Hey Scotty, I live in Albuquerque, NM. I was wondering if you know any trustworthy mechanics in Albuquerque? I have a 2012 GMC Acadia SL with 95,436 miles on it. The two places i’ve had work on my car, the GMC dealer in Los Lunas, NM. changed the oil but didn’t tighten the drain plug all the way. The second place was a service called “Your Mechanic” i scheduled an oil change online and they came to my home. The mechanic that did the oil change told me that i needed a new valve cover gasket and oil was leaking from the valve cover. If my car was leaking as much oil as he said, i’d have oil stains on garage floor and i’d be smelling burnt oil while driving and every time i fuel up my car i check my oil, aside from GMC dealer not tightening the drain plug the oil level is always consistent. I’m coming up on the recommended 97,500 mile service to have spark plugs and more in depth service done and have been a fan, watching your channel and like the fact that you don’t BS your way through your videos! Look forward to your response.
i’d have oil stains on garage floor and i’d be smelling burnt oil
I'm not going to support, or deny what the mechanic told you, but this statement is false.
#1
It's a long way from the top of the engine down to the ground. Plenty of opportunity for the oil to pool up, spread out, or dry out. Many engine parts are made of plastic now, which wouldn't get hot enough for you to smell burning oil. These are terrible "litmus tests" for determining if an engine leaks oil or not, and not a good substitute for proper visual inspection.
#2
If the leak is very light and you only see a "sweat" on the engine. Then you can probably leave it.
#3
Valve cover gaskets can often be very easy and inexpensive jobs, making it worthwhile to do, if only to keep the engine clean. A clean engine is much easier to work on, and diagnose future problems.
Nailed it Joe!
