe379]

Classic timing cover gasket leak- Car care nut youtube said it. If it is the case than please give some cold water to the customer before discussing the out the door cost since most Toyota's owner never thought spending thousands to replace a darn gasket.

[@notman05]

Is it possible the owner is overfilling the oil? (Causing it to push out somewhere)

[@970357ers]

Was just about to post this.

[@neilmurphy845]

I think they didn't tighten the oil cap or its a pcv valve that's not opening fully

[@skidcraft1998]

There would be a lot of smoke out of the exhaust if that was the case

[@Ryan2022]

This generation was nicer than the 4th generation

[@StewsReplay]

Maybe Filled the oil but forgot to put the cap back on...oil spills everywhere but no leak after cap put on.

[@patluvsvettes]

That oil pan with the silicone around it would be my prime suspect! My guess is that it developed a pinhole leak, they sealed it with more silicone, but didn't clean off the oil. I'd drop the pan, clean off that silicone, and replace it with a factory oil pan gasket.

[@BigRW]

But wasn't the leak dripping from higher up on the engine?

[@homesold]

They don’t have a “gasket” from the factory, as it is all RTV. The repair here was just sloppy

[@kiljoysvnzr0]

I keep waiting for Mike to go into Halloween mode and every time the Wizard tells him the next step he hunches over and says " Yes Wissssard! YESSS!

[@bradcollins7452]

Oil cooler hoses are super common on the 2GRFE engines, originally come with rubber hoses which rub through over the years and burst

[@v--p]

This is a 2012 model, they were metal on all 2GRFE sometime in 2010. Also you can see the line is metal when they're showing the top of the engine.

[@D_S_88]

I love toyotas. I currently own a 2002 Taco with ~209K miles on it. It's been absolutely bulletproof.

[@Texasknowhow]

I had a 2002 Tacoma, wish I’d kept it…

[@patluvsvettes]

2013 4-cylinder Tacoma with 180,000 miles. The most reliable vehicle I've ever owned!

[@Mike_44]

Yup, based on The Car Care Nut channel, it looks like the whole engine has to come down to fix this leak. And the worse part, the leak tends to come back..

[@steveolive9991]

I am confused....he never solved where the oil leak is located. He must have had to get help from The Car Care Nut.

[@langer97]

I have this RAV4 V6 for over 6 years with the same issue, after about a year of hunting for the oil leak, it's the timing chain cover.

[@zhvonte]

Magic Mike "The rear end looks really good, nice and tight". Now we know! LOL

[@lukereinhardt9768]

From a toyota master tech. Those 2gr engines are fantastic. But the timing covers always leak oil. And the head gaskets always have external coolant leaks

[@ua7pyro591]

Doesn't sound fantastic to me. LMAO

[@Airman..]

It's the timing cover gasget maker leaking from corners, maybe camshaft housing too, very common issues in the 2GR engines

[@socalpunk05]

I would love to see ur process of cleaning the oil off

[@dominickserignese8837]

I wonder if the customer possibly has taken it to an oil change facility and they spilled oil when replacing it.

[@Vincent-ke5zn]

I think that you're right about that whatever caused the oil leak was repaired and it wasn't cleaned up

[@philip7134]

I have the exact same car with a V6 and it's reliable and quick as well. I guess it probably needs higher RPMs to find the issue. The big engine in that little car tempts you to floor it every now and then.

[@Jmdp.94]

That's the 2GR-FE engine, our '05 Avalon has it, it's a very solid powertrain, surprisingly great on gas and very reliable.

[@HawkingHorizon]

Agreed, only achilles heels are the water pump (usually fails earlier than expected) and the original rubber VVTI return line.

[@Jmdp.94]

@@HawkingHorizon Well, fingers crossed then because our water pump is still the original with 183k miles on the odometer

[@Melanie16040]

Curious what fuel economy y'all get with your Avalon? I've got an 06, just turned over 245k with the original water pump.

