I wonder if an alternate easier solution, for those who can't afford it, is rigging up something like an expanding turnbuckle that puts firm normal force on the leak area with some soft rubber at the leak end, kind of like one would stop bleeding in an open wound.
_Yep. I cannot STAND it when there is so much LOUD background music (no matter the type) that I need to turn on Closed Captioning just to understand what is being spoken! To be clear, I'm always appreciative of someone that takes the time & effort to post a video... but it actually saddens me when they somewhat 'ruin it' by adding awful (and often too loud) background music!_ *OK. I feel better. LOL*
I worked for the Toyota Powertrain plant in Georgetown Ky. that builds this V6 engine and the area with the leak in this video is what we called the 3-point mating surface and If cleaned properly before the cover is installed they would not leak. The problem usually happens when team member handling the part touches that area. The team members have alignment jigs to prevent touching. I own a 2016 Avalon with the V6 and it is a great engine with very good MPG. I have since retired from the plant after 33 years and 10 months of employment. I have made this same repair on new engines in the plant that failed testing and had a leak before even being installed in a car.
Thanks for a reply from somebody truly in the know about this issue! My question is - since this area was so sensitive to a leak happening - why did Toyota not just specify replacing with a gasket AND sealer, instead of just the crappy sealer??? I know this wasn't your call to make, and when it comes to pinching pennies every automaker is acutely aware of the least increased expense. But I'm thinking adding in a gasket PLUS sealer would have cost them $1 per car to do. So why didn't they? A fix that only bounces back a few thousand miles later is not a fix!
This job was given to you because the owner of this car was impressed when you refused to change brakes that did not need to be changed. Honesty pays for itself. I You are a tremendous mechanic.
Correct. With me that's huge. Turning down someone willing to pay you because you think they are wasting their money is rare, and even for a simple thing, I would remember it
The way you are producing these in-depth repair videos with voice over is fantastic, we can see everything while you explain everything in a calm voice - outstanding!
Hi Mr CCNut, I love your videos. If it wasn’t for the fact that i live in Sydney Australia I would be a customer. Please if you can, 2009 rx350 6 speed when i put in gear or reverse i get what i can only describe as a ping sound driving no issues Cold or warm start from N to D or R ping. I suspect low auto transmission fluid but dunno. Regards mike.
Def one of my favorite AMD videos!, My wife has a 2011 Toyota Rav4 v6 with the 2GR-FE and I just checked- no leaks for now! AMD, much love from Southern Ontario for the high quality content. 👌
As a professional when you know what you're up to and do a thorough job, the public will GREATLY APPRECIATED rather than just DOING THE MINIMUM TO GET THE JOB DONE IS WHAT MOST AUTO REPAIRS AND SHOPS DO FOR THE MONEY!
Some bargain. Thousands of dollars in expense to fix something that shouldn't break in the first place. How'd you like paying $45,000 for a new Lexus and then have to deal with it leaking oil all over the place like a 1962 British motorcycle.
@@donjulio5045 Rrrrright. I should learn to code and remove the engine and transmission myself outside where I park on the street. ps please buy a V6 Toyota and enjoy yourself
I've got a 2007 Sienna, has the 3.5L with 278,000 miles. Never had a SINGLE problem. If the thing blows up tomorrow, I am STILL amazed! And ready to replace it with ANOTHER TOYOTA.
@@davidanderson8469they all have 10,000 mile oil change intervals with 1+ year between them too :(. So hard to find a used car that was taken care of these days because people who have them don’t sell them
I'm 31 years old and have owned nothing but Toyota since high school. It's a family "tradition" that we've started since my grandfather bought a Corolla in the 70's and fell in love with it. I wanted to tell you that your content and what you cover is TOP NOTCH. Kudos.
@@sharedknowledge6640 I lost a good friend and her 2 young children when her 2009 Camry went to full throttle at a busy intersection. When the data from the engine computer was pulled it revealed implausible data faults from the accelerator pedal position switch. That discovery was a vital part in the wrongful death suit against Toyota. Toyota tried several times to take possession of that vehicle to "assess" the problem. No doubt if they had that information would have been flashed out of existence. Toyota also made shims to install in the APP to correct the sudden or unintended acceleration. Toyota was so arrogant with this deadly problem. They were found to have known about the problem and had to pay the largest fine ever for covering it up. They, in my opinion, also paid off the NHTSA and the enlisted NASA engineers to "find" that there was no fault with Toyota's products that it was pedal misapplication. So they recalled 8 million vehicles, paid the largest fine ever, engineered a shim to correct the sticking pedals, reflashed engine computers for nothing? Then have the audacity to blame the problem on Toyota's own loyal buyers as pedal misapplication and incompatiblefloor mats. What a shame. Toyota is as arrogant as a lot of their owners. Buy a Toyota, they say. It'll last forever and won't cause any problems. Here we have a repair that requires the entire power train to be removed for an oil leak! At less than 120K miles too! Then this guy says "This engine is very well engineered, trust me I know I've been in hundreds if not thousands" well that statement is a little contradicting. No offense to his ability as a mechanic. I can tell he is very capable and takes pride in his work. Well Toyota fans this little "Achilles Heel" of an oil leak just costed you thousands of dollars to correct. But at least the engine didn't go to full throttle against your will and cause a loss of life. I love what you do for me, Toyota!
I don’t work on Toyota so I can learn a lot from you. You’re one of the very best in auto repair business. Many try, nothing beats knowledge and experience. Just a professional
Dude, I love you man! I only wish I could work in your shop with you. Professional, honest, knowledgeable, organized, humorous, and well spoken. Great video!! It's a shame there are so few mechanics like you.
Excellent video and description. I’m a 38 year Toyota Master Tech, recently retired and have to say, that was perfect. This audience can learn a lot from your videos. FYI we originally used the pallets from the truck frames with those heavy duty Harbor Freight caster wheels attached , to jockey the frames around,and then started using them for engine removal.
Agreed. I'm a Lexus Master tech myself, the main tech that performs this and the head gasket replacement, and lost count after the 10th cover I've done. I use a flat push cart and wood to support the frame. I prefer to put the engine on a stand to do it. I got tired of getting dripped on by the oil pans. My FYI, I recommend a water pump when I do this repair or head gasket replacement. My only tips I have are upon cover removal is to stick rags under the gears and to wipe all mating surfaces down with a lint free rag and CRC brand brake cleaner to clean the surface. There's a film still left if it isn't done.
I just found your UA-cam channel. Being the son of a retired auto mechanic (and a Television engineer) I can't help it but to admire the awesome production of the video and the complete and detailed content of it. Watching was a delightful experience. I don't own a Toyota or Lexus but if I did, I would bring it to you even when that'd require to drive 2 hours (I'm in South Bend).
I would like to say it’s very impressive that you have to time to film, teach and explain everything while taking the engine out of a car. That requires a lot of time and energy while staying concentrated on the job. Your an amazing technician. I’m 18 and I would love be to mentored by you. So thank you for making these videos and teaching me things I would never hear from just any technician.
Thanks for the diagnosis! After doing an oil change on my wife's 2011 Sienna (215k miles), I saw this leak and thought exactly as you described at 15:40 (banjo bolt leak). I had been looking for what that leak could be and how it can be fixed and, lo and behold, you pop out with this video. You, Sir, are no fluke. Your wealth of knowledge is priceless! Now I know it's a Front Timing Cover leak. On my wife's van it's not a "bad" leak. I cleaned it to see what would happen and it reappears slightly every month. I check the oil level every couple of weeks, and it has not gone down either. I might live with it but will monitor it regularly. May you continue to be blessed!
A leak like that is incredibly minor honestly. Especially at 215k. My 235k mile Accord has way more oil residue and doesn't use or lose any oil between changes. The best thing you can do? Change your PCV valve.
This video raised my blood pressure. I am purchasing a 2023 ES350 with the thought in my mind that this engine was basically bulletproof and almost infallible after all the time it has been in production. I have 2 Accord coupes with the J35. The timing belt issue always has had me question whether or not Honda understands the fear people have. I have been a Honda-fan for over 30 years despite 3 engines grenading themselves early due to timing belt and VCM issues despite what I thought was excellent maintenance. I was interested in this engine because EVERYONE else stating "Bulletproof" "Perfect" "300,000+ miles with basic oil changes" etc etc. Thank you for presenting reality. I found your channel only yesterday.
@bb5242 The D-series engines, as I recall, asked for replacements at 60,000. My '91 CRX grenaded at 60,500-ish. The 2nd, another D-series, let go around 120,000, 2nd belt. My J35, I changed at 93,000, around recommended time. The VCM took that engine out.
If only an honest guy like you was in my area....I always trade to newer when a vehicle gets 4-5 years....just because finding honest competent repairman is almost impossible...
