Valve cover oil leak?

MIKE C362

MEMBER
2014 KIA OPTIMA
2.0L
4 CYL
TURBO
2WD
AUTOMATIC
98,500 MILES

I bought the vehicle listed above for my son who is getting his license soon. I had a pre purchase inspection done at a local Kia dealer that has worked on this car in the past. They said it needs the valve cover replaced die to it being warped and leaking oil. 2 months ago, the same dealership replaced the valve cover gasket when the previous owner took it in for an oil leak. I just noticed when visually inspecting it that there appears to be a piece of the gasket sticking out from in between the cover and the mating surface. When I tough the piece of rubber, I clearly see oil leaking there. Do you think they messed up the gasket install? And can that cause the cover to warp?

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Thursday, March 13th, 2025 AT 4:22 PM

1 Reply

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
54,138 POSTS

That could be silicone rubber, it is hard to tell from the photo. It looks like the oil is not leaking, but seeping. It could be the last mechanic did not clean the valve cover, nevertheless the dealer that did the job last time should honor the warranty for the job, here is the correct way to change the valve cover so you can see what needs to be done.

This guide will walk you through the steps with instructions for your car in the images below:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-valve-cover-gasket

The high-pressure fuel pump will need to be removed to do the job, FYI. Check out the images (below). Please let us know what happens.

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Friday, March 14th, 2025 AT 10:37 AM