[@dingdong2103]

It knocks like a diesel though

[@allendrake3150]

All I know about those 3.5 liter v-6s are that oil cooler lines (are rubber between metal) and are notorious for breaking and the timing cover is notorious for leaking. The only other thing would be oil consumption due to intervals between oil changes being too long, factory recommends every 10k miles but should be done every 5k at the max. Never heard of any mystery oil leaks either. So, i'm stumped as well, all knowing Wizard of mechanics...lol

[@ChristopherGuilday]

My mom was gifted a 2009 Toyota Highlander with 82K miles like 7 years ago. The car now has 175k miles and hasn’t had a single issue except some weird electrical issue that caused the headlights & AC to not work (cost like $400 to fix) Other than that not ONE. SINGLE. ISSUE! Which is nuts because she does not take the best care of it. Super long oil changes.. etc. One time she actually put oil into the coolant reservoir not knowing what she was doing and it started overheating. We thought she had a blown head gasket until she told us what she had done. Cleaned it out and it works great now. Amazing vehicles. Makes me a little upset because here I am with my 2011 BMW 335i and I’m replacing everything under the sun. Thankfully I can do any repair as long as it doesn’t require tearing into the internals, so it hasn’t cost me too much, but lots of labor.

[@ajoconnor80]

I bet it’s leaking from the timing cover on the rear bank (bank 1) where the cam tower meets the block, it’s low pressure so will take a long time to show up while simply running the engine. The sealer used to seal the oil pan isn’t Toyota F.I.P.G. (Should be black) and the engine needs to be removed to remove and reseal the timing cover, which likely was not done. Seems like a shoddy prior repair attempt! I am a huge fan of your channel as well as the car ninja, hoovies garage or course lol, and a 20 year Toyota master technician here in Massachusetts. Very interested to see what you find.

[@bigpicturethinking5620]

I love FIPG. The stuff is incredible.

[@johnmilligan2964]

My younger brother is a Toyota Master Tech and he said that it's the back vv-t feed line. He said that you haven't gotten it hot enough to leak yet. He said that Toyota had a TSB about it a few years ago.

[@jeffrey88888]

Those Toyota engines had a butterfly valve in the air box controlled by vacuum pressure lines. Perhaps the hose is cracked?

[@erikgutierrez1708]

The timing cover is your culprit. They leak were the head, block and timing cover meet. Could take sometimes over 1k miles depending on the severity of the leak to see any drips. It’s all fipg/silicone that holds those parts along with the upper and lower pans which have to come off to do that repair. If the surfaces haven’t been cleaned properly and oil residue gets on the silicone before it dries it will eventually leak again even if it has been done previously which is what I would assume. If you do the repair make sure to take the timing chain tensioner bolts loose not off which sits right above the area were it leaks to clean off any oil residue behind there that might get on the silicone when assembling the timing cover back together to avoid contamination before it dries. I would also recommend the black oil fipg from Toyota and proper application of silicone according to the repair manual to avoid this down the road since it’s a time consuming repair. It’s also recommended to replace the little rubber gaskets and what not during this repair. Your local Toyota/Lexus dealership should be able to have a parts list of what is needed since this is a common repair.

[@PrvtChurch]

It's funny he mentioned checking the spare isn't low because I owned a '12 RAV4 that had a persistent leak in the spare that set off the TPMS and constantly flashed a tire pressure warning light at me.

[@bwest-yq3uc]

A dead battery in the valve stem will give you the flat tire warning light. Already replace two in my Sienna.

[@jonathansimmons5353]

1) fully clean off with brake cleaner and wash of with detergent water and dry. 2) buy talcum powder from chemists/ supermarket. 3) puff and sprinkle talcum powder everywhere in vicinity of suspected leak area. 4) drive for half hour, 5) oil leak will be visible 6) goto beer o clock break.

[@mikebetz3064]

Oil cooler lines were recalled on the 3.5 for excessive leakage out of the rubber hose. Replacement has metal tubes.

[@markmiller3407]

Oil cooler lines and VVT hoses are pressure lines so you’ll will know if they are leaking.

[@rickaser2383]

My 2012 Camry Hybrid had a small oil leak due toa clogged PCV valve; pressure damaged it and oil was oozing out. Wasn't upset with the PCV valve going bad, but the Toyota shop broke the plastic intake manifold when changing it. Service advisor told me that was not uncommon, but dealer refused to cover it, cost over $600 for the manifold. And cost the dealer a new car sale.

[@shoersa]

Timing chain cover gasket leaking - Car Care Nut.

[@darrylbarger3795]

I owned a used 2007 V6 Rav and it had what I think is the same oil leak. My Son in Law is a Master Toyota tech and as soon as he saw it he said the engine needed to be dropped out and the whole front/(passenger side)of the engine cover needed to be removed and gasket replaced and sealed. They are known for leaking there.