Your videos are usually a bit different than what you see from guys like Scotty and the Car Wizard. I really ENJOY seeing how you have given us a look at how this V6 would be dropped and repaired. Big thumbs up and subscriber here........ THANKS FOR POSTING!
Eric O on the South Main Auto channel shows you the whole repair in real time and he does it like I would pour a cup of coffee. Watch him if you want to see every detail.
Thankfully, my es350 hasn't had an oil leak. It just turned over 360,000 miles yesterday and is still rock solid with routine oil changes. The 3.5 liter is Toyota's best engine!
You are such a class act and genius with automobile repairs. Watching you zip through the myriad of details that are part of doing this repair and confidence with which you reassemble it all is mind blowing. If I ever need major repair to my Lexus I'm inclined to drive across country so I could have your shop do it.
I had a 2007 ES350 with this oil leak and I just watched the oil level and added maybe one liter every 4000kms. I now have a 2012 ES350 and no leaks so far at 95,000km. If it does develop a small leak, I will live with it.
I agree it’s not worth the effort to fix. That is a very minor oil leak. All engines leak a little oil especially if they get overfilled and/or run hard.
Did you ever have any transmission issues with your '07? I have the same car with the same leak and also a bit of a slip on the 3-4 shift when the trans is cold.
@@markvanderlee My transmission would sometimes slip when shifting down from 5th or 4th to 3rd when merging under full throttle. The 2012 I have now has a much smoother shifting transmission.
try cleaning the area around the head - block - timing cover joint from the outside and smear gray rtv over it , there's no way i would spend 20 hours without trying that first!!!
Just took my mom’s 2007 es 350 with 126k in last week for service. My certified Lexus/Toyota mechanic pointed this out to me. Told me exactly the thing! Not worried about the small oil seepage it at the timing cover at this time but monitor it. A lot of labor involved.
@@jonc2914 last i checked toyota oem spark plugs are like $13 each. Bmw ones are like 100 each. Hoses on toyota are standard and can be found everywhere. On bmw, they are proprietary with couplings. Toyota used mostly metric bolts. Bmw uses torx, hex, etc. The list goes on and on.
How long can you drive with this leak ? My 2016 Tacoma has a minor leak. Does it cause the coolant to mix with the engine oil or anything? I don’t feel like spending 4-6 grand for a re-seal right now.
This guy is amazing. That stealership took a giant hit when Amd decided to go on his own. I know where I'll be taking my Rav4 after the warranty runs out.
I have a 2007 Toyota RAV4 V6 (2GRFE) that I've been driving with the cold start rattle for over two years. Current mileage is 115K miles. Gradually, it got to the point that the rattle occurred with every cold start. No oil leaks; it still had that old VVTi oil line that needed replacing as well. Thanks to "The Car Care Nut" for these remarkable posts on the subject which helped me to intelligently understand the issue as well as approach my mechanic. The decision point on getting the 'time bomb' 2GRE cold start rattle issue fixed is one's overall view on keeping the car as well as the overall vehicle serviceability. Indeed, it is expensive because of the size of the V6 in the engine compartment requiring it to be removed. While the parts themselves are comparatively cheap (using ONLY Toyota OEM or AISIN), it's 20 hours labor to remove the engine, effect repair and replace the engine. In my case, this car is the best vehicle I've ever owned, and its 2GRFE V6 engine is probably the best V6 made by anyone ... ever. It's just that, unfortunately, the 2GRFE (and other 2GR variants) had the 'birth defect' of the VVTi problem from years 2006 through 2012. Otherwise, I've taken immaculate care of the vehicle and for its years, it is low-mileage. I am keeping this vehicle, no matter what other vehicle I might purchase, and on that note, any new vehicle I'd want to purchase equates to an eight to 12 month wait. So, rather than sit on the time bomb for upwards to a year, I am "repurchasing" my own 'quality pre-owned' car by having its repairs done. This includes new lower front control arms and front struts because they were due anyway, and insofar as the VVTi repair, since the engine is out, I'm due new spark plugs and a new water pump. I have a great independent repair shop, including a Toyota specialist with 40 years experience. The vehicle went into the shop on August 14th, and after waiting a week and a half for the VVTi gear assembly to be sourced and delivered, I picked her up on the 25th. Rattle gone, engine is strong, quiet and I can wait out the sh*t show of the new car market. How much did that cost? $6,800.00 for another 100k+ miles. These 2d Gen RAVs are among the best cars Toyota ever made; the V6 still gets around 27mpg hwy/24 city and I just couldn't rationalize, "skipping it" for the sake of infotainment, lane keeping assist and blind spot monitoring in something new at $40k and up.
Oh how I wish you were in UK as I would drive to anywhere in the UK that you had set up your workshop. I would trust you with my car as I know you put EVERYTHING into doing your job right. You are a rare individual, I have never come across someone so devoted to your trade and empathetic to your customers. Your engineering mind is quite beautiful to watch in your videos.
Your videos are simply mesmerizing!! Your skills with a wrench, a camera and the spoken word are quite impressive!! It's your honest open discussion about issues like these that will have me drive 1000 miles from Florida if I ever need this level of repair. Yeah, it'll cost more for the travel, but it's hard to put a price on piece of mind. Thanks for this channel, sir!!
I feel like this is the type of guy that while I’m over there crying, cussing and throwing wrenches he’d come over and be like “lemme help” then 3mins later it’s fixed and I’m like😱🫡 much respect to you! Subscribed with the bell!!
Great video. I don't even own a Toyota but I can appreciate watching a masterful professional Technician yourself doing what you do. May the Lord bless you and keep you as well. 👍
You are a true professional sir. I am glad you are making these videos so you are teaching people how to do things correctly. There are so many mechanics out there doing things extremely poorly that give mechanics a bad name. But you are extremely top notch and I would feel confident bringing my car to you. And trust me I don’t let anybody touch my vehicles. Thank you again keep up the fantastic work.
Your are a rare breed of mechanic; honest,talk directly to the point. I have a es-300 with a 3.0 V6 and besides cover gasket and suspension replaced , ah and a charcoal canister. My car (2000).with 212,000 miles still running like a kitten!!!!!!
As a long time Lexus/Toyota owner, I find your videos both informative and fascinating to watch. I had this exact repair done on my 2016 RX with 28,000 miles on it. The warranty had expired 2 months prior to my discovering the leak, however, Lexus did the repair free of charge anyway. I had no idea how involved it was. I now have a new 22RX and I’m hoping they they have corrected this problem. Thank you for making these excellent videos. You are a true professional at your craft!
I just bought a 2016 RX with 83k miles. First Toyota product for us. No entry on the CarFax report for this repair. In fact, the one-owner car seemed to have been self-maintained. Fingers crossed.
@@spicydogsoup no, every one of them do. Eventually the oil starts dripping on the passenger side axle and slings oil everywhere. There will be oil all over the fire wall and back side of the engine. And all underneath the undercarriage. While driving, the oil is blown towards the rear. This is usually evident on Toyota brands if you are behind them on the road. You can see oil on the lower part of the rear bumper cover. Especially if it's been a while since it was washed.
I haven't worked on my Lexus in a while, found a local independent guy who we like, but I really enjoyed you disassembling this and talking in detail about various things. Excellent job! New subscriber
TY Sir for another awesome video, as an owner with a 2GRFE this was brilliant to watch but scary as well, I have never had an oil leak issue as my car is maintained very well but now I know what could be required if I am unfortunate to experience a leak. Ty mate I have posted a link too this on our Australian Toyota Owners Club site for all of my fellow 2GRFE owners to watch. Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘👍👍
Great job. I was first hesitant to spend 45 minutes on your video but I enjoyed myself much more than watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster CGI movie on Netflix. Your editing, narration, confidence and film making has improved fast and significantly. There is just something about an honest mechanic that makes me happy and gives me faith back in humanity. PS And thanks for mentioning the Car Wizard. Another one of my favourites.
I'm always so impressed with your skill level. You make difficult jobs seem easy when we all know they are not. If I ever need this work done I know where I'm going. The 75 mile drive to your shop would be well worth it. Keep up the great work.
@@eleanormassaro5195 And I'm about a 125 miles from his shop. I will never go to a dealer again and I don't even need to explain why since I'm sure most people understand.
The production as well as the detailed content you’ve explained is impeccable. If that’s all that’s needed to be done with those miles on it. Then it’s worth it. Because now you’ll get another 100k+ out of it. I keep autos to the end myself. I’m not into getting a new one every 5-8yrs just because they’ve updated the look of it.
Great video, now I understand why my car was in the shop for over a week getting this done. Sad part is that I bought a CPO 2022 Lexus ES350 with 12,500 miles. The CarFax that came with it said that the timing cover gasket had been replaced. Within a week of owning the car, the bottom of the engine was covered with oil and it was leaking on the driveway. Took it in and they took almost a week to replace the valve cover gaskets. Less than 500 miles later I thought I saw oil on the driveway again but could not see anything under the car but checked the oil level every morning just to be sure. Was driving it one afternoon and the low oil level warning came on. Had it towed back to the dealer and over a week later just got it back. They said the technician who had originally replaced to cover missed an o-ring! Sure hope it is fixed now.
