2000 Other Saturn Models Oil Leak after the car was in for s

Tiny
SPDORN72
  • MEMBER
  • 2000 SATURN
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 139,000 MILES
We recently had the saturn in for service, because the low coolant light kept coming on, but we did not have any signs of external leakage. The repair shop found a bad hose at the back of the engine, but to get there they had to take a lot of equipment off the top of the engine. They also found that the timing belt was bad so that was changed. A couple of days after receiving the car back, we noticed oil spots in our driveway and a heavy burning oil smell. Taking it back to the repair shop, they said that it was the oil pan gasket leaking. I did not trust this diagnosis, because upon climbing under the car I noticed oil above the oil pan gasket. Now our serpentine belt is squeaking and it appears that oil is coming from the timing belt shroud. My question is: Are there any oil seals under the shroud, and if not where else could this oil leak be originating?
Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 12:49 PM

9 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
First of all just guessing from the year and u said u had the timming belt replaced I would say u had a ls2 v6 3.0 but I hate to guess is that the car u have or do u have a differnt one. Also I need to know more about what was repaired. If u had the intake taken off did u have oil cooler resealed by chance if u did there is two oil cooler lines that have to be taken off and if not put back on right they will leak. But to start please answer my questions and we will go from there.
Louie
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 1:12 PM
Tiny
SPDORN72
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Your right, I said the engine was a 4cyl, that is not correct, it is a 4.3L V6. As far as what they replaced exactly what was removed and replaced, I am going to have to find the service report. I do remember the mechanic saying that what he had to replace was by the firewall and I know in finding the problem they had much of the accessories on top taken off to get to where they needed to get to. I will see if I can find the service report and tell you more.
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 1:19 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
A 4.3 v6 do have a saturn?What kind of vechile do u have model make etc?Iam just trying to be on the same page as u.
Louie
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 1:33 PM
Tiny
SPDORN72
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
I know its a v6, but I got the engine size confused with my Blazer, sorry
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 1:35 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Oh ok u scared me for a minute there I thought u had the wrong forum lol so people do that check ur paper work and see what was done and we should be able to figure this out.
Louie
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 1:41 PM
Tiny
SPDORN72
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Ok, I wasnt able to find the paperwork so I just called the garage and asked them all that was done. They replaced the radiator, water pump, air conditioning hose and recharge, and a timing belt. When I was talking to someone else about this problem they said with the leak appearing to come from the timing belt shroud it could be the camshaft or crankshaft seals. Just wondering what your thoughts on that may be.
Shawn
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 2:15 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
If u have a oil leak comming from the timming belt area then the spots it can come from is one of the four cam seals or the crank seal. But if it was leaking from say the oil cooler lines area it could run from there being under the intake manifold to run behind the timming cover just a thought but u said that area wasnt touched. So from what u said it would have to be one of the seals. Is it leaking bad?Did u have a oil leak before that?
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 2:25 PM
Tiny
SPDORN72
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
I'm not sure what "bad" is, but everytime my wife parks the car in the garage or the driveway she leaves two spots on the ground about the size of a silver dollar, one spot near the front of the car on the passenger side, probably right below the where the timing belt is, the other spot I would say lines up with the oil pan, in the middle and back a little further. Even though she has these spots all the time, I just put another quart of oil in about a week ago, and its been several months since I had to last do that. The car never leaked or burned a drop of oil before the car was repaired, I don't know if it is just a bad coincidence or not.
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 2:34 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
It sounds like a pretty good leak if it never leaked before and it all of a sudden just started especially after ur big repair and if its comming from the timming belt area where they had all that off they should have seen it if if was leaking that good. Also I have seen the oil pressure sending units leak on those thats over right by the crankshaft pulley so something else to look at.I think thats about all I can help u with on this one if theres any other questions u have on this one just let me know. Also donations and feedback greatly appreachiated.
Louie
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009 AT 2:44 PM

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