[@Bubbles12345-cat]

I ❤ it when the Wizard works on Toyota's. They seldom need work, that's why we don't see many at Omega. ☺👍

[@samholdsworth420]

It's a RAV4 🤮

[@vincedibona4687]

Which is a Toyota. 👍🏻

[@Bubbles12345-cat]

Toyota RAV 4. Toyota Hilux. Toyota Landcruiser. Toyota Prado. Toyota Corolla. Toyota Camry. Etc, etc. ☺

[@petejilka968]

Front timing cover. One the the few flaws of this Toyota V6. it is a small leak that over time drips on the front axle and gets sprayed everywhere.

[@SKuLLxKruSHeR]

Im guessing something in the PCV system is leaking, possibly only under high load (such as driving uphill)

[@cvr24]

There are no hills in Kansas.

[@kfm908]

timing belt cover spews oil onto the rotating axle and makes a big mess.A flaw in these 3.5's

[@patrickscott3378]

My guess is a timing cover leak. Toyota has a tsb on this .Check to see if that is one of the engines that has to be resealed.

[@Mr-pn2eh]

I think the previous mechanic just didn't clean up the oil thus the customer mistook it for an oil leak.

[@demetri1651]

I think the previous mechanic didn’t clean up the oil leak.

[@cbruno12180]

Pretty easy to see if loosing oil the customer is an idiot I would of just checked oil level first!! Are u serious lol

[@elihernandez330]

I think the previous mechanic purposely spilled oil over the engine to charge for a bunch of phony oil leak repairs.

[@Ron-kn6ur]

I have the same engine in my 2007 Toyota RAV4 and had to repair an oil leak, this year, from the timing cover gasket at 144,000 miles. The mechanic also found a leaking water pump at the same time.

[@echobeefpv8530]

So cool to see an almost exact same car as my own ( 2012 Rav 4, 4cyl., basic ). Boring as hell, but I'm keeping mine in great shape, and I'm trying for 4 to 500K. Cheap to run, maintain and insure, and parts are available ( though pricey ).

[@stubryant9145]

You guys with 4 cyl RAVs- do you see the ATF turn dark way before many other cars would. Had the dealer change it when I bought it used. Used cars were scarce & we were desperate. Makes me think I should pretend it is a CVT when it comes to service interval (how they should be serviced not what factory claims)

[@echobeefpv8530]

@@stubryant9145 I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I had my car ( tranny included ) checked over front to back this spring after 40,000 K of use. Tranny showed no problems, no service needed. I will check it , however, now that you have mentioned it. I stand behind my purchase , though. The Rav has been a very reliable car, and very easy to maintain. The 4cyl is pretty gutless, but I'm not using it like that anyway, mine's a weekend getaway car.

[@stubryant9145]

@@echobeefpv8530 I wouldn't classify ours as a hotrod, but neither would I call it gutless. If I can still accelerate to 70 while going up a steep grade while fully loaded it isn't exactly gutless in my book. I'm pretty pleased aside from the tranny fluid discoloration. I've heard of others who noticed the same thing, but no mention about consequences beyond the color. Good thing is it doesn't smell burnt.

[@Rikki-D]

I've had my 2009 Toyota Rav4, 4/Cylinder SUV for 11 Years & have not had any Major Problems so far. I bought it "Used" in 2012 & it "Still" drives great with 112,000 Miles. I would not say it is a Gutless Car. I've taken it on the Road numerous times & it's great on Gas. The only "downside" with this Vehicle for me is that it does not have very Good Traction in Rainy or Winter Weather & is not a Heavy Weight Vehicle. I thought about "Upgrading" to a Newer Model but didn't want a Car Note so, I will continue to keep the Maintenance up until it is time for it to go to Car Heaven 🚙 😊

[@Rikki-D]

@echobeefpv8530: ME TOO! 🚙😉

[@tomknud]

Probably overflow when they fill the oil or overfill the transmission fluid.

[@nowanda2nd]

I would focus on the repaired areas and the loose bolt. This engine has been messed with, so the perfectly sealed gaps might be leaking at higher temps or engine under load. Everything expands at higher temps, even the gaps.

[@SportFury1966]

This. I suspect someone low-balled the repair quote, discovered engine damage, and did the absolute minimum to get the car out of their body shop. Their level of integrity and skill is on full display by the half-assed, indifferent mismatch of the new paint to the rest of the car.