...Absolutely love your channel and content! We just bought our second RX350 (2022 V6). We bought our first one 15 years ago. It is still a great vehicle and still running strong! I will most definitely follow your maintenance recommendations moving forward with the new one!
Another impressive video for those who, like me, are not car mechanics. We feel your great experience, in the calm and the concern to do well that you implement at each intervention on a vehicle, whatever the problem to be solved. Even without being directly concerned by this kind of operation or by the vehicle concerned, I always have great pleasure in watching your videos, solely for this constant state of mind that you show. Thank you and continue to give us this fine example of professionalism. From France.
I've been eyeing a Toyota Crown from 2009 with the 2GR-FSE engine (non-hybrid one), but got scared after watching this video. Oh man, I was so hyped for that car - and still am, to be honest. People still praise this engine and it was not like it was bashed in this video either. I just tend to end up with the cars that happen to have the worst possible problems hidden inside of them. But the video was great: it was informative, thorough and literally showed the whole process from end to finish and even shed some light on the potential costs. Love it!
Thank You for the informative content. It educates owners as to what they are dealing with and who should do their mechanical work for them. I help people in home improvement for the past 34 years and I can go anywhere in my community and have people walk up and thank me for the sound advice I’ve given them. As I’m sure you know It’s very fulfilling to know you’ve had a positive impact on other’s with information and confidence for them to make educated decisions so they don’t waste their time or hard earned money for poor results.
Every time I watch one of your videos, the first thing that comes to mind: competence is a wonderful thing! You make it all look so easy 😃 Your videos are awesome!
Amazing instructional video. Outstanding way to keep those Toyota mechanics and engineers out of trouble. Your safety concerns are a plus and that's usually ignored. True the oil leak issues were overlooked in the engineering design phase, but there's no such thing as perfection, especially when the car is exposed to environmental conditions. Your instructional production, both video and audio aspects are excellent. Never a boring moment. So glad you left out those overbearing and unnecessary background music additions. Kudos to you, your coworkers and that pristine shop.
As an owner of a 2015 RX350 and having changed the spark plugs recently, this definitely is a plan C for spark plug replacement. Its a great video on going what is all involved, Luckily mine isn't leaking oil yet, but I know where to go if I ever have to. Lots of great info as always, Thanks for the great video !
My son and I really appreciate your videos, he was a entry level tech at our local Toyota dealer. He has moved onto to another brand. Enjoy watching him grow in his abilities. I wish you were closer to me, would love to have has a mechanic. Side note it was funny you mentioned the Car Wizard's RAV4 video. I watched it and went to your video list and reviewed Rav4. I was going to send it to his channel, I figured he would find it though. Just kinda funny. Keep up the good work and thank you.
This has got to be one of the best videos on a repair I’ve ever watched. Very knowledgeable and your shop looks to be very clean. I wouldn’t think twice about bringing my car to you. It’s hard to find a shop like yours. Great job!
@@kellysutton2780Hondas aren’t what they used to be. Still better than most, but not Toyota/Lexus. All car companies have issues. Honda/Acura cars from the last 25 years have more problems on average than Toyota / Lexus cars, and sooner. I’ve had 2 Honda accords. I loved my 94 and it was in fact bulletproof. My 02 had transmission problems, which apparently after 1998 has been fairly common for Hondas.
At my job we remove the entire powertrain w/ the front axle all the time. We have a heavy duty metal table with a scissor lift under it to lower the whole thing away from the car and move it around. We actually made this table ourselves. It was worth it.
So much for Toyota and Lexus engineering. Yes, the cars can last a very long time, however, the manufacturers of these two vehicles knew fully well that rubber pieces rot out quickly and the oil leaks that resulted could be catastrophic leading to consumers having to pay for new engines, often over $11,000. This along with under carriage rot, exploding sunroofs, unintended acceleration problems et al, keeps me hesitant about purchasing one of these suv's wondering what's next to go wrong and cost an awful lot of money to repair. Consumer videos on you tube have been very informative in this area as is this excellent video from Car Care Nut. Thank you for all the pertinent and valuable information. It is truly appreciated.
I owned a 2009 Avalon with this engine. I maintained it religiously. Other than scheduled maintenance, I never had to put a dime into it. My best car ever
I own a 2013 Rx350 and thank you so much for the knowledge. This why I love your channel, and one of the reasons I bought a Lexus. You sir are a national treasure. God Bless
Another classic! My favorite part is the voice over explaining how to judge the seriousness of the oil leak, whether to make the repair, and who to get to do the repair. Hard to get this info anywhere else. Invaluable for me as an owner of two vehicles with this engine.
Even with having to do this every 150k at $3500, it's still much cheaper over the lifetime than just a couple years of routine maintenance with the other German brands and their multitude of gremlins
Fantastic! Couldn't be done better. Love all of your videos, and love your professionalism. As a fellow mobile technician, I pray that because of your work ethics more people appreciate the hard work of honest mechanics and shops, that sadly have been stained by dishonest dealerships and independent shops than only care about money, and not the customer and their trust. May the Lord bless you as well!
What a big job! It would be difficult to get a mechanic with your caliber to do the right thing. My thoughts, just clean the leak until the car reaches 300 K miles and by then it would be worth buying a new car since you’ve maximized its use.
@@kane5445 basically, wipe off periodically excess oil or place some absorbent pads underneath or on your garage floor to soak up the oil leak. Also check periodically the rate of oil loss. If substantial decide to get it repaired or sell the car.
That’s what I’m doing. I just bought a 2005 RX330 with 323,000 on it to be my work vehicle. Runs fine but has the leak. I was going to try some leak stop, but since I only paid $1,000 for the car, I’ll keep it, maintain it and drive it until it dies. If I get a year or two out of it, I’ll be happy.
Great video. Here's my take. If the leak isn't 'too bad" I can replace a lot of oil for the cost of installing new gaskets. In my case, my car has 260K miles and runs like a top. Some lifter noise but otherwise very strong engine. IF I have to pull the engine, I am going to do a complete rebuild or swap used engines.
Great video, I'd let you work on my vehicle any day! However, as a 35 year veteran master technician, I did see one fault with your process. The red shop rags you used to clean all of the sealing surfaces usually have an oily residue in them. This (as you also stated in the video) can compromise the ability of the "form in place" gasket material to make a good seal. I normally will use a lint free disposable shop rag to do this type of cleaning as to assure a perfectly clean surface.
Some folks are overreacting to this leak. If it is a small, seeping leak and doesn't require you to add oil, just leave it alone. It's not a leak that will destroy the engine. Clean the area yearly and keep those $$$$ in your pocket.
100% agree. After watching this video I am not touching the banjo bolt on the back oil supply line. Going to clean it every 6 months and keep changing oil every 5-6K miles.
@@BMC530i I drive a 4th gen Avalon. It's interesting that these leaks are much less common on those 2gr engines. I think the 4th gen Avalon 2gr engines were built in another plant. I may be wrong through.
Thank you for addressing when this may not be necessary. I typically clean something like this and recommend keeping an eye on it. You're often taking a risk of damaging hoses, connectors, running into a seized ball joint, rusted out exhaust etc that will add to the customer's expense if the car is a little older.
Excellent video AMD! I purchased a 2005 Avalon when I retired from the military. Around 78,000 miles, it began to leak at the timing chain cover. Ironically, I purchased an extended warranty and it covered the costs of this repair. As an automotive technician, I was impressed with the performance of the 3.5. I replaced the oil hose on Bank 1 and used a metal line BEFORE Toyota came up with their all metal line solution. At 82,000, I sold the Avalon within a week, the car was impeccable, but I didn’t want the issues in the future. I’ve repaired several of these engines for other issues (suspension, water pumps, etc)
I love that stand you used to set the engine assembly on .... wish I'd known about that 15 years ago ... I spent a whole day building a 4 foot tall 4x4 tool table chest on industrial castors that I used to do this job on many vehicles. 😅
Commenting on my girlfriends account because my phone died. I was just thinking how could I build this out of wood. Can you make a video going over your and how you built it?
As a Toyota Tacoma owner ( a 2010 with the 2.7 liter engine, RWD, automatic, standard cab and a 104,000 miles on it) I have really enjoyed your videos. The one issue that I am concerned about my truck is the plastic coolant bypass pipe. I know there is a metal pipe that Toyota has as a replacement for the plastic pipe. Should I be proactive and replace the plastic pipe or wait to see if a problem develops with the plastic one. I have seen videos on how to replace the bypass pipe and it looks like a DIY project. Thanks for all the good work.
Preventative maintenance is key. I wouldn't want to wait for it to start leaking because you'll lose oil pressure really quickly and could possibly seize your engine if gone unnoticed.
