What is leaking here?

Seen this when i was doing a oil change 2023 30k miles.

Should i be worried? Nothing is dripping onto the floor, skid plate is also clean.

 

valve cover? front cover? looks like engine oil and either way it's not good but probably not catastrophic. clean it and check it daily to find it... no way you'll tell with that mess.

 

Still under warranty?

 

I would assume so, a quick search says.

3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty

 

How do you feel about letting the dealer take a look/see at it ?

 

Take it to the dealer. Not your headache, yet!

 

I would let them but you know how they can be. Probably would say it's nothing and wipe it off.

Not sure what the warranty would be on that.

 

Doesn't hurt to try. They might take care of it. You could always have an independent shop look at it and give you a cost estimate, then get the dealership to do a possible warranty coverage.

Your time is also valuable.

 

I'm right close to the 36k mark that is why i wonder what warranty that would fall under.

You guys would know more than me.

 

The only warranty work I've ever had done was on our old 2010 Rav4 back in '13.
They replaced the passenger side seatbelt assembly, the day before a vacation up North.

No other work on any other Toyota that we've owned.

 

Bring it to the dealership. At the very least it's documented and in the system.

I have that same leak coming from the timing chain cover. Its been like that for a few years now and doesnt leak enough to even drip onto the skid. Oil levels seem unaffected as well.

Yours could be the same, or I've heard there's a line down there that also leaks. VVTi hose?

 

Take it to the dealership. absolutely, that’s covered under your warranty.
Thats not on your dime.
Don’t take it to an independent garage unless it’s for a free opinion!
That’s not a wipe off and wait. It’s may not get worse, But it’s not gonna get any better.

 

I will have to see if i can get a better view of it. If i go over the 36k am i screwed?

I need to figure out what is leaking in cause the dealer says it's nothing to worry about.

I've never needed any warranty work on a toyota before and i have 4 of them.

 

dealer will tell you it's nothing to worry about until your warranty period is up. then it'll be urgent. I LOVE Toyota vehicles but I hate dealerships and the two times I've ever had to invoke a warranty , it was like pulling teeth. best of luck

 

Powertrain warranty is 5yr/60k miles so you still have time.

Get it documented sooner rather than later however.

An oil leak isn't something the dealership is gonna shrug off. Can they? Sure but that would be the exception not the norm for a warranty claim.

 

Use warranty, bring it to Toyota dealership, if they deny it, go corporate

 

I'm surprised to see this on such a newer model with low mileage. A long time ago a buddy of mine was complaining about oil dripping and all over his engine bay....I took a quick look and he forgot to put the oil cap back on! Sometimes it takes a small fix to resolve the problem, just look all over and make sure everything is where it should be, etc. You just never know!

 

Me to, i bought this 4runner because i hated the new turbo trash model and figured it wouldn't last as long as the previous gen. I try to keep my cars for 15-20 years 300k plus miles. I don't see the new 4runner lasting that long trouble free.

 

You're not screwed, it's a warranty issue. So lets say you go to the dealership, and for some reason they deny it as a warranty claim, hopefully they tell you what the problem is and take it the guy with a small shop and good knowledge and get it fixed. It's hard to understand dealerships that deny warranty claims... it's like they don't get reimbursed from Toyota, and then the next dealership just loves to submit a warranty claim... strange. Good luck on your fix.

 

I took another look and it appears to be concentrated behind the top black pulley directly below the dip stick on the passenger side, i think it is for the power steering pump.

 

Unless it is a leaking PS which is rare, it's either the VVTI line gaskets, timing cover inspection plate gasket or timing cover leak. First 2 are improbable on such a new car but the third is known to happen irrespective of the mileage or age. The first two are easy, the third a pain in the butt.
Good luck decoding this. But if it's the third, I would sell the vehicle and buy another 4 runner.

 

Powersteering pump leaks/failures on 5th gen 4Runners are extremely rare to non existent. While possible, there are other more common causes for leaks in that area.

 

A few more pics might help and others will most likely be able to make suggestions. Hard to tell from the pic but that yellowish color up in the left side....uhm..looks like oil to me. But I could be wrong.

 

It's in a tight place where my phone will not fit. I know this pic is crap.

I need to buy a Articulating Borescope.

 

clean it all down to try and pinpoint the source. Does it feel smell like oil?

 

Feels like oil/grease haven't noticed a smell.

 

Like the other said it’s still under warranty, so let it be their problem to figure out

 

Yes but the more i know the better and it will help with the dealers bs.

 

I understand your apprehension in terms of working with the dealer but I wouldn't invest too much of your emotion and time beyond scheduling the appointment. This one is on Toyota.

You will want to know where the failure is but it's hard when it's being distributed by rotating parts, fans and windage from driving. As has been said, if you really want to pin it down in advance you will need to clean it all up and watch for the source.

 

I also agree that this is a problem for Toyota to fix under warranty.

If you decide to do some cleaning, cover your alternator with a small plastic bag, and then spray Simple Green very liberally everywhere you can reach with the sprayer. It works even better with a warm engine. You will be amazed how Simple Green melts the oil and dirt off. Let it soak for a few minutes (follow the directions on the container of Simple Green) then rinse with a low pressure stream of water. Do not use water with a lot of pressure as you don't want to get water inside of electrical things such as fuse boxes.

But I think your best bet is for Toyota to see it when it is messy the way it is now, because it looks like you have a decent sized leak.