I've had an oil leak for a while now. I believe it's the valve cover gasket(s). Seems to make sense because that is the highest point on the engine that I see oil. On the bottom, the engine is basically completely soaked in oil. Luckily it's not getting on my alternator or anything. How much oil does the car leak? I have to add a quart every two or three days, depending on how much driving I'm doing - although it still leaks when parked. That right there tells me there might be more than one leak because the valve cover gaskets should only leak when the car is running.
Quickly, I want to state that no one is paying for this (sadly). I honestly just like to let people know how and if certain products work. SeaFoam and Marvel Mystery Oil are proven to work but there isn't many good pour-in products besides those.
I want to say something about these products. You really have to know what you're putting in your car and if you're doing it for the right reason because although most of these products don't cause damage, they can.
Here is one example. I had a 1995 Lexus LS400 with over 200,000 miles on it. The engine had more sludge than usual due to bad maintenance and the problem was that it was too much for the SeaFoam. In retrospect, I should have used the type you spray in your throttle body.
Anyway, I put the SeaFoam in my gas and oil as instructed and ran the car. No smoke... Five minutes later, I see small puffs of smoke. I thought this stuff was supposed to burn off the carbon deposits?
The car never drove right again. It started throwing random codes and the ECU was getting confused. I don't know for sure but I have heard this could happen. I think because my old car had way too much carbon buildup to begin with, the SeaFoam was only enough to push it down the system. It probably went all over the exhaust system, putting carbon deposits on probably every sensor it hit. That was an exception. I have had success with SeaFoam by using it every 100k miles. But if your engine has a LOT of sludge, don't do it.
So like I said, look for information online before you use any type of pour-in magic liquid (that's what I call them).
To give you an idea of the thickness of this stuff, the red thing pictured here (that I should know the name of!), filled to the top line, would take about three minutes to drain through.
In retrospect, I should have taken a picture of how thick the Lucas Stop Oil Leak was. It was somewhat cold outside and it was moving like molasses. Pouring in a full quart took probably a good eight minutes! By the way, the directions state to fill your oil with 20% of maximum volume with this product. The LS400 holds about 5 quarts of oil so I used one quart of Lucas Stop Oil Leak (a small bottle) and then I had enough room to add some normal oil.
The directions say it needs three days to work fully so I will be updating you people on what happens. Honestly, the thickness of it is what might help the oil from seeping out so quick but if it lasts... I will be surprised and very happy.
Right now - I think I said this - I add about an quart ofoil every two or three days. Let's see how much I have to add in the next six. That way I can tell if it helped or not.
I have my fingers crossed, I'm thinking positive, and the consistency along with people's reviews on other websites gives me some hope. I'm having a new problem - yay! I'm hoping to temporarily resolve this so I can fix this stupid issue that popped up...
I thought my alternator was going out and it wasn't, thank God, but I was getting a battery icon when I would start the car sometimes. Now the car does this every time. When I start it, the battery light (low voltage) comes on. After driving a half of a mile, it goes away. I tested the alternator and it produces just over 14 volts. That's almost like a brand new one. Yet somehow, whenever I start my car now, my battery light comes on until the battery is charged more. It won't die but it also won't charge in park or neutral - I have to drive for that.
I'm thinking there's corrosion somewhere. The wire running from the alternator may have high resistance. Heck, it could be soaked with oil.
New Year's was fun...
So there's my two little problems and I will post the results of both. Look for part 2 in about a week and expect something on how I fixed my little battery issue.
- Rokas Kirvelis
P.S. This is my newest center armrest cover. Real leather, completely hand made, and it has an embossed Lexus logo. I can make them custom for dashboards too and if you want to own a piece, please get in contact with me. The logo can be whatever make you want or you can change the style completely. My armrest is torn (like most LS400s) and this makes it look much better. It doesn't slide because it is held on by Velcro - just enough to hold it in place. The piece above is missing the side stitching. This one has gold stitching but you can pick whatever colors and stitch types you want.
Contact me through Instagram - @Rokask1.
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