Checking in: 2008 Lexus RX 350, just about 120,000 miles. Not sure if to jump for joy or cry after this video 😁 So far no problems at all with the engine; all the maintenance AMD has recommended is up to date. Drove from Georgia to New York and back - smooth as silk sailing, no oil consumed, and no other problems at all to report. I’ll keep a hawk’s eye on that axle though! Well, it’s time to change that oil…
I can refill lots of oil for $2800. A little leak is just part of old cars. Your friends may ban you from their driveways but you need to walk more anyway.
You can change the plugs and coil packs without pulling the engine. Remove the top suspension brace. Park car in front of a workbench so you can place a piece of plywood on that and your top engine mounts to lie on. Remove bracket over #1 coil pack. Plugs coil packs and wires other things behind engine are now completely accessible for servicing. 2007 ES 350!
The 2GRFE drop out is an excellent video as an owner of a 2007 Lexus ES 350. Supplied me lots of tips and funny I also changed control arms, all new struts, tuneup with new plugs& coils on mine, (DIY well worth it). It really is an excellent engine, body & interior overall. I am grateful to be driving an older model Lexus and still enjoy pride of ownership. Lots of notes taken on this video and appreciate your excellent presentations.
Very clever 👍🏼 👍🏼 I would not get this fixed though, because I guarantee the bill would be double or triple the amount you stated here getting it done at a dealership, and I would not trust anyone other than a dealership to do this. Cars leak oil, that’s just what they do. Put an oil tray on your garage floor and check your oil level every month.
I’m an owner of a 2016 Avalon. Over 130,000 miles. Still have the original brake pads. Oil change very 7,000 miles (synthetic). At around 30,000 miles, under warranty, the dealer made some adjustments on the transmission (jerky between 1st and 2nd gear). As of now, it runs great.
This is a very well detailed documented vlog. Thank you sir for that and more importantly your honesty and fairness. I will highly recommend you to anyone who needs repairs on their Toyota Lexus vehicles.
Finally finished working my way through this video, what a great in depth breakdown. I also watched car wizards video but wasn’t aware of this problem. So many cars in Toyota and Lexus land could be affected by this, glad to have a heads up. Thanks!
Thank you for the detailed video that really gets to the nuts and bolts of the problem. The problem with our 2016 Avalon was a leaky water pump which cost $1200 to fix. Only 64,000 miles.
That is crappy, I have 2 cars with this engine and one sold at 220k miles no issues with water pump and 13 Lexus ES 104k miles. I gotta say I think Toyota from what I seen has gotten worse the last 5 or so years.
That was awesome. Thank you for your in depth description of the problems with the engine and how to make sure the repair is done correctly, along with your estimate of time and parts. Great shops, like great kitchens, don't have a lot of yelling and screaming or other BS because the people working there are experts at what they do and do things properly the first time around. That saves the customer time and money.
Excellent job explaining this. I recently had my 20 camry TRD resealed and luckily under factory warranty. I was very fortunate and had a technician that has done several of these and was able to perform this repair in one day. The new sealant has been improved so hopefully this will not be an issue in the future.
I had a 2011 Sienna with a 148k miles on it - I was told it was the banjo bolt on two separate occasions. My wife pulled in the driveway one Saturday morning and there was a lot of oil on the driveway - I knew it wasn't the "banjo bolt" since I had the 2nd one put on. I just wanted to know what it was, when I found this video VERY informative - Thank you-
2GRFE is a great engine, I've had 3 of them. Never a problem with any of them. No leaks either. If I do have a problem, I will drive up to have you do it for me. LOL.
It's a good video and very informative. That said, the 3.6 V6 has proven itself to be a very dependable and durable power train. High mile vehicles with this engine are not uncommon
Thee Most Honest video I haver seen concerning automotive repair " should I or Shouldn't I " decisions on known gremlins .. In My case I am going to pass on a nice used Toyota with this engine only because there's nobody within a thousand miles I would trust to do this repair one and done like this fine gentleman described... Thank You Dear Sir, God Bless You as well.
Amazing video! I cannot express how much I appreciate the intricate detail of the procedure and the honesty when it comes to the urgency of repairing this leak. I happen to have an '08 Rav4 with this engine and this leak. It's good to know that it won't become catastrophic because I think I will buy a new vehicle before spending the $5k that the dealership wanted for this repair. Thanks again for all the excellent videos and knowledge!
Professional quality videos Mr. Care Car Nut. I am not a mechanic, will occasionally do the simple repairs on my cars, but you present information in a clear, articulate, calm and easy to understand manner. I also enjoy your sense of humor. Hoping for many more years of your videos.
No stupid music, no flashy editing, simple and informative. Keep up the good work Sir !
Agree!
I wonder if an alternate easier solution, for those who can't afford it, is rigging up something like an expanding turnbuckle that puts firm normal force on the leak area with some soft rubber at the leak end, kind of like one would stop bleeding in an open wound.
Where do you see music, flashy editing and no auto information on UA-cam?
_Yep. I cannot STAND it when there is so much LOUD background music (no matter the type) that I need to turn on Closed Captioning just to understand what is being spoken! To be clear, I'm always appreciative of someone that takes the time & effort to post a video... but it actually saddens me when they somewhat 'ruin it' by adding awful (and often too loud) background music!_
*OK. I feel better. LOL*
Amen. Hate the LOUD music when you open their video and just stop viewing their channels.
I worked for the Toyota Powertrain plant in Georgetown Ky. that builds this V6 engine and the area with the leak in this video is what we called the 3-point mating surface and If cleaned properly before the cover is installed they would not leak. The problem usually happens when team member handling the part touches that area. The team members have alignment jigs to prevent touching. I own a 2016 Avalon with the V6 and it is a great engine with very good MPG. I have since retired from the plant after 33 years and 10 months of employment. I have made this same repair on new engines in the plant that failed testing and had a leak before even being installed in a car.
My 05 Highlander was made in Japan and is awesome
@@chevalsauer he made it sound like it could just show up as a leak one day in some other videos
Thanks for a reply from somebody truly in the know about this issue! My question is - since this area was so sensitive to a leak happening - why did Toyota not just specify replacing with a gasket AND sealer, instead of just the crappy sealer??? I know this wasn't your call to make, and when it comes to pinching pennies every automaker is acutely aware of the least increased expense. But I'm thinking adding in a gasket PLUS sealer would have cost them $1 per car to do. So why didn't they? A fix that only bounces back a few thousand miles later is not a fix!
What the Tacoma 2016 2gr-fks
@@guruofendtimes819 I've noticed a huge difference in overall quality in J VIN Toyota/Lexus vehicles.
This job was given to you because the owner of this car was impressed when you refused to change brakes that did not need to be changed. Honesty pays for itself. I You are a tremendous mechanic.
Correct. With me that's huge. Turning down someone willing to pay you because you think they are wasting their money is rare, and even for a simple thing, I would remember it
The way you are producing these in-depth repair videos with voice over is fantastic, we can see everything while you explain everything in a calm voice - outstanding!
He is the man!!! This was a great video! I need to get my hands on a 2022 highlander before they switch to the 4 turbo
Hi Mr CCNut,
I love your videos.
If it wasn’t for the fact that i live in Sydney Australia I would be a customer.
Please if you can,
2009 rx350 6 speed when i put in gear or reverse i get what i can only describe as a ping sound driving no issues
Cold or warm start from N to D or R ping.
I suspect low auto transmission fluid but dunno.
Regards mike.
Def one of my favorite AMD videos!, My wife has a 2011 Toyota Rav4 v6 with the 2GR-FE and I just checked- no leaks for now! AMD, much love from Southern Ontario for the high quality content. 👌
As a professional when you know what you're up to and do a thorough job, the public will GREATLY APPRECIATED rather than just DOING THE MINIMUM TO GET THE JOB DONE IS WHAT MOST AUTO REPAIRS AND SHOPS DO FOR THE MONEY!
Get to the CHoPPa!!!
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Fantastic Lmao
$2600 is a bargain. Finding a knowledgeable and honest mechanic is almost impossible these days. Great info as usual.
Some bargain. Thousands of dollars in expense to fix something that shouldn't break in the first place. How'd you like paying $45,000 for a new Lexus and then have to deal with it leaking oil all over the place like a 1962 British motorcycle.
@@skymningforelsket1302become a mechanic and stop crying.i did 13 years ago... This is all easy to do now
@@donjulio5045 Rrrrright. I should learn to code and remove the engine and transmission myself outside where I park on the street. ps please buy a V6 Toyota and enjoy yourself
@skymningforelsket1302 cry louder bud, get a prius and take the torment in stride if you're so butthurt over it
@@skymningforelsket1302 be a man...soycucboi
I have 2 of these engines a RX and a ES. I love em. Never seen a engine surgeon like this fellow. Hats off to knowledge like he has
Too honest to be a millionaire.
