NIKLASAL

Hey guys! The father of a buddy of mine is selling his 2000 CR-V. Has 175K miles, has regular service and records, and body/paint is decent for the age. They're original owners. They bought a new one, so the 2000 has been sitting in the driveway for a few weeks.

Took it out a couple miles for a test drive today, and it performed well (I have a 97 CR-V), but when I pulled into the driveway, I smelled burning oil. Took a look underneath and saw that the underside of the car had a good amount of oil on it. I didn't see any obvious leaks, but it seemed to be from around the oil pan gasket. I know they recently had the serpentine and timing belts changed, but that's about it other than oil changes.

The price is less than $1,000 for it, and I'd like to get it for a family member who's in need of a car. Any idea if it could be a simple fix, or should I avoid it altogether? Again, this car belongs to someone I do trust, but isn't car savvy.

Here are some pics I took. Sorry they are crappy, but I was on my back in the driveway next to a hot exhaust pipe. You can see everything has a fresh coat of oil on it from the shininess.

http://imgur.com/a/YBc10

EJ8_Man

The real questions are do you want to deal it? Do you have the knowledge, tools, and money to fix it? No one can look at greased motor oil sludge pictures and tell you "yeah this car is a winner". You didn't even show us the car.

If I were presented with this opportunity here's what I'd do...
The car is selling for less then $1000. The car should be worth $3000+ on any given day. You know the seller so your getting a big break, or this person knows something you don't and doesn't value their relationships.
Assuming nothing else major is broken, and the car is clean titled. I'd buy it, clean up the mess, find the leak, and fix it. Seems like a no brainer to me. Where's the car located? I also know many people in need that could use this.

NIKLASAL

Thanks, EJ8, That is about the response I was looking for. I don't need the car, but I have a family member that does. My car experience is limited to brakes and axles, but I have a friend who is an auto mechanic. He's just a pain in the butt to get a hold of, and I don't want to miss out on a decent deal before he gets back to me. I really just wanted to see if this was a common problem for this model or year. I had a similar mystery leak coming from my 90 accord (the one in my profile pic) and after one trip I ended up losing a lot of oil and now need to replace my bearings, so I'm a little sketchy on the news

EJ8_Man

Your concerns are well placed. If the owner didnt replace what leaks out on a regular basis and the engine was starved for oil - this is a damaged engine. All engines can leak oil, it's common for any engine thats pushing 16 years and almost 200k miles. Its common because people don't change their oil at the correct frequency and it ruins the seals. it's not the engines fault.

The way I look at this - even if the motor is toast I could replace the whole block for $1200 and still come out ahead. Thats labor included. you could fo it yourself for 600-800. Look at the oil is it pitch black? Does the tail pipe look like a chimney? If its yes and yes plan on a rebuild. If its yes and no fix the leak.

JoshTheJerk

EJ8 is the man. Everything he has said is entirely correct.

tony_2018

The problem is finding someone you can trust to do the work, as you can see the OP stated that his mechanic friend is hard to get in touch with, I wonder why.

EJ8_Man

I only trust one mechanic: me

NIKLASAL

Amen to that. Just wish I had the time and skills.

The seller showed me his oil records and they were all consistent, 3-4K mile intervals. The oil was recently changed and the leaking stuff was actually pretty clean in terms of color. I have no reason to fear getting screwed: he's the retired father of my next-door neighbor (who is also one of my best buds). He got a brand new one and this one has been sitting a few weeks (I didn't see any drips in his driveway either). He planned to donate it.

My mechanic friend is actually my brother in law, and a great mechanic. ASE certified, everything from big rigs to Vipers, but he's a big guy and hates working without a lift. He's done some free work for us so I don't want to take advantage.

Johnnyrox

A used car is a used car and you might get 100 miles or 100000 miles. It sounds like the owner is giving you a big break as someone mentioned that the car is well below market price. I would take it to a reputable shop and get it checked over and ask the mech questions about the report.

I just had some friends that missed out on a good deal because the pre purchase report said oil leak from valve cover casket, and they turned it down because of that. They just figured that it was going to puke oil all over the place, when I told them that was and cheap easy fix they were a little pissed that the mech didn't explain that. I asked them if they asked any questions about the inspection, and of course they said no.

The point of that story is that it is worth it to have someone knowledgeable to go look at a vehicle, and to also educate your self a bit more on the specific vehicle you are looking at (which is what you are doing, so good).

I actually bought a truck before that had one side of the motor caked in oil and figured it was leaking pretty good so I got it for a good deal. I degreased the motor to find where it was leaking (even bought new valve cover gaskets) I couldn't find a leak. I ran into the previous owner and asked him where or who did his oil changes and he said it was him. It turns out that he would just dump the bottles of oil in without using a funnel so every time he dumped a new bottle in he spilt some each time. I figured that was the reason for all the oil on the one side of the engine as it never leaked again. If only every oil leak I had was that easy.

A better question to ask is where are common oil leaks on this model?
I know the exhaust camshaft seal and valve cover gaskets are.
Anyone else have others.

Also a product call ATP AT 205 has done wonders in stopping at oil leaks in a couple of my vehicles.

Rdonovan

I agree that it should be checked to see how much it will cost in the end. Will the person you are buying it for want to pay to fix it? Ask the guy if you can have your mechanic friend look at it. It does sound like a great deal plus he says he's kept up with maintenance.