1999 honda civic EX, 248k mi.

I've owned this car for the last 11 yrs. and she's been great to me....well maintained of course!

It's had a minor rear main seal leak since bout 125k, i just top off oil every once in a while....no biggy.

About a month ago, i noticed a tiny gouge where the head & block meet, on front of engine, just to left of the header. It doesn't pour oil out from there, but the area right around it is lightly oil stained.

I'm wondering what the heck this is & how concerned I should be about it?


Camera on phone sux, but you get the idea. It's just right of center of pic. That lil white spot is the gouge (on the block side).

 

Are you talking about the area I have circled in red?

 

Yes, thanks

 

Have you touched it? That looks more like HondaBond than oil.

 

Yes i've touched it. I guess the pic makes it look like hondabond oozing outta there, but i can assure you that its a chip in the metal.

 

The oil is all around it, as u can see it extend out to just past that header bolt

 

OK, I'll take your word on it. It doesn't look like something worth worrying about, though. Fix your rear main seal, and go from there.

 

thanks.

Any ideas bout what this is? A friend who works on cars said he's never seen that b4.

 

Probably a leaking distributor O-ring or VTEC solenoid.

 

We need better pictures.