The transverse mounted engine is supposedly way safer also, it’s really remarkable how many models it’s used in
I've got a 2007 Sienna, has the 3.5L with 278,000 miles. Never had a SINGLE problem.
If the thing blows up tomorrow, I am STILL amazed!
And ready to replace it with ANOTHER TOYOTA.
Depends on the person that was applying the sealant at the factory
Think twice about the new ones. Get a five yr. older one with low miles and a service record.
Yours was probably constructed in japan
@@davidanderson8469they all have 10,000 mile oil change intervals with 1+ year between them too :(. So hard to find a used car that was taken care of these days because people who have them don’t sell them
06 Avalon 3.5L with 312k 😃
I'm 31 years old and have owned nothing but Toyota since high school. It's a family "tradition" that we've started since my grandfather bought a Corolla in the 70's and fell in love with it. I wanted to tell you that your content and what you cover is TOP NOTCH. Kudos.
Smart family
That is why chevy, ford, and chrysler owners switched brands to Toyota.
@@sharedknowledge6640 I lost a good friend and her 2 young children when her 2009 Camry went to full throttle at a busy intersection. When the data from the engine computer was pulled it revealed implausible data faults from the accelerator pedal position switch. That discovery was a vital part in the wrongful death suit against Toyota. Toyota tried several times to take possession of that vehicle to "assess" the problem. No doubt if they had that information would have been flashed out of existence. Toyota also made shims to install in the APP to correct the sudden or unintended acceleration. Toyota was so arrogant with this deadly problem. They were found to have known about the problem and had to pay the largest fine ever for covering it up. They, in my opinion, also paid off the NHTSA and the enlisted NASA engineers to "find" that there was no fault with Toyota's products that it was pedal misapplication. So they recalled 8 million vehicles, paid the largest fine ever, engineered a shim to correct the sticking pedals, reflashed engine computers for nothing? Then have the audacity to blame the problem on Toyota's own loyal buyers as pedal misapplication and incompatiblefloor mats. What a shame. Toyota is as arrogant as a lot of their owners. Buy a Toyota, they say. It'll last forever and won't cause any problems. Here we have a repair that requires the entire power train to be removed for an oil leak! At less than 120K miles too! Then this guy says "This engine is very well engineered, trust me I know I've been in hundreds if not thousands" well that statement is a little contradicting. No offense to his ability as a mechanic. I can tell he is very capable and takes pride in his work. Well Toyota fans this little "Achilles Heel" of an oil leak just costed you thousands of dollars to correct. But at least the engine didn't go to full throttle against your will and cause a loss of life. I love what you do for me, Toyota!
@@topher8634 I'm still buying a TOYOTA!
@@sharedknowledge6640 Every manufacturer has problems. But Toyota just has much less. I'm a Toyota owner.
I don’t work on Toyota so I can learn a lot from you. You’re one of the very best in auto repair business. Many try, nothing beats knowledge and experience. Just a professional
Dude, I love you man! I only wish I could work in your shop with you. Professional, honest, knowledgeable, organized, humorous, and well spoken. Great video!! It's a shame there are so few mechanics like you.
I'd be happy sweeping floors jst to witness in person.😂🤣🤓
I second that comment. You are a pros pro. Thank you.
Same for me am not professional mechanic but I do oil changes and brake changes.
@@erds6579 and sweep and scrub his floors.
his shop is as clean as any NASCAR professional race car shop.
Agreed. Competent, reliable, and honest mechanics seem to be about as rare as common-sense is these days.
Excellent video and description. I’m a 38 year Toyota Master Tech, recently retired and have to say, that was perfect. This audience can learn a lot from your videos. FYI we originally used the pallets from the truck frames with those heavy duty Harbor Freight caster wheels attached , to jockey the frames around,and then started using them for engine removal.
Agreed. I'm a Lexus Master tech myself, the main tech that performs this and the head gasket replacement, and lost count after the 10th cover I've done. I use a flat push cart and wood to support the frame. I prefer to put the engine on a stand to do it. I got tired of getting dripped on by the oil pans. My FYI, I recommend a water pump when I do this repair or head gasket replacement. My only tips I have are upon cover removal is to stick rags under the gears and to wipe all mating surfaces down with a lint free rag and CRC brand brake cleaner to clean the surface. There's a film still left if it isn't done.
@@marcesposito2587 you recommend buying any GS or ES 350 LEXUS years?
Do you gentleman know if this issue is just as prevalent in the 2.5L models? Thank you in advance.
@@denverwynn4 it is not
@@GeoMo52 thank you!
I just found your UA-cam channel. Being the son of a retired auto mechanic (and a Television engineer) I can't help it but to admire the awesome production of the video and the complete and detailed content of it. Watching was a delightful experience. I don't own a Toyota or Lexus but if I did, I would bring it to you even when that'd require to drive 2 hours (I'm in South Bend).
I would like to say it’s very impressive that you have to time to film, teach and explain everything while taking the engine out of a car. That requires a lot of time and energy while staying concentrated on the job. Your an amazing technician. I’m 18 and I would love be to mentored by you. So thank you for making these videos and teaching me things I would never hear from just any technician.
Definitely someone whom I want to study or work for and be mentored by too.
Thanks for the diagnosis! After doing an oil change on my wife's 2011 Sienna (215k miles), I saw this leak and thought exactly as you described at 15:40 (banjo bolt leak). I had been looking for what that leak could be and how it can be fixed and, lo and behold, you pop out with this video. You, Sir, are no fluke. Your wealth of knowledge is priceless! Now I know it's a Front Timing Cover leak. On my wife's van it's not a "bad" leak. I cleaned it to see what would happen and it reappears slightly every month. I check the oil level every couple of weeks, and it has not gone down either. I might live with it but will monitor it regularly. May you continue to be blessed!
A leak like that is incredibly minor honestly. Especially at 215k. My 235k mile Accord has way more oil residue and doesn't use or lose any oil between changes. The best thing you can do? Change your PCV valve.
Host says all models changed after 2010
This video raised my blood pressure. I am purchasing a 2023 ES350 with the thought in my mind that this engine was basically bulletproof and almost infallible after all the time it has been in production.
I have 2 Accord coupes with the J35. The timing belt issue always has had me question whether or not Honda understands the fear people have. I have been a Honda-fan for over 30 years despite 3 engines grenading themselves early due to timing belt and VCM issues despite what I thought was excellent maintenance.
I was interested in this engine because EVERYONE else stating "Bulletproof" "Perfect" "300,000+ miles with basic oil changes" etc etc.
Thank you for presenting reality. I found your channel only yesterday.
@@juliedumont3685exactly❣️ ppl can’t expect perfection or close to in anything. 😊
Lol wut.
This and the external coolant leak because of head gasket makes me twice whether I really want a Sienna.
how frequently did you change timing belts on the Hondas? My experience with t-belts is that they far exceed their recommended lifespans.
@bb5242 The D-series engines, as I recall, asked for replacements at 60,000. My '91 CRX grenaded at 60,500-ish. The 2nd, another D-series, let go around 120,000, 2nd belt. My J35, I changed at 93,000, around recommended time. The VCM took that engine out.
This mechanic is confident and knows what he's doing a rarity these days. Amazing.
I like how you take your time to explain in your videos, good and not quick. Some big youtubers always rush.
If only an honest guy like you was in my area....I always trade to newer when a vehicle gets 4-5 years....just because finding honest
competent repairman is almost impossible...
Your videos are usually a bit different than what you see from guys like Scotty and the Car Wizard. I really ENJOY seeing how you have given us a look at how this V6 would be dropped and repaired. Big thumbs up and subscriber here........ THANKS FOR POSTING!
I can't stand Scotty's voice, gives me tinitus.
@@2muchpoison 🤣
Eric O on the South Main Auto channel shows you the whole repair in real time and he does it like I would pour a cup of coffee. Watch him if you want to see every detail.
Scotty would use 205 engine seal repair , pour into the engine oil and be done with
Thankfully, my es350 hasn't had an oil leak. It just turned over 360,000 miles yesterday and is still rock solid with routine oil changes. The 3.5 liter is Toyota's best engine!
What year is it?
Damn!!! what year is your ES350? Wow!!!
I own a es350 08 with 286k still runs great 2grfe bullet proof 100%
Wow what year is your Lexus?
Wow that gives mine hope
You are such a class act and genius with automobile repairs. Watching you zip through the myriad of details that are part of doing this repair and confidence with which you reassemble it all is mind blowing. If I ever need major repair to my Lexus I'm inclined to drive across country so I could have your shop do it.
I love the honesty in your discussions.. really wish more mechanics were this way! You set the bar high. Another great vid, AMD :- )
I had a 2007 ES350 with this oil leak and I just watched the oil level and added maybe one liter every 4000kms. I now have a 2012 ES350 and no leaks so far at 95,000km. If it does develop a small leak, I will live with it.