[@ApexCadaver]

It’s the three cent piece in the timing case behind the harmonic balancer. Replace the key when you do the balancer and it won’t leak again.

[@rossmuirhead2130]

Do you have a part number?

[@mattbrown5511]

I'd be asking about recent oil changes, etc. that would have caused spillage that may not have gotten cleaned up.

[@TougeGrandTour]

Check out The Car Care Nut’s Toyota V6 Owners’ video. He said it is the timing chain cover gasket.

[@ronlombardi8887]

Almost looks like somebody's trying to test your honesty, they poured oil all over the engine themselves and then brought it to you to see what you would say

[@curezilla]

It wouldn't surprise me. Someone jealous of his success just trying to get him with a "gotcha" type set up. Too bad for them if that's the case. Wizard is 100% honest!

[@armaansandhu2610]

My brother bought a 2006 Toyota Avalon with around 160k miles on it. Same engine as this RAV4. I recommend him that car. Took it to Toyota Dealership for inspection and one of the things the service advisor recommended, however, not strongly at all was timing chain reseal and their reason was looks like at one point oil leaked from there. It doesn't leak now and does not seem to have leaked lately but resealing will ensure it doesn't happen again. Obviously no point on spending around 4 grand for that service when he paid $3.6k for it. But maybe the same magic happened here. At one point it leaked but doesn't anymore.

[@scarrollnz]

Hey @car wizard, the camshaft oil feed lines for the variable valve timing were just rubber lines, and a common failure in the 2GRs in 07 era. My Toyota Blade Master here in New Zealand was an 09 and this was solved by then thankfully. Hope this helps!

[@mikej8596]

There a VVTi line running on the back of that engine (2GRFE) that is known to leak. Replace the rubber line with an upgraded metal one and you’re good. If that isn’t it it just means the last mechanic did a poor job resealing the timing cover. Despite “Toyota quality” many of these engines also develop timing cover leaks with 0 accidents and regular oil changes.

[@Rollin18Wheeler]

The only thing I can think of is maybe the oil cap wasn't tight or the filter wasn't tight if you're not finding any other leaks I have no idea other than that

[@stormforge68]

The Car Care Nut just came out with a video, he talked about the RAV4 oil leak issue. It’s at the 37 min mark.

[@oleandreaswilladssen7290]

How about a massive spilling of oil during service/filling. And/or massive over-filling of oil, causing the engine to spit it out through unusual places when heaten enough.

[@aussieausbourne1]

I had a similar problem years back the car had a leak from the FMS i replaced and it stayed bone dry for months until after I topped up the crankcase and didn't put the cap on tight it let oil spray from there all over the engine bay and I thought oh god no it about to blow but the relief I felt when I saw the loose cap that fix it was just so great

[@andybub45]

2GR is common for timing cover leaks. They can leak pretty bad.

[@cvr24]

VVT solenoid. It will only leak oil when VVT kicks in at higher revs.

[@andyossie]

I could only think it could be more caused by more heat cycling that would cause a crack or a gap to open from heat expansion. Edit: I was thinking when looking at the vvt pipes that may be not leaking until the revs are high enough to start working the cam phasers and then start pushing oil through a cracked line or something 🤔.

[@MrRSCHECK]

Yea, I just got an 07 Rav4 6cyl and it leakes a few drops from the timing cover when stopped but its not a constant leak. Toyota tech said it was not a huge deal.

[@dougclark9917]

Looks like Magic Mike gets a new ride home for the evening and a little bit more seat time.

[@googlefriend8410]

Looks to me like the crank seal. That much oil is being pushed out the seal at higher rpms. Just went through this with a POS 1.4 turbo. Drove it around and got under and could not find the leak, but oil was everywhere on the front of the engine. Only when driving at high rpm did it leak, then it poured out. We noticed a pattern where the balancer was flinging, spinning oil everywhere. Replaced the crank seal. Works well, not leaking for now but not sure if there is excess pressure in the crankshaft. Car runs well so don't suspect ring blowby. Original issue was blown head gasket which also revealed three cracks in the head. I am just a pretty decent DYIer and fixing as a favor for my sons girlfriend. He drives only Toyota. Replaced the turbo a few months ago also. Anyhow - would bet on crank seal!

