If the leak is large enough, all of the oil could leak out in minutes.
Valve cover gaskets will age over time and become brittle and once that happens ... first time so you don't have to slide it around much and disturb the sealer. ... How to Change the Valve Cover Gaskets on a New Beetle · How to Change ..
Yes, there is a problem with the design of the 2002-2003 valve covers. It's best to replace them with valve cover (rocker cover) for a 2004 maxima. They are exact fit, work better and are MUCH cheaper than the 02-03 valve covers. You must order gaskets seperately and the 04 valve covers come with a new PCV as well.
In general, for all smaller engines, in decending order: Valve cover gaskets. Oil pan gaskets. Main crank seals and camshaft seals. Head gaskets. If your engine is greasy from top to bottom, it's most likely the valve cover gasket. (On a v engine, you have two.) To check, get a can of engine degreaser from Napa (smells like kerosene), and with a cool engine, spray it clean. Let dry. Use your car for a day. Look for source of leak. Cost: 3 bucks for the spray. Results: A clean engine, and you find your leak. Clean around your oil filler cap too, and inspect the cap's seal. Use a funnel, and wipe up your mess when changing the oil--that keeps everything that much cleaner too.
it depends where you go and what or where is the leak. you know that if is where the cover and the cylinder head meets just buy rtv sealer and put some on. if is the cover it self(craked,rust,ect) just buy a new cover aprox $30 the most.
gaskets... Depending on where the leak is, new gaskets are pretty much your answer... Based on you asking this question i would HIGHLY recommend an experienced mechanic to help... no offense...
I am trying to find out the same thing myself. A couple of people have told me from $200-$300.
I have checked the oil pan and the cylinder cover gaskets and they are fine, the leak seems to come from the passenger's side of the motor, some of it is being burned but not enough for there to be smoke from the tailpipe. I cannot see any active leak or spray when the engine is running, but it has a steady small drip. I am loosing about 2 quarts/week, which is too much for an engine with only about 100K miles on it.
I helped a guy change mine (94 es300) and it took about 3 hours, but we were not professionals and had to make a trip to autozone.
It depends on where the leak is coming from. If it is a valve cover gasket it could be less than $100. If it is a rear main seal it could cost close to $700.
Depending upon the shops labor rate that you take it in to it should take about 14 hours to remove the heads and reinstall them the head gaskets will range anywhere from 50-100 dollars and their will be valve cover gaskets as well that will usually range from 25-50 dollars. Hope this helps
Valve covers might be a tad leaky, that's what my prob was on my 1996 i had to get new valve cover gaskets they arnt that much and if you know a lil bit about engines and their anatomy you can DIY to save money for labor
Not much. A stamped steel, chromed valve cover makes poor sontact with the mating surface area on the head, and the cover is too weak to transfer the tightness of the bolts, so they are prone to leak. The only one I recommend is the MerCrusier cast aluminum type from back in the day. JM