I agree it’s not worth the effort to fix. That is a very minor oil leak. All engines leak a little oil especially if they get overfilled and/or run hard.
Did you ever have any transmission issues with your '07? I have the same car with the same leak and also a bit of a slip on the 3-4 shift when the trans is cold.
@@markvanderlee My transmission would sometimes slip when shifting down from 5th or 4th to 3rd when merging under full throttle. The 2012 I have now has a much smoother shifting transmission.
@@markvanderlee Famous transmission ‘flare’ in Toyotas.
Irritating but generally not serious.
try cleaning the area around the head - block - timing cover joint from the outside and smear gray rtv over it , there's no way i would spend 20 hours without trying that first!!!
Just took my mom’s 2007 es 350 with 126k in last week for service. My certified Lexus/Toyota mechanic pointed this out to me. Told me exactly the thing! Not worried about the small oil seepage it at the timing cover at this time but monitor it. A lot of labor involved.
"Toyota reliability"..... none of my jeeps or bmws ever had this big of a repair.
@@jonc2914yeah right. The parts on bmw would exceed it easily
@@asadb1990 then you don't dont know how to buy parts
@@jonc2914 last i checked toyota oem spark plugs are like $13 each. Bmw ones are like 100 each. Hoses on toyota are standard and can be found everywhere. On bmw, they are proprietary with couplings. Toyota used mostly metric bolts. Bmw uses torx, hex, etc. The list goes on and on.
How long can you drive with this leak ? My 2016 Tacoma has a minor leak. Does it cause the coolant to mix with the engine oil or anything? I don’t feel like spending 4-6 grand for a re-seal right now.
This guy is amazing. That stealership took a giant hit when Amd decided to go on his own. I know where I'll be taking my Rav4 after the warranty runs out.
lol
As a retired truck engineer I found this an excellent well made video. Thanks guys, much appreciated from London, UK
I have a 2007 Toyota RAV4 V6 (2GRFE) that I've been driving with the cold start rattle for over two years. Current mileage is 115K miles. Gradually, it got to the point that the rattle occurred with every cold start. No oil leaks; it still had that old VVTi oil line that needed replacing as well. Thanks to "The Car Care Nut" for these remarkable posts on the subject which helped me to intelligently understand the issue as well as approach my mechanic.
The decision point on getting the 'time bomb' 2GRE cold start rattle issue fixed is one's overall view on keeping the car as well as the overall vehicle serviceability. Indeed, it is expensive because of the size of the V6 in the engine compartment requiring it to be removed. While the parts themselves are comparatively cheap (using ONLY Toyota OEM or AISIN), it's 20 hours labor to remove the engine, effect repair and replace the engine. In my case, this car is the best vehicle I've ever owned, and its 2GRFE V6 engine is probably the best V6 made by anyone ... ever. It's just that, unfortunately, the 2GRFE (and other 2GR variants) had the 'birth defect' of the VVTi problem from years 2006 through 2012. Otherwise, I've taken immaculate care of the vehicle and for its years, it is low-mileage. I am keeping this vehicle, no matter what other vehicle I might purchase, and on that note, any new vehicle I'd want to purchase equates to an eight to 12 month wait. So, rather than sit on the time bomb for upwards to a year, I am "repurchasing" my own 'quality pre-owned' car by having its repairs done. This includes new lower front control arms and front struts because they were due anyway, and insofar as the VVTi repair, since the engine is out, I'm due new spark plugs and a new water pump.
I have a great independent repair shop, including a Toyota specialist with 40 years experience. The vehicle went into the shop on August 14th, and after waiting a week and a half for the VVTi gear assembly to be sourced and delivered, I picked her up on the 25th. Rattle gone, engine is strong, quiet and I can wait out the sh*t show of the new car market. How much did that cost? $6,800.00 for another 100k+ miles. These 2d Gen RAVs are among the best cars Toyota ever made; the V6 still gets around 27mpg hwy/24 city and I just couldn't rationalize, "skipping it" for the sake of infotainment, lane keeping assist and blind spot monitoring in something new at $40k and up.
Oh how I wish you were in UK as I would drive to anywhere in the UK that you had set up your workshop. I would trust you with my car as I know you put EVERYTHING into doing your job right. You are a rare individual, I have never come across someone so devoted to your trade and empathetic to your customers. Your engineering mind is quite beautiful to watch in your videos.
Your videos are simply mesmerizing!! Your skills with a wrench, a camera and the spoken word are quite impressive!!
It's your honest open discussion about issues like these that will have me drive 1000 miles from Florida if I ever need this level of repair. Yeah, it'll cost more for the travel, but it's hard to put a price on piece of mind.
Thanks for this channel, sir!!
I feel like this is the type of guy that while I’m over there crying, cussing and throwing wrenches he’d come over and be like “lemme help” then 3mins later it’s fixed and I’m like😱🫡 much respect to you!
Subscribed with the bell!!
Great video. I don't even own a Toyota but I can appreciate watching a masterful professional Technician yourself doing what you do. May the Lord bless you and keep you as well. 👍
You are a true professional sir. I am glad you are making these videos so you are teaching people how to do things correctly. There are so many mechanics out there doing things extremely poorly that give mechanics a bad name. But you are extremely top notch and I would feel confident bringing my car to you. And trust me I don’t let anybody touch my vehicles. Thank you again keep up the fantastic work.
Your are a rare breed of mechanic; honest,talk directly to the point. I have a es-300 with a 3.0 V6 and besides cover gasket and suspension replaced , ah and a charcoal canister. My car (2000).with 212,000 miles still running like a kitten!!!!!!
As a long time Lexus/Toyota owner, I find your videos both informative and fascinating to watch. I had this exact repair done on my 2016 RX with 28,000 miles on it. The warranty had expired 2 months prior to my discovering the leak, however, Lexus did the repair free of charge anyway. I had no idea how involved it was. I now have a new 22RX and I’m hoping they they have corrected this problem. Thank you for making these excellent videos. You are a true professional at your craft!
The same leak on my 2016 with approximately the same mileage.
I can’t believe Toyota still selling these cars and not owning up to the mistake.
Probably 1 in a million leak so I assume that's ok.
I just bought a 2016 RX with 83k miles. First Toyota product for us. No entry on the CarFax report for this repair. In fact, the one-owner car seemed to have been self-maintained. Fingers crossed.
@@spicydogsoup no, every one of them do. Eventually the oil starts dripping on the passenger side axle and slings oil everywhere. There will be oil all over the fire wall and back side of the engine. And all underneath the undercarriage. While driving, the oil is blown towards the rear. This is usually evident on Toyota brands if you are behind them on the road. You can see oil on the lower part of the rear bumper cover. Especially if it's been a while since it was washed.
I haven't worked on my Lexus in a while, found a local independent guy who we like, but I really enjoyed you disassembling this and talking in detail about various things. Excellent job! New subscriber
This man is the best, honesty, integrity, blesses his viewers, no music, just pure joy and truth. God bless him and everyone watching. I’m blessed
TY Sir for another awesome video, as an owner with a 2GRFE this was brilliant to watch but scary as well, I have never had an oil leak issue as my car is maintained very well but now I know what could be required if I am unfortunate to experience a leak.
Ty mate I have posted a link too this on our Australian Toyota Owners Club site for all of my fellow 2GRFE owners to watch.
Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘👍👍
Great job. I was first hesitant to spend 45 minutes on your video but I enjoyed myself much more than watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster CGI movie on Netflix. Your editing, narration, confidence and film making has improved fast and significantly. There is just something about an honest mechanic that makes me happy and gives me faith back in humanity. PS And thanks for mentioning the Car Wizard. Another one of my favourites.
Wonderful video for an ex: Toyota mechanic and now these days a Service Manager for another Japanese brand. God bless your great ethics.
I'm always so impressed with your skill level. You make difficult jobs seem easy when we all know they are not. If I ever need this work done I know where I'm going. The 75 mile drive to your shop would be well worth it. Keep up the great work.
You’re so lucky to live 75 miles from AMD’s shop!
@@eleanormassaro5195 And I'm about a 125 miles from his shop. I will never go to a dealer again and I don't even need to explain why since I'm sure most people understand.
I wish he would be in my state
Too far , unless I camp close by
Where’s the shop at
The production as well as the detailed content you’ve explained is impeccable. If that’s all that’s needed to be done with those miles on it. Then it’s worth it. Because now you’ll get another 100k+ out of it. I keep autos to the end myself. I’m not into getting a new one every 5-8yrs just because they’ve updated the look of it.
Most new cars won't last 8 years with heavy use anyway. LOL.
Toyotas and Hondas will.