[@spcychckn601]

I have the same engine in my 07 Camry and the common problem with these engine is premature water pump failure around 70k-90k miles, if I had to guess they probably RTV the water pump housing gasket, and in the video it looks like the water pump might have been changed, I’d check around there

[@TheRogerhill1234]

I know what the problem is. The engine had a defect whereas that pipe he pointed to on top of the engine, it carries the oil to activate the Variable Valve mechanism. It came from the factory, as a flexible rubber pipe, and they will blow out and cover everything with oil, which is what it did in this case. The fix was to replace it with the metal one you see in the video, should have cleaned up all the old oil off the engine. Though, to be exact, the top of the pipe was metal, where it snaked through under the heads was plastic, and that plastic would rub and fail. I suppose it's possible that it was NOT replace yet, and if you rev the engine up enough to engage the VVT mechanism, it would pressurize the old line and start spraying oil. Note, many people blew their engines do to oil loss. If you took the car to the dealer, they would upgrade the pipe for free, as I recall (I have a 2009 V6 RAV4 myself) Mystery solved. Follow up, and if I win "guess the oil leak" competition, I would love a tour of your shop as a grand prize (I am in Lawrence)

[@md2k8]

I am extremely hopeful that the Car Wizard will do a buy this, not that video for Toyota a lot sooner. Thanks.

[@danwake4431]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGeUY4KtaM19d9U

[@kylelewis9163]

Buy a Toyota if you have a chance.

[@Jmdp.94]

He might as well just say you can buy ANY of them as long as you stay very far away from the Toyota Cavalier 🥴😂

[@granddya5323]

Tdlr, avoid any toyota diesel engine, the 2.4l 4 cylinders especially the early model years, 1.8l 4 cylinder in the Cecilia has oil pump issues in high revs and check the infamous rust in any square frame in toyota highlander or tundra.

[@StalkingWOMBAT]

@@granddya5323 the 2zz engine you are thinking of doesn’t have a problem with the oil pump at high revs. The problem is a extremely poorly designed oil pan, which you can swap with a base Corolla one. It’s a very reliable engine altogether though

[@84gssteve]

My sister's 2010 Escape 3.0L had a pretty bad oil leak from the timing cover and I was sure it would be the gasket maker at the seams or the corners. Turns out there was one spot on the rear cylinder bank that was leaking oil from the back side of a bolt hole, where the timing cover mates to the head. Just pulled that bolt, RTV on the threads and ran it back in. I did the valve cover gaskets for good measure, but I was pleased I didn't have to pull the timing cover.

[@TheBibliofilus]

That harmonic balancer/crank pulley looks a bit crooked though at 10:22 , someone has had the timing cover off and not been a professional about it with all that bad sealant. So i guess on a seal in the timing cover that only leaks once the engine gets really hot.

[@goenitzlopez2076]

Looks fine to me, you can't really install it crooked, it auto aligns

[@knocksensor3203]

It’s crooked because the oil soften the rubber, and it wants to separate

[@goenitzlopez2076]

@@knocksensor3203 that's not really crooked then that's the outer half of the balancer slightly loose which would not really cause the inner half to vibrate since it's a machined fit to the crank. The topic at hand is oil leak so yea that's not it

[@dingdong2103]

I believe that they just skipped cleaning the oil after the previous service...

[@alg003]

The "repainted" front bumper I likely not the original one that it came with, it's likely a replacement, probably from an accident, which would explain all the other new parts. It's a different color as it's likely from a different model year or a new part entirely.

[@ccoder4953]

My sister has a RAV4 that's the same year, same engine, even the same color as that one. It had an oil leak from the factory. The dealer had to pull the engine (under warranty) to fix it. Never heard what exactly was leaking.

[@Pierson116]

Ah yes, the infamous 2GR-FE timing cover leak. I'm a Toyota Tech and the upper left area of the timing cover on these engines almost always leak when they get old, due to Toyota not putting in enough RTV from the factory. It's come to the point that almost every single one of these that come in with some mileage on them will always be leaking from that cover. Re-sealing it is an engine-out job and most customers just learn to live with it. Super common leak on most engines in the Toyota GR engine family, the 1GRs in the older 4Runners and Tacomas do it too, aswell as the 2GR-FKSs in some of toyotas newer vehicles are starting to leak there too. Most people just leave it alone, as it usually never leaks bad enough to cause serious issues, and these engines are very good engines so they'll go hundreds and thousands of miles while still leaking the whole time.

