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mitch96

Hi
When I bought my car a while back I realised it did have a small warp in the plastic cover that hides the cambelt. I thought since it was a cover, I wouldn't think anything of it. More recently however after I last degreased the engine, I noticed that it seemed to have oil sitting around it.
The thing I find most concerning is the oil, it seems to be coming out of that area (I have no idea how) and if the recently replaced cambelt (done 1,000kms ago) has oil on it, is it going to slip off or deteriorate quicker? The other thing that concerns me is..why didn't my mechanic say anything when he did the cambelt and waterpump and if there was an issue, replace it then? I bought a hayes manual with diagrams of how that goes together, but I cannot fathom how oil is coming out (not in huge quantities, but it is just wet with oil in that warped piece of plastic area)

ABayliss

If you're sure the oil is leaking out from behind the cover, depending on whether the oil is leaking at the upper or lower end of the cover it is likely to be a cam seal or crank seal. If this was leaking when the cambelt was done the mechanic should (would?) have replaced the seal as oil will degrade a cambelt quickly. Therefore, it is important that you go back to your mechanic and have it attended to.

mitch96

It goes in this week to be looked at. I took it in this morning, my mechanic said he wasn't sure, nothing leaking out but the warped section was soaked in oil which was deteriorating it. He said he would take a look as it goes in for a wof on friday
However, I am surprised as it only had the wof done about a month and a half ago

ABayliss

This has nothing to do with a WoF, which is merely a safety inspection. If you only had a WoF a month and a half ago, you don't need another one yet.

mitch96

No sorry the timing belt was done a month and a half ago. Im getting my mechanic to have a look at the problem at the same time the wof is done this week