Great video, now I understand why my car was in the shop for over a week getting this done. Sad part is that I bought a CPO 2022 Lexus ES350 with 12,500 miles. The CarFax that came with it said that the timing cover gasket had been replaced. Within a week of owning the car, the bottom of the engine was covered with oil and it was leaking on the driveway. Took it in and they took almost a week to replace the valve cover gaskets. Less than 500 miles later I thought I saw oil on the driveway again but could not see anything under the car but checked the oil level every morning just to be sure. Was driving it one afternoon and the low oil level warning came on. Had it towed back to the dealer and over a week later just got it back. They said the technician who had originally replaced to cover missed an o-ring! Sure hope it is fixed now.
...Absolutely love your channel and content! We just bought our second RX350 (2022 V6). We bought our first one 15 years ago. It is still a great vehicle and still running strong! I will most definitely follow your maintenance recommendations moving forward with the new one!
Another impressive video for those who, like me, are not car mechanics. We feel your great experience, in the calm and the concern to do well that you implement at each intervention on a vehicle, whatever the problem to be solved. Even without being directly concerned by this kind of operation or by the vehicle concerned, I always have great pleasure in watching your videos, solely for this constant state of mind that you show. Thank you and continue to give us this fine example of professionalism.
From France.
Tres bien
I've been eyeing a Toyota Crown from 2009 with the 2GR-FSE engine (non-hybrid one), but got scared after watching this video. Oh man, I was so hyped for that car - and still am, to be honest. People still praise this engine and it was not like it was bashed in this video either. I just tend to end up with the cars that happen to have the worst possible problems hidden inside of them.
But the video was great: it was informative, thorough and literally showed the whole process from end to finish and even shed some light on the potential costs. Love it!
Thank You for the informative content. It educates owners as to what they are dealing with and who should do their mechanical work for them. I help people in home improvement for the past 34 years and I can go anywhere in my community and have people walk up and thank me for the sound advice I’ve given them. As I’m sure you know It’s very fulfilling to know you’ve had a positive impact on other’s with information and confidence for them to make educated decisions so they don’t waste their time or hard earned money for poor results.
👏👏👏
Why
No music?!!! Have we reached the Holy grail of YT videos?!!
You are my new favorite UA-cam mechanic. Keep em coming!
Every time I watch one of your videos, the first thing that comes to mind: competence is a wonderful thing! You make it all look so easy 😃 Your videos are awesome!
Amazing instructional video. Outstanding way to keep those Toyota mechanics and engineers out of trouble. Your safety concerns are a plus and that's usually ignored. True the oil leak issues were overlooked in the engineering design phase, but there's no such thing as perfection, especially when the car is exposed to environmental conditions. Your instructional production, both video and audio aspects are excellent. Never a boring moment. So glad you left out those overbearing and unnecessary background music additions. Kudos to you, your coworkers and that pristine shop.
As an owner of a 2015 RX350 and having changed the spark plugs recently, this definitely is a plan C for spark plug replacement. Its a great video on going what is all involved, Luckily mine isn't leaking oil yet, but I know where to go if I ever have to. Lots of great info as always, Thanks for the great video !
My son and I really appreciate your videos, he was a entry level tech at our local Toyota dealer. He has moved onto to another brand. Enjoy watching him grow in his abilities. I wish you were closer to me, would love to have has a mechanic. Side note it was funny you mentioned the Car Wizard's RAV4 video. I watched it and went to your video list and reviewed Rav4. I was going to send it to his channel, I figured he would find it though. Just kinda funny. Keep up the good work and thank you.
This has got to be one of the best videos on a repair I’ve ever watched. Very knowledgeable and your shop looks to be very clean. I wouldn’t think twice about bringing my car to you. It’s hard to find a shop like yours. Great job!
I thought the older Toyotas and Lexus were bullet proof but this is an expensive repair. Great video with a lot of details.
And you believed it? lol They will tell you anything.
You really think a car is gonna have no issues at all? Its about how much and how costly. Maintain your car well
@@thegreat9481 Except this issue has nothing to do with maintenance.
@Glad2BGolden right I fell for it lexus rx330 are crap I should have gotten honda
@@kellysutton2780Hondas aren’t what they used to be. Still better than most, but not Toyota/Lexus. All car companies have issues. Honda/Acura cars from the last 25 years have more problems on average than Toyota / Lexus cars, and sooner. I’ve had 2 Honda accords. I loved my 94 and it was in fact bulletproof. My 02 had transmission problems, which apparently after 1998 has been fairly common for Hondas.
At my job we remove the entire powertrain w/ the front axle all the time. We have a heavy duty metal table with a scissor lift under it to lower the whole thing away from the car and move it around. We actually made this table ourselves. It was worth it.
We use a table like that. I think it's from harbor freight
So much for Toyota and Lexus engineering. Yes, the cars can last a very long time, however, the manufacturers of these two vehicles knew fully well that rubber pieces rot out quickly and the oil leaks that resulted could be catastrophic leading to consumers having to pay for new engines, often over $11,000. This along with under carriage rot, exploding sunroofs, unintended acceleration problems et al, keeps me hesitant about purchasing one of these suv's wondering what's next to go wrong and cost an awful lot of money to repair. Consumer videos on you tube have been very informative in this area as is this excellent video from Car Care Nut. Thank you for all the pertinent and valuable information. It is truly appreciated.
I wish we have a mechanic like you sir here in Canada! Great job well done sir! Hope you have more blessings to come!
You are such a bad ass mechanic. May God bless you my friend. You, Scotty and Toyota Maintenance are my hero’s!
I owned a 2009 Avalon with this engine. I maintained it religiously. Other than scheduled maintenance, I never had to put a dime into it. My best car ever
I own a 2013 Rx350 and thank you so much for the knowledge. This why I love your channel, and one of the reasons I bought a Lexus. You sir are a national treasure. God Bless
He is an international treasure 😁
Another classic! My favorite part is the voice over explaining how to judge the seriousness of the oil leak, whether to make the repair, and who to get to do the repair. Hard to get this info anywhere else. Invaluable for me as an owner of two vehicles with this engine.
AMD's level-headed, thorough and humble approach is what sets him apart from most other UA-cam mechanics. Enjoy your V6s!!
The world needs more of you (honest mechanic) that knows what they are doing to help us.
Honest... AND content with making a profitable wage rather than gouging the customer.
Even with having to do this every 150k at $3500, it's still much cheaper over the lifetime than just a couple years of routine maintenance with the other German brands and their multitude of gremlins
If your oil lines are metal not rubber this really shouldn't be an issue till well over 200k miles.
You don't have to do this every 150K miles. There are plenty of these V6 engines on the market with very high miles and no issues.
Mercedes V6 are just as reliable lol
I’d just let it leak. Unless it’s leaking more than a quart per gas fill up it’s in spec.
No way I’d do this repair even once, just let it leak and run it to 300,000 plus.
Fantastic! Couldn't be done better. Love all of your videos, and love your professionalism. As a fellow mobile technician, I pray that because of your work ethics more people appreciate the hard work of honest mechanics and shops, that sadly have been stained by dishonest dealerships and independent shops than only care about money, and not the customer and their trust. May the Lord bless you as well!
Thanks!
What a big job! It would be difficult to get a mechanic with your caliber to do the right thing. My thoughts, just clean the leak until the car reaches 300 K miles and by then it would be worth buying a new car since you’ve maximized its use.
I'd have to agree. Unless you have a superb mechanic, it's likely you're going to have a few new problems once this car goes back together (mostly).
What do you mean by clean the leak ?
@@kane5445 basically, wipe off periodically excess oil or place some absorbent pads underneath or on your garage floor to soak up the oil leak. Also check periodically the rate of oil loss. If substantial decide to get it repaired or sell the car.
That’s what I’m doing. I just bought a 2005 RX330 with 323,000 on it to be my work vehicle. Runs fine but has the leak. I was going to try some leak stop, but since I only paid $1,000 for the car, I’ll keep it, maintain it and drive it until it dies. If I get a year or two out of it, I’ll be happy.
Great video. Here's my take. If the leak isn't 'too bad" I can replace a lot of oil for the cost of installing new gaskets. In my case, my car has 260K miles and runs like a top. Some lifter noise but otherwise very strong engine. IF I have to pull the engine, I am going to do a complete rebuild or swap used engines.
i have this leak for the last 5 years with no loss of oil
@@hanial-kiwi503 ah so what's leaking? Your oil multiply itself?
@@Dranreb865 The blessingz
I don’t even own that engine and I watched the whole video.
I just love this guy!
Thank you!
Great video, I'd let you work on my vehicle any day! However, as a 35 year veteran master technician, I did see one fault with your process. The red shop rags you used to clean all of the sealing surfaces usually have an oily residue in them. This (as you also stated in the video) can compromise the ability of the "form in place" gasket material to make a good seal. I normally will use a lint free disposable shop rag to do this type of cleaning as to assure a perfectly clean surface.
And doesn't seem to torque anything...although I'll conceded he probably has a pretty calibrated hand/arm.
