I have a 2006 Honda Accord with 57K miles. I “inherited” it when my mom stopped driving in 2020 because I had lost my job due to covid and it was time to turn my leased car in.
She obviously barely drove it, but took very good care of it in regard to its maintenance. I also have taken good care of it, changing the oil every 5K miles, new tires etc. My dad, whose hobby was fixing up one car or another when I was young, told me to always pay attention to the garage floor to check for fluids of any type there as well as obviously getting regular maintenance done on every car I owned in the future.
I really needed to get my brakes and rotors done and my neighbor recommended his mechanic after I went to the Honda dealership and they wanted $1200. The recommended mechanic has 4.7 stars on Yelp/Google reviews. I paid $385 (cash only accepted) Anyways, I was relieved because my front end was shaking when braking for a couple of months. This is the strange part: the next morning, I backed the car out to go to work and my daytime headlights caught something shining under where the car was parked overnight. It was about the size of 5 quarters and I could tell by the feel & smell that it was oil. Neither myself nor my mom has ever had any fluid leaks from the car. Right away, I checked the oil and the level was fine. In my gut, I felt like it was suspicious that I got a good deal on the brakes and now the next morning, I had a small oil leak. I had my last oil change in August at the Honda dealership and they said that everything except my brakes was good. I called the mechanic and I took the car in today to look at it and he said that it’s a leaking seal…because it’s an 18 year old car, that they wear out regardless of mileage. He said it would cost $800-$1000 to fix it…I think he really meant it’ll cost $1000 As I drove away, I recalled one of my dad’s favorite sayings ‘The cheap becomes expensive’ and I felt foolish for not going to the dealership for the brakes.
Could this really be a coincidence or is this mechanic trying to make an easy (cash only) thousand bucks?
Please help me out with your expertise! I really appreciate it!!
I called the mechanic and he told me that it’s the Front Crank Seal that needs to be replaced I just Googled the price to fix it and it says $200 to $500 and that the Front Crank Seal is a lot easier to fix than the Rear Crank Seal I hope this clarification helps with any questions THANK YOU EVERYONE for all of your help and suggestions!! It’s VERY appreciated!
For peace of mind, take it to the dealership to get an oil leak checked.
The cash only mechanic sounds sketchy. Thats a red flag to charge cash only because he’s probably not paying his taxes.
Have a dealer inspect it.
Uh-huh…that’s what I thought…kinda sus And that’s why it was so odd that I saw oil that following morning! I will take it to the dealer to see what they say Thx for confirming that you thought it is sketchy… I appreciate your help and input
For one thing, I would never take this car to the dealership. $1200 for brakes on a 06 Accord is absolutely ludicrous. Talk about getting scammed! I would charge about $400 for that job. A reputable independent shop is always best for anything out of warranty.
You really have no evidence to accuse this mechanic of sabotage, but if you don’t trust him then get a second opinion from another shop and ask them to use UV dye to trace the leak and provide photos and of course their own estimate
Thank you! I knew that $1200 was crazy at the dealership He did charge me only $385 for my brakes and I was very happy with that I am definitely getting a second opinion 2 c what they say
What gasket or seal he said was leaking the only thing that would cost this much would be a rear main seal or torque converter seal. Which the transmission would have to be removed for either one.
I am going to call him now to ask him to tell me exactly what it is again. I had received really bad news before I got to his shop and I was honestly in shock and just heard oil leak and then the cost It was a horrible day
It’s the front crank seal
It really depends what is leaking. Older seals will eventually leak and be replaced, though.
I just know that it’s oil… for peace of mind, I’m going to get another opinion. I wish I knew more detail. Thank you for taking your time to answer
Is your car a 4 or 6 cylinders $800 labor and parts with dealer parts for the 4 cylinder And if it’s the v6 that comes with a timing belt it’s about $400 labor which you’ll replace the timing belt and seal at the same time which is $300 in parts
My car is a V6
Ok so in my opinion I would buy a gates timing belt kit. It comes with the timing belt, idler, tensioner, water pump and gasket.
Buy the front crank seal and cam seals from the dealer tho.
I am a bit emotional because I don’t have a person who’s good with cars to look at it for me.
hey believe in yourself. an easy enough DIY check is buying a UV dye test kit from amazon for 30usd and seeing exactly where the leak is coming from. ask around, usually in a handful of friends/family members theres at least one a little more comfortable with car stuff. you mgiht need to jack it up and get underneath to see exactly where its leaking from if you don’t see much from the top view.
Take some pictures of the engine bay and if you can get underneath, take a picture of the oil pan and post it here
It’s not common to see a rear main seal leaking on your engine. Not sure if you have the v6 or the 4 cylinder engine but the oil pan gasket is a very common leak on these and also the main seal as well. If I’m remembering correctly, in order to remove the main seal and replace it, you also have to remove the oil pan.
I can see that job costing around $1000 maybe
TY for answering… I have the V6 and the mechanic said it’s the front crank seal
Thank you I’m sorry I didn’t mention that it’s a V6 Thx for your comment… $1000 might as well be $1,000,000 because I don’t have it right now I’m a woman who’s single and not familiar enough with car issues…I hate to say that but it’s the truth I’m going to take it to the Honda dealership-I will see what they say
Maybe it’s brake fluid that leaked down when he pushed the caliper piston back to make space for the new pad.
The brake system is a sealed hydraulic system. So check if it would be coming down from under the master cylinder.
If it’s yellowish it’s most likely brake fluid.
Use a white napkin to tell the color.
If he was recommended I wouldn’t accuse him of sabotage right off the batThank you so much for your comment and all of the info I will check it out
Np
Op change your oil and put a high milage oil in, this has a gasket swelling agent and could help or even remedy a tiny leak until it can be repaired.
Okay thank you for that advice! I’ll definitely do that…I assume high mileage oil has more viscosity is what you’re referring to It is a small leak In the research I’ve done, it says that the repair should cost about $300-$500 I have to call the mechanic and ask him some more details about it-he spoke so fast and I was stunned Thx again for your time