Still leaks after 3 "fixes"

[Dad_McGyger]

I am beyond frustrated. Back in Aug 2021 my 2012 Yukon XL started leaking oil. Brought it in for service and they fixed the leak, saying it was Oil Cooler Gasket. Brought it home the next day and noticed oil in the same location. Brought it back and they said it wasn't tight enough. A few months later I'm denial again but more oil started appearing to be leaking from the same spot. Brought it in and they said it was the Rear main seal. Got that fixed, as many of you know wasn't cheap. Well, as of today been noticing yet again leaking from the same similar area as the first time I brought it in back in August.This is now BS. I'm at the point where I'm going to dispute my last charge. Has anyone had this type of leaked fixed properly. I refuse to bring it in and get charged any additional money.

Good evening, Im new to the forum but not the car world. Recently I picked up an 07 suburban from a customer who no longer wanted to dump money in it but long story sort I found my leak the hard way. the oil leak is similar but as do most being that the bell housing is the lowest point for the oil to run to. My problem was the rear main seal housing. There is a plate that the seal presses into which had a hairline casting crack. which I found after pulling the trans 3 times. The last time I put the starter in and started it without the trans in and found the crack. May want to look into that. Hope this helps as I know how oil leaks can drive me crazy.

 

[davidavidd]

@davidav- Thanks for sharing your experience & video. Not sure about the OP, but my leak is nowhere near 2qts/day. More like a few drips a day. Hoping your info will be relevant and helpful to others.

I think my leak could reach that amount per day but I live in a very small city and I don't drive that much, here it's not even 20 miles from one point to another. That particular leak only occurs with the engine running. When the engine is off the oil goes down and doesn't leak through the bad VLOM gasket.

 

[bdbull]

I read through and don’t recall the actual oil pan gasket being suggested. My leak appeared similar to yours and that gasket was the culprit.

I second this. Had the same thing and it was the oil pan gasket. I replaced the oil pan gasket, the oil pickup tube o-ring, and added the shield on the pickup in the pan when I did mine...not a fun job by yourself.

 

[Geotrash]

Hi @solosys let me show you with photos and video where possibly your problem is. It happened to me and I almost went crazy looking for the source of that oil leak.

To confirm if this is your case you can put paper towels behind the engine (top part between the block and the oil valley cover) and check if they come out wet after a while, prepare to mistreat your ribs and think about the moms of those who designed this engine View attachment 364408

You need to preferably buy a new valve lifter oil manifold (GM12571609 or equivalent to your truck), it includes cover + solenoids + gasket for only $300,00 ; but if you are on a budget it is also possible under your risk to change just the gasket by cutting the old gasket around the solenoids (GM 89017690 or equivalent).

This is my post when I had that problem, I changed the mentioned part and I didn't have a single leak again. The repair is easy, but once there take the opportunity to change gaskets and clean the entire upper part of your engine (you must remove the intake manifold), Mahle has an excellent kit.

Photos and video here:

Serious Engine Oil Leak! Tahoe / 5.3 / 2007

Hello TY Forum, while I wait for the parts to repair my transmission I decided to take advantage of my free time looking for a big oil leak in my Tahoe (2WD - street use only). I share this video with you, waiting for your comments on it. The leak is massive (1 qt in two days!). Tomorrow with...

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

Ps: Excuse my English, it is not my first language.

When I pulled the VLOM off my 2012 XL Denali for a cam swap, I could remove the bolts with my fingers. If they were tightened to spec at the factory, I would be surprised. But it could also be exacerbated by the seals taking a 'set' over time.

Also, your English is perfect! And way better than most people on the Interwebz. It amazes me what passes for words and sentences in cyberspace. Lol.

 

[Geotrash]

I second this. Had the same thing and it was the oil pan gasket. I replaced the oil pan gasket, the oil pickup tube o-ring, and added the shield on the pickup in the pan when I did mine...not a fun job by yourself.

The pan gasket has a spot at each of its 4 corners that requires a dab of RTV to get it to seal properly, because it spans seams between the engine front cover and the rear cover. The Fel-Pro replacement gasket has a clever little waffle pattern on the seal itself that helps to close this gap. The OEM does as well, but the Fel-Pro seemed a little more likely to make a tight seal, to my eye, when I had them both side-by-side.

 

[superjet223]

I'm really curious what you find, I have a similar leak on my 6.2. I have replaced that block off gasket and I've gone in and replaced the oil pan gasket and made sure to RTV the corners right and all that. Replaced and confirmed it's not coming from my oil pressure sensor, valve covers and cam position sensor. I get some oil over near the starter motor bolts as well so maybe the rear main seal but seems dry in there especially for how much oil I have on the outside.

Keep the updates coming