Hey Scotty,
I know you hate VW's, so do I !
Any how, I took my wife's 2015 VW tiguan (Auto, 18,000 miles) - to the dealer - it had a ABS sensor code, sensor needed replacement, pretty standard and normally covered by the warranty (has an extended warranty).
They called me and said the technician found a leak in the valve cover, and saw a little bit of oil...
Their recommended service: to re-seal assembly, sealant, gaskets, etc..
I was surprised to hear this. The car is in great condition, low mileage, and garage parked. The cement floor it parks on is spotless, and i regularly go in the engine and check it out, wipe it down after car washes and so on. i never seen any oil anywhere.
i pressed him on the phone, and said the above points, he replied, its a "minor leak." We talked some more about it, and then he said, its a "very minor minor leak"
and the best part, they're asking $1600 for it!
I wont be doing the work there for sure...
But what should i make of this? can i test it for a leak?
thanks
Tiller
Ha ha! You did right thing pressing him. The truth finally came out. The valve cover is on top of the engine. If there is a bad enough leak you will see it.
Try asking an independent mechanic. $1600 seems too high for a valve cover.
Leave it alone.
Dealers always overcharge you with stuff you don't need. That's how it works in dealerships. If you want to check for oil leaks, always check the bottom of the car and inside the engine.
Thanks Slayer... makes sense
i didn't mention - they sent me a pic - not sure which part (i haven't seen the car yet), - something metallica under all that plastic, but he showed a small stain of oil on there
but Im thinking it could have been anything (like a spill when the oil was changed or something) -
Those mechanics just put some kind of dye and act like it's leaking something. Check it around the next day and see if it's leaking.
Thanks... yeah surely this has been happening since the beginning of cars, but i would have thought not with a so-called reputable dealer in Houston, with a brand like VW... i guess its possible anywhere!
It could be that they didn't clean off the oil that the mechanic spilled.
A little seepage doesn't hurt anything. You'll know when it's leaking bad because the oil will drip onto the exhaust manifold and smolder/smoke, and you'll get a very nice smell inside the cabin ;). They can go years until that happens. When it is time to replace it, go to a good independent shop. $1600 is wayyyyyy too much for a valve cover gasket job - it's actually relatively simple to do on an inline 4 cylinder engine.
Can I believe a low mileage 6-year-old well maintained VW Tiguan would have a valve cover gasket leak? Absolutely. However, there are a couple of things to mention:
1. If it is a minor leak that you can't even find, I really wouldn't worry about it.
2. $1600 seems excessive but it depends on your location. I would think $1000 -$1200 would be a better range.
I would just drive it unless you start seeing more pronounced leaking. Then obviously you will want to address it.
