Dealer says small leak found...

zryder

I went to the dealer today and got my oil change, my car only has 6k miles on it and this is my second oil change. When getting my oil change, The mechanic told me he found a small leak under my car and its the gasket rocker.....Wtf??? Is this normal for a car with 6k miles on it and how serious is this problem?

The mechanic said it takes only an hour to fix.

The only good news is that its covered under warranty, but still, WTF!!

kenchan

huh... that is odd. the valve cover has to be taken off to replace.

2004YZFR1

Ya that does suck but remember it's still put together by people and they some times make mistakes or it could have been a bad gasket.

Either way they will fix it and you will be back out quick in your nice new Z.

Good luck.

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TVPostSound

I hope that (WTF) wasn't your reaction on the service drive!!!
Did you thank the mechanic for spotting this early before it caused any future issues??

Yes Seals do leak!!

Read T

WTF is a gasket rocker anyways.

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cheshirecat

rocker cover gasket but people just shorten it

Pretty weird diagnosis, I'd take it to another dealer to make sure the tech didn't just misidentify a splotch of spilled oil somewhere, I dunno

This would definitely be a first

SouthArk370Z

If it is just a leaky gasket, then it's not a big deal. It shouldn't have happened but, as someone else mentioned, they are put together by humans.

I agree with cheshirecat: this appears to be a new one. Hopefully the guy that diagnosed it as a valve cover gasket (AKA rocker cover gasket, rocker gasket, &c) knows what he's talking about but this is the first report I've seen of a leaky cover gasket. Find out the approximate location of the leak and keep an eye on the area for a few months after the repair. There should be zero fluids leaking in the engine compartment - if you see a leak, report to the dealer ASAP.

On the plus side, at least the guy changing the oil is paying attention and cares enough to say something about the leak. Oil changes are usually delegated to the lowest paid hand in the shop and sometimes their mantra is "The bare minimum is good enough." You got one of the good ones.

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1slow370

technically there are no rockers on our cars, I always liked valve cover gasket myself

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SouthArk370Z

Yep. But old habits die hard. Ain't no cigarette lighter in cars any more, but many ppl, especially old farts like me, still call it that.

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Plasmite

I have what I think to be a leak around one of the bolts in the valve cover as well. There is barely a drip there, but it's there. I have also noticed a small amount of antifreeze near the front of the engine as well. It's miniscule, but it's there. Not sure if I am going to do something about it yet or not. Might leave it for the summer and when fall comes, see if the leaks are any worse

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Jordo!

If you see a coolant leak I would definitely take it in if under warranty. If the head gasket goes it could be bad...

Does your oil look a bit milky on the dipstick?

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Plasmite

No it's all good. Hardly any shavings in the oil as well. It's running pristine, just noticed these little things. Not enough for concern, but just enough to make you think about it and check every once and awhile

She spent the winter in a seacan out in the bush where it gets really really cold. She probably had a bit of shrinkage. Going to keep my eye on it

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Plasmite

Did an oil change today and thats how I found it. I was going to take pics of it while I had the shroud off, but didn't bother...

6 liters of Quaker State Synth 5W30 and a Purolator PL14610 filter. Looked for grease nipples and didn't find any lol Guess she's good. Engine is SUPER clean, but have a little bit of slobber coming from drivers side valve cover, one bolt seems to be weeping. And some antifreeze residue near the front of the engine, greenish/white in colour. The drips aren't making it to the shroud, so I know the leaks aren't bad. Just wondering if it's even worth taking things off to do a deeper look see...

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falconfixer

Nevermind. Was thinking quarts. Dumb American here can't covert liters to quarts.

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Plasmite

Well they are pretty close. 6 liters is 6.5 quarts roughly. I thought I was going to need another liter, but it's pretty much on the H line

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