What is leaking here?

Brother, we get it, you don't like the dealership. But as a bunch of dudes on the internet, we can only help diagnose your problem so much. We gave you a list of possible culprits. You're either gonna have to take it in, or fix it yourself. Its an oil leak. Pretty cut and dry for a warranty claim.

Timing Chain Cover
VVTi oil line
Probably not the power steering pump

At this point I'm not really sure what you want from us.

 

It's fine i just wanted your input that is all. You guys know more than me.

My buddy is coming over with his bore scope so we can get a better view.

 

For sure, typically the leak can look like any of the three things I mentioned above, especially because the power steering pump shaft and pulley likes to sling oil everywhere. You may have to clean it all up (which is a massive pain given the location) to accurately diagnose where the leak is.

 

If you are thinking of taking it to the dealership rather soon, don’t clean it or they will not locate the leak.
Let them locate the issue.

 

I don't even know what i am looking at here.

 

below oil control valve filter if that is what its called?

are we looking top down ir bottom up?

 

Bottom up. I can't even find the timing chain cover gasket on the passenger side.
Driver side is clean.

 

https://www.4runners.com/threads/oil-control-valve-filter.39668/

 

Take it IN!

 

I took it in!

They could not find the leak. They put dye in and said come back in a week so i did and they still could not find anything a week later. Charged me $170 diagnosis fee.

That is why i hate dealers and did not want to take it in. I wasted two Friday mornings at the stealer ship for them to say they can't find it.

 

I would consult with a sovereign citizen and a psychic at this point, you've obviously exhausted all other logical avenues. This forum can help. Get them to represent you on contingency. This isn't legal advice. It just sounds fun.

 

Yeah that helps.

 

Sorry, half this forum seems to be ball busting.

Take it to an independent shop who has peeps on staff who know 4Runners and can provide a loaner. Hopefully there is another dealership in the area that actually has competent staff. Your first stealership just quit and said fuck it? I'd have to raise hell here. No way am I paying for no solution forward. I hate to pretend to get worked up, but I would given the facts. Sometimes you have to be a diplomatic, polite, but very, very insistent customer and go up the chain.

I would clean it off and make the whole bay spic and span; check underneath periodically, like every time you drive it once a day thing. Especially since you have nothing on the floor or in pan. Did you check inside of the skid plate? I chased a "leak" for a week once. Turns out the dealership spilled some oil during a oil change. I could have sworn it was a valve cover issue like the old Tacos. You're going to become the world's best under runner watcher for a little bit. Maybe just a seep and if so relax.

 

A Toyota dealership charged you a diag fee for an oil leak on a vehicle under warranty?

That just straight up doesn't make any sense. What dealership is this?

 

Yes they charged me. They said if it turns into a warranty issue the fee would be waived but since they found no leak i had to pay.

 

There is no oil or anything on the inside of the skid plate, i did check. The leak must be really small or a week was not long enough for the dye to be seen.

 

Did they use an ultraviolet dye that has to have a uv light to see it?

 

That’s what they do now. I got charged 120 bucks for them to tell me that the needle bearing noise was my new K02s. Even though the noise went away in 4wd.

I don’t understand how it’s legal to do that under warranty, since it’s pretty much in the dealers interest to say they can’t reproduce a problem. It basically the dealer saying “bring it in for warranty, we dare you!”

 

Wash it with simple green & paint brush. Rinse & repeat if needed.
Then carefully observe for new leak start over next days/weeks.
Then go to dealer informed and tell them what is leaking and demand they fix it.

 

I would add that after you are sure it's fit to eat off, take it on a trip to a place with lots of light dusty roads like forest roads in summer, shit like that. put it through its paces. At the end of trip, look in bay, up and under, all round, with a very bright flashlight if need be, a cheap black light also. See if some dust sticks more to certain areas versus others. use your phone camera on a stick in hard to reach spots.

 

It just says dye on the bill.

 

They cleaned it up last week before they put the dye in.

 

Weird, 15 years of Toyota ownership between my Tacoma, 4Runner and Tundra and I've never paid a dime. Even when an energy drink exploded under my passenger seat and ruined the airbag computer I didn't pay upfront (they made me pay after when they couldn't get Toyota corporate to validate the warranty claim). I mean I just took my Tundra in a few weeks ago and got warranty work (non TSB) all for free.

All my Toyota experience has been at multiple dealerships in VA and WA so maybe its a regional thing? I know Gulf states Toyota has a lot more fuckery.

Side note to everyone however, quit shielding these dealerships. Call them out, tell us their names. Let us vote with our wallets. If a Toyota dealership has a shit service department we should all know to avoid them.