@@tommy6633you work on stuff enough and you get very good at tightening bolts based on their size
Some folks are overreacting to this leak. If it is a small, seeping leak and doesn't require you to add oil, just leave it alone. It's not a leak that will destroy the engine. Clean the area yearly and keep those $$$$ in your pocket.
It’s disappointing given Toyota/Lexus supposed quality control.
100% agree. After watching this video I am not touching the banjo bolt on the back oil supply line. Going to clean it every 6 months and keep changing oil every 5-6K miles.
@@bngr_bngr agreed, but no machine is perfect. Not even the Toyota engines.
@@BMC530i I drive a 4th gen Avalon. It's interesting that these leaks are much less common on those 2gr engines. I think the 4th gen Avalon 2gr engines were built in another plant. I may be wrong through.
@@Tigerwarhawk it’s a manufacturing defect.
Thank you for addressing when this may not be necessary. I typically clean something like this and recommend keeping an eye on it. You're often taking a risk of damaging hoses, connectors, running into a seized ball joint, rusted out exhaust etc that will add to the customer's expense if the car is a little older.
Excellent video AMD!
I purchased a 2005 Avalon when I retired from the military. Around 78,000 miles, it began to leak at the timing chain cover. Ironically, I purchased an extended warranty and it covered the costs of this repair. As an automotive technician, I was impressed with the performance of the 3.5. I replaced the oil hose on Bank 1 and used a metal line BEFORE Toyota came up with their all metal line solution. At 82,000, I sold the Avalon within a week, the car was impeccable, but I didn’t want the issues in the future. I’ve repaired several of these engines for other issues (suspension, water pumps, etc)
the GOD of Toyota cars. It can only be one, the great Mr. AhMeD!
My '09 Camry V6 is begging me to take it to this man. He will be my hero.
We really need a HUGE thumbs up option on UA-cam!! If I had this problem I’d drive it to Chicago for your help!!
How about a MULTIPLE thumbs option in the meantime? 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
@@rightlanehog3151 What voodoo magic is that??? 🥴
@@coloradoboo1071 Scroll deeper into the emojis
@@rightlanehog3151 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼😂😂😂😂😂😂💪💪🤘🏽
I love that stand you used to set the engine assembly on .... wish I'd known about that 15 years ago ... I spent a whole day building a 4 foot tall 4x4 tool table chest on industrial castors that I used to do this job on many vehicles. 😅
Commenting on my girlfriends account because my phone died. I was just thinking how could I build this out of wood. Can you make a video going over your and how you built it?
Had a 2010 Highlander with the 2GR. 198k miles with zero leaks. Fantastic Suv!
I have 2 of these engines a 2007 Rav4 and 2011 Camry. Neither have had this issue so far. Both have over 220K miles, great engines.
Nice
As a Toyota Tacoma owner ( a 2010 with the 2.7 liter engine, RWD, automatic, standard cab and a 104,000 miles on it) I have really enjoyed your videos. The one issue that I am concerned about my truck is the plastic coolant bypass pipe. I know there is a metal pipe that Toyota has as a replacement for the plastic pipe. Should I be proactive and replace the plastic pipe or wait to see if a problem develops with the plastic one. I have seen videos on how to replace the bypass pipe and it looks like a DIY project. Thanks for all the good work.
Replace it brother
Preventative maintenance is key. I wouldn't want to wait for it to start leaking because you'll lose oil pressure really quickly and could possibly seize your engine if gone unnoticed.
Checking in: 2008 Lexus RX 350, just about 120,000 miles. Not sure if to jump for joy or cry after this video 😁 So far no problems at all with the engine; all the maintenance AMD has recommended is up to date. Drove from Georgia to New York and back - smooth as silk sailing, no oil consumed, and no other problems at all to report. I’ll keep a hawk’s eye on that axle though! Well, it’s time to change that oil…
Cheapest way to fix Toyota timing cover leak is a 3 x 3 piece of scrap carpet in the garage underneath your engine
😂
I can refill lots of oil for $2800. A little leak is just part of old cars. Your friends may ban you from their driveways but you need to walk more anyway.
Spoken like an air cooled VW owner.
@BeefNEggs057 for such a repair, its probably time to sell the car. Only the most experienced buyer will look at something like this.
You can change the plugs and coil packs without pulling the engine. Remove the top suspension brace. Park car in front of a workbench so you can place a piece of plywood on that and your top engine mounts to lie on. Remove bracket over #1 coil pack. Plugs coil packs and wires other things behind engine are now completely accessible for servicing. 2007 ES 350!
The 2GRFE drop out is an excellent video as an owner of a 2007 Lexus ES 350. Supplied me lots of tips and funny I also changed control arms, all new struts, tuneup with new plugs& coils on mine, (DIY well worth it). It really is an excellent engine, body & interior overall. I am grateful to be driving an older model Lexus and still enjoy pride of ownership. Lots of notes taken on this video and appreciate your excellent presentations.
Very clever 👍🏼 👍🏼
I would not get this fixed though, because I guarantee the bill would be double or triple the amount you stated here getting it done at a dealership, and I would not trust anyone other than a dealership to do this.
Cars leak oil, that’s just what they do. Put an oil tray on your garage floor and check your oil level every month.
I’m an owner of a 2016 Avalon. Over 130,000 miles. Still have the original brake pads. Oil change very 7,000 miles (synthetic). At around 30,000 miles, under warranty, the dealer made some adjustments on the transmission (jerky between 1st and 2nd gear). As of now, it runs great.
This is a very well detailed documented vlog.
Thank you sir for that and more importantly your honesty and fairness. I will highly recommend you to anyone who needs repairs on their Toyota Lexus vehicles.
Finally finished working my way through this video, what a great in depth breakdown. I also watched car wizards video but wasn’t aware of this problem. So many cars in Toyota and Lexus land could be affected by this, glad to have a heads up. Thanks!
I wish every mechanic is an honest and professional like you. Big shout out to you and your team. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the detailed video that really gets to the nuts and bolts of the problem. The problem with our 2016 Avalon was a leaky water pump which cost $1200 to fix. Only 64,000 miles.
That is crappy, I have 2 cars with this engine and one sold at 220k miles no issues with water pump and 13 Lexus ES 104k miles. I gotta say I think Toyota from what I seen has gotten worse the last 5 or so years.
Very. Very. Sad.
Greatly dissppointed in Toyota poor Engineering & Quality.
I no longer promote Toyota products
Recently leased a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder and I love it! Scotty Kilmer calls their V - 6 engine" bulletproof " which gives me comfort to know.
That was awesome. Thank you for your in depth description of the problems with the engine and how to make sure the repair is done correctly, along with your estimate of time and parts. Great shops, like great kitchens, don't have a lot of yelling and screaming or other BS because the people working there are experts at what they do and do things properly the first time around. That saves the customer time and money.
👏👏👏 There is no room for prima donnas in his shop.
You have by far the best automotive repair videos on UA-cam. I wouldn't be surprised if a TV Network Station pays you to have on their Network.
Sickdiculous how easy you make all these repairs seem! You are a master and my hero! Keep up the great work! Truly a fan!
Excellent job explaining this. I recently had my 20 camry TRD resealed and luckily under factory warranty. I was very fortunate and had a technician that has done several of these and was able to perform this repair in one day. The new sealant has been improved so hopefully this will not be an issue in the future.
If you had to pay do you know the amount? Gotta be 2500. For the labor. Crazy
I had a 2011 Sienna with a 148k miles on it - I was told it was the banjo bolt on two separate occasions. My wife pulled in the driveway one Saturday morning and there was a lot of oil on the driveway - I knew it wasn't the "banjo bolt" since I had the 2nd one put on. I just wanted to know what it was, when I found this video VERY informative - Thank you-
2GRFE is a great engine, I've had 3 of them. Never a problem with any of them. No leaks either. If I do have a problem, I will drive up to have you do it for me. LOL.
It's a good video and very informative. That said, the 3.6 V6 has proven itself to be a very dependable and durable power train. High mile vehicles with this engine are not uncommon
Best automotive expert on youtube!
Agree
Thee Most Honest video I haver seen concerning automotive repair " should I or Shouldn't I " decisions on known gremlins .. In My case I am going to pass on a nice used Toyota with this engine only because there's nobody within a thousand miles I would trust to do this repair one and done like this fine gentleman described... Thank You Dear Sir, God Bless You as well.
Amazing video! I cannot express how much I appreciate the intricate detail of the procedure and the honesty when it comes to the urgency of repairing this leak. I happen to have an '08 Rav4 with this engine and this leak. It's good to know that it won't become catastrophic because I think I will buy a new vehicle before spending the $5k that the dealership wanted for this repair. Thanks again for all the excellent videos and knowledge!
Professional quality videos Mr. Care Car Nut. I am not a mechanic, will occasionally do the simple repairs on my cars, but you present information in a clear, articulate, calm and easy to understand manner. I also enjoy your sense of humor. Hoping for many more years of your videos.