leaking cam seals
 

OK, they weep (leak?)... A little oil... So, enough that when I wash the car I open the hood and spray off the plastic pan with a little Castrol SuperClean and the hose. Then, a couple of days later there is some more visable oil residue. Not much. Not dripping. Not a pool. Never been enough (now at 96K miles) that there has ever been the need for any oil to be added between changes (every 3K miles). Dipstick level never moves.

So, how concerned should I really be? I recognize that many would consider me to be super-anal about all my vehicles from a maintenance standpoint. Is this a common problem with the SVX? Should I just continue to monitor it and get it all taken care of at the scheduled timing belt / water pump change @ 120K miles? Or should I get it done now? Seems to be primarily on the driver's side. Engine has never been opened up. The timing belt cover was off for an inspection @ 30K and a replacement @ 60K. Runs fantastic! This car oughta be good for another 10 or 20 years. We don't put 6K a year on it now unless we go on one hell of a road trip.

Why anyone would lay out 30+ large (or a lot more $!) for an all-wheel drive BMW, Audi or Volvo is beyond me. We think the Subaru dealer shops only look at us as a continuing source of income... Do you know what a "Genuine BMW" oil change costs? THANKS IN ADVANCE!

Good grief, Stormin', you call that an oil leak? Sounds like you're good for another 100K. Every car I've owned for the last 30 years has leaked SOMETHING with much more gusto than your minor ooze. I always found a simple replenishment of chosen fluid beat the heck out of actually paying someone an ungodly sum to replace a $2.00 seal. Right now my cam covers are leaking about a half quart between 3K+ oil changes. ALMOST enough to make me actually pay for a cure.
NAAAH!!!
Maybe next year.
Continued good luck!

Ron.

OIL Leak? That's nothing to worry about. Save your money and wait. Wait for the smoke. When the smoke start it's time to replace. No smoke = save your money. When smoke does start, slow down use 10w-40 and buy some more time. Remember where there is smoke there is......... Have you changed the PCV?

i wouldnt worrie bought it much whene i bought mine, at 70 k , i found a big oil leak at the frount main bearing, so i had it replaced timing belt and all done. is a frount main engine seal a popular thing to go out, also mine leaks around the valve covers just a small bit, and around the oil cap area, i gave up on keeping the engine free of oil,

The front crank seal seems to be a common place to leak from. I am replacing mine with the timing belt (when the parts arrive). When I drove the car, I'd find a tiny drip on the floor maybe every other night. Now that it just sits, nothing leaks out.

Incidentally, when I changed to Mobil 1 synthetic, I noticed more seeping through the valve cover gaskets. I also never found any oil on the floor before I changed from mineral oil.

Whether or not my cam seals are leaking, I don't know. I'll find out when the timing belt cover comes off.

Norman, I think your biggest concern (if it is the cam seals or crank seal) is oil getting on the timing belt. But my crank seal has been leaking for more than a year and the timing belt has yet to break. I'll let you know what kind of shape it's in when I get it out.

The way I understand it, any engine will leak a little oil once is starts getting old and that's pretty much the way it is. There's nothing you can really do about it, and you shouldn't worry about it as long as it's a slow leak like you've described. I just realized that I forgot to put a gasket on my oil plug the last time I changed my oil.. whoops!!!

-adam

I asked Brian at Small Car Performance about this when I was out in Tacoma. He said that nearly every SVX engine he's seen seeps oil from the cam seals and/or the filler tube o-ring. I concur - no big deal if it's only a slow seep.