*** Rear Main Oil Seal Leak or? ***

[FSUDAL]

I have a 2010 Buick Lacrosse CXL AWD 3.0L that drips oil between the engine and transaxle. The valve covers were leaking, which I changed, hoping that it would also resolve what looked like a rear main oil seal leak. Unfortunately, it has been a month since the valve covers were changed and it is still dripping between the engine and transaxle leading me to believe I also have a rear main oil seal leak. I tried ATP stop leak which did not help. Knowing how big the job is, I went to a local junk yard to practice using a three point engine brace. The junkyard car looked to have the same leak. After separating the engine and transaxle I wasn't sure if the leak was from the rear main seal, the corners of the rear main seal retainer plate, or the oil pan (see attached picture 1). As you may know the rear main seal come with a retainer plate (see attached picture 2).

Do you think replacing the rear main seal/retainer plate will solve the problem? According to the service manual, trying to remove the oil pan will also require that the timing cover plate be removed. That would be an absolute nightmare since I am not dropping the engine and do not have a lift at home. Where do you think the leak in the picture is coming from and how do you think it could be repaired?

Thank you.

 

[richardnewton]

What else could it be?

These are the vehicles that used a similar 3.0L engine so maybe you can use that info to search.

GM High Feature engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This is a video on a 2010 Chevy Equinox 3.0 SUV rear main seal job. Apparently that was engine out.

READY FOR THE ROAD !! DONT WAIT TOO LONG TO GET YOUR CAR FIXED. THIS CUSTOMER ACTED FAST AND APPROVED THE REPAIRS !! | A-B Automotive LLC

READY FOR THE ROAD !! DONT WAIT TOO LONG TO GET YOUR CAR FIXED. THIS CUSTOMER ACTED FAST AND APPROVED THE REPAIRS !!.

www.facebook.com

 

[Smith1000]

Hard to tell where it is coming from. How much is it leaking? My 2013 AWD leaks gear oil from the transfer case, but only when it is moving. I top it off about every 9 months.

 

[FSUDAL]

What else could it be?

These are the vehicles that used a similar 3.0L engine so maybe you can use that info to search.

GM High Feature engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This is a video on a 2010 Chevy Equinox 3.0 SUV rear main seal job. Apparently that was engine out.

READY FOR THE ROAD !! DONT WAIT TOO LONG TO GET YOUR CAR FIXED. THIS CUSTOMER ACTED FAST AND APPROVED THE REPAIRS !! | A-B Automotive LLC

READY FOR THE ROAD !! DONT WAIT TOO LONG TO GET YOUR CAR FIXED. THIS CUSTOMER ACTED FAST AND APPROVED THE REPAIRS !!.

www.facebook.com

Thank you for your reply, Richard! When you say "what else can it be?" I'm not sure what you mean. Do you think that the leak is coming from:

1. The rear main seal (I don't see a lot of oil around it, but I am a newbie)
2. The corners of the retainer plate (seems like that is where the oil is. Maybe the gasket failed as it is shaped like an n)
3. The oil pan (in which case I will not attempt the repair)

If it's 1 or 2, then I can do the job since I can replace the rear main seal/retainer plate without removing the engine (support engine with brace, drop the subframe, and transaxle...).

If it's 3, then I cannot do the job since the engine would need to be removed. I believe removing the oil pan also requires that the timing chain cover be removed. There is not enough room to remove the timing chain cover while the engine is still in the car (according to the manuals that I've read).

Please let me know which number you think it is and I will update you after the repair (if most everyone believes it is 1 or 2).

Thanks again for taking the time to respond!

 

[FSUDAL]

Hard to tell where it is coming from. How much is it leaking? My 2013 AWD leaks gear oil from the transfer case, but only when it is moving. I top it off about every 9 months.

I just got the car about 2 months ago. I have driven about 2,000 miles so far. If I do the math, it works out to about 1 quart every 5,000 miles right now. My concern is that the car is going to my youngest son who will be driving it back and forth to college this fall. Each day he will drive 100 miles or 2,000 miles each month. I am worried that the leak will get a lot worse if not addressed. What do you think I should do? Thank you.

 

[Smith1000]

Actually, I feel driving 100 miles a day and going to school, that's too much driving. Maybe he could move closer and get some roommates to share on the housing cost. The car can break down for other reasons and he would have the dilemma of not being able to get to classes.

At the rate it is currently leaking, I would not yet spend money on fixing it. It could get worse, but it may take a very long time before it gets to the point it needs to be fixed, or it may stay about the same. My '13 uses about a quart ever 1,500 miles. I keep it topped off at the full line though. I don't let it get very far below the full line.