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I just picked up this 01 4cyl Accord with 135k miles as a new daily. I took it to Honda for a quick oil change and never really noticed an leaks on my garage floor before the oil change (Doesn't mean there wasn't I just never noticed). After the oil change, I get home and look at the receipt and see that they noted it was an oil leak upon inspection. So of course ever since then I've been noticing leaks on the cardboard I placed under the car. I'm new to this platform, and was wondering if anyone has any idea on where my leak could be coming from? My guess would be maybe coming from the valve cover gasket, and leaking down because i do see built up oil around the seal up top. But again, I'm reaching out because I'm not 100% sure and don't have the funds to play the guessing game as much. Thanks in advance.
To me that looks like an axle seal that needs to be replaced.
HOWEVER! I also would not be surprised if it was a VTEC solenoid area leak, it will drip down in the same path. You can't really see that leak very easily, you either can stick your hand underneath the solenoid and just see if there is wetness, or (what I ended up doing) get a boroscope so you can aim a lens behind the engine and then you will see it clearly.
Personally, I would simply change both the vtec solenoid gasket and the axel seal. Neither is expensive, but you would need to have the right tools for the axle seal (not to get the seal out, but you do need to break the axle nut free to get the axle out, plus you have to free a bushing from the lower control arm, and it takes a fwe whacks to get it loose. If you have tools, like a giant breaker car or impact wrench, you can get this off with no issues.
The seal is just a fw bolts around the intake to get to VTEC solenoid, and free it enough to get the replacement gasket in there.
At this age, valve cover, vtec solenoid, and axle seals are pretty common issues to deal with .
I did the solenoid gasket myself this year, and the axle seals last year ( I figured just to do both sides so I wouldn't have to think about again for a long time). Valve cover gasket the year before (about every 10 years it was replaced).
As tempting as it might look, there is unlikely to be anything leaking directly from those bolts, what's above that or inside that is the cable for the transmission shifter (not a normal source of oil or trans leak).
To add to the above, if given a choice, I would replace from the highest point and work down. Meaning change the vtec solenoid gasket first (it's also easier than the axle job) and see if you got it.
To me that looks like an axle seal that needs to be replaced.
HOWEVER! I also would not be surprised if it was a VTEC solenoid area leak, it will drip down in the same path. You can't really see that leak very easily, you either can stick your hand underneath the solenoid and just see if there is wetness, or (what I ended up doing) get a boroscope so you can aim a lens behind the engine and then you will see it clearly.
Personally, I would simply change both the vtec solenoid gasket and the axel seal. Neither is expensive, but you would need to have the right tools for the axle seal (not to get the seal out, but you do need to break the axle nut free to get the axle out, plus you have to free a bushing from the lower control arm, and it takes a fwe whacks to get it loose. If you have tools, like a giant breaker car or impact wrench, you can get this off with no issues.
The seal is just a fw bolts around the intake to get to VTEC solenoid, and free it enough to get the replacement gasket in there.
At this age, valve cover, vtec solenoid, and axle seals are pretty common issues to deal with .
I did the solenoid gasket myself this year, and the axle seals last year ( I figured just to do both sides so I wouldn't have to think about again for a long time). Valve cover gasket the year before (about every 10 years it was replaced).
As tempting as it might look, there is unlikely to be anything leaking directly from those bolts, what's above that or inside that is the cable for the transmission shifter (not a normal source of oil or trans leak).
Happy new years' eve.
Thank you for the response! I'm going to starting working on those, and hopefully solve the problem.
To add to the above, if given a choice, I would replace from the highest point and work down. Meaning change the vtec solenoid gasket first (it's also easier than the axle job) and see if you got it.
Most definitely! I'm going to hit the Valve Cover Gasket, and VS, then work down. Thanks for the advice!
The advice given about removing the water inlet is accurate, if you at least loosen some of the bolt and remove them, you can push it out of the way enough to get to all the solenoid bolts.
Unknown Leak