[@rickm8456]

Thanks for the info. I have 170k miles on my V6 Rav. It doesn’t seem like it would be worth it to fix. Just keep cleaning and hopefully it will last another 100k miles!

[@Pierson116]

@@rickm8456 Oh definitely. In most cases I see it will leak all over up there but it won't ever drip on the ground, so you dont even really need to clean it unless youre a fanatic. only on very severe cases will it start leaving puddles.

[@mattmartinolc]

I had something like this on one of my vehicles. I never found a leak and came to assume it was spillage from a previous oil change or something since there was never any problem with oil level

[@motomaxsandiego]

Out of curiosity I checked cost of new driveshaft. Genuine Toyota is $600-$700. Aftermarket $200-$300.

[@Mis73rRand0m]

I'm interested because I just helped pull the 2gr-fe out of a GS350 to swap into my friend's MR2. There are a few catastrophic leaks that happen but i'm also interested in the mundane.

[@jacquesc3166]

Wow that should be a hoot to drive. Something like 25-75 front/rear weight distribution? 😅

[@Mis73rRand0m]

It's like 75lb heavier than the 3SGTE that's in it, but all the extra weight is forward of the rear axle so weight distribution will actually be improved.

[@paulandres8979]

I would love to have that engine in my MR2.

[@cudaman-yq7pq]

I wish I could see the final result, but I don't have an instagram account, nor a desire to establish one. :(

[@jazzjokesjalopies]

First thing I’d check would be the windshield wipers. I’d be wrong, but they’re the first thing I’d check. 😊

[@rodrigobelinchon2982]

LOL

[@tennnis498]

You’ll immediately move up to “Advanced”.

[@carlchurch2687]

I also watch AMD at The Car Care Nut. Based on his info, I noticed the VVT line has the rubber section, as seen while looking up from the wheel well. That line is prone to failure. Toyota released an updated line that is all metal.

[@roydrink]

I’d check the grommet flem bearing for the non-turbo encabulater.

[@davidkellogg2582]

The oil fill cap is around that area where all the oil was on the Motor. I wanna say who ever owned the car and changed the oil last had a very shakey hand and spilled oil on the Motor.

[@marcusvaldes]

I suspect that when the engine cools and contracts is when you will find a leak. I'm going to guess oil pan.

[@GamerPolygon]

Oil seal is leaking only when the engine is warm. Heat = metal expansion. The crankcase pressure is probably high as well pushing the oil out the seal when engine is warmed up.

[@wjanis1]

Someone might have left the oil fill cap off for a while that would’ve made quite a mess and replacing it would seal everything back up. Especially after the accident repair.

[@1983dmd]

That's my guess, since the oil cap seems brand new....

[@2steaksandwiches665]

My Saab did something similar when the PCV flow valve snapped and broke apart. The pressure increased and started leaking out of areas that it shouldn’t have been leaking out of. Change the valve and it got much better

[@laurat1129]

Fellow Saab owner here. What model do you have? (Kyle Pancis and Auto Autopsy had vids on this inexpensive but very important little part.)

[@2steaksandwiches665]

@@laurat1129 b235r. 9-5 2008. The PCV valve is stupid. It’s completely brittle and you have to replace that entire tube. I did the hack that everybody does so you don’t have to takeoff all that shit. Works just fine

[@billstewart6286]

It's leaking when the VVT is active and engine is under a high load

[@philippreitshammer]

Simply had the oil dip stick not quite on for some time. Doesn't need much and when you check it you might fix it with little effort so you don't even realise what you did. Happened to me before

[@bryanmoskowitz8976]

Was the oil fill cap off? Then some one saw it and put it back. Just residual oil everywhere.

[@garybrady7562]

I found a difficult leak on a Toyota and it was a head gasket. The head bolt threads pulled out of the block. Bought a special kit to replace the head bolt threads in the block. Cured the leak.

[@jeremyfmoses]

Wizard described the oil as "dripping" when it was brought in, but the leak mysteriously stopped immediately upon arrival at the shop. I'm guessing the customer directly poured the oil onto the engine themselves looking for a discount (or maybe they just wanted their car on this channel).

[@BeingMe23]

Just like someone's tooth stops hurting at the Dentist office...

[@Maserati7200]

Why would that give them a discount? A discount off what? Diagnostic work that wouldn’t have been done otherwise?