Hi,
I went to oil change at local aaa car care center and they said that I have oil leak. It is due to bad crankshaft and cam shaft seal. It can affect timing belt and could cause more damage.
They asks about 350 in labor plus parts that i want to change (like timing belt $70, crankshaft seal $60, cam shaft seal $18, water pumps etc). The total can be about 550-650 depending on what we want.
Now the problem is replacing those seals is equivalent to doing a timing belt service. I think i did a full timing belt service about 40-50k ago(4-5 years). The dealer asks about $982 for a full timing belt change(replace all seals, belts, etc). This sound too much for me. i confirmed with two honda dealers in the area. Other local shops also quote from 700-800.

What shoudl I do? should I just go with aaa car care center and replace those things or go for a dealership service again?
what I understand is that the oil leak problem is not bad(lost about a quart between oil change) but the concern is about oil damaging the timing belt.

 

We only charge 675 for a 4cyl timing belt.
And if you pay 60 for a crank seal your crazy.

 

Those seals should have been replaced when you had the last timing belt job done. if they were replaced then, they should not be leaking now.

if the leaks are severe enough to get on the belt i would imagine they could soften it and cause premature failure (possible engine damage... BIG $$$).

if i had looked at your car and suspected an oil leak from one or both of those seals i would first ask you when the last T-belt job had been done... taking the info into consideration i would likely have cleaned the area thoroughly, suggest you drive for a week or two and come back in to check the progress of the leak. then go from there depending on the looks of things.

if i were in your shoes, i would start by calling up the guys who did your timing belt 50k ago and review the work that has been done.

 

\\woooooo.. those seals were replace 50k miles,, 4-5 years ago and you wan to call the guys who did the job?? why?? even if they did replace all the seals, seals are not meant to last forever ,, it has been 50k miles if not more ,,

cam seal leaking oil goes around the plastic inner cover ( assuming it is there and not being removed ) and out of top of the rear ( head) ''hardly ever gets on the belt

crank seal leaking , unless oil is gushing big time, goes under the retainer and out of lower center part of t-belt cover ,, oil hardly ever gets on belt....

balancer shaft seal is a different story.......

 

You should have had the seals replaced when you did the timing belts. Also the water pump too.

 

IDK i would contract the dealer see if they will work with you. Not likely though since its been 50k.

But yes a cam and crank seal will cause a timing belt to eventually fail by saturating the timing belt. I would also replace the belt anyway since your going to be in their replacing those seals for one, and two to eliminate the risk of that belt failing.

BTW those seals are not considered normal service when replacing the timing belt at a dealer. Its a option.

 

It's pretty danm dificult for oil to actually get to the timing belt itself. I've seen neglected accords before, and not one of them had actually had oil getting on them. Because of the pulleys spinning, the oil tends to get all over the wall of the plastic cover, but not the belt itself.

 

I usually check around the local mailer ads u get in the mail for discounts on timing belt replacement, like the Pennysaver. Usually auto shops placing ads are not getting any business and usually discount it to try to drum up business. But make sure you tell them you have your own parts and make sure they will use yours. Most places, I've found make money marking up parts like Firestone. I will never have my car worked on by those high priced goons. Then just call around and find the best prices parts and get 'em yourself. You can find timing belt kits and seal kits and obviously you'll want to get the water pump and gasket done too. Last thing, absolutely ask for all the old parts back, especially when you buy parts from an auto shop. You have a legal right to them and want to make sure that your parts got put on. Also, ask what the warranty is on the labor. I usually don't pay more than $350 for a timing belt replacement including replacement of seals and water pump, 'though my next one I'm gonna be doing myself. I would say check out the place you're gonna have the work done on with yelp and other reviewers.