Dear Tom and Ray:

The timing belt in my 1988 4-cylinder Toyota Camry was replaced at 60,000 miles at a foreign-car repair shop. Upon a free complete auto inspection at the Toyota dealership a little over a year later, it was discovered that the timing belt seal was leaking. It obviously was no longer under warranty, and I don't know if it started leaking during the warranty period. What damage can it cause if it is not fixed? The car now has 75,000 miles. -- Gene

Ray: My guess is that they're talking about a crankshaft seal, Gene. And to put your mind at ease, it probably started leaking after your timing belt change, and almost certainly had nothing to do with it.

Tom: How much damage you'll do by not fixing it depends on how serious a leak it is.

Ray: If it's leaking a significant amount of oil (if you run it on your driveway for half an hour and see a spot bigger than a quarter), then you should get it fixed. The dripping oil itself won't cause any further damage. But running low on -- or out of -- oil could destroy the engine.

Tom: If it's just leaking a drop here and a drop there, you could leave it alone. But I wouldn't recommend that. Because then, you're basically deciding that the car is no longer worth taking care of, and you're putting it on the "highway to heapdom."

Ray: Right. You'll begin to put off other repairs and maintenance, because in your mind you'll have decided that the car is "on its way out." And you'll always drive around afraid of running low on oil, and wondering if the leak is getting worse. And a Camry with 75,000 miles is too young to give up on.

Tom: So I'd start by confirming the diagnosis. Ask another mechanic to look at the car. If he says the crankshaft seal leak is at all significant, then I'd fix it. This is what's known in the business as a "second opinion."

Ray: Right. Whenever my brother asks for a second opinion on his '63 Dodge Dart, his mechanic says, "Yeah, it's broken AND it's ugly."

Spending a little money now on "preventive maintenance" can save you big bucks down the road. Find out how by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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