Oil leak from timing cover seal CX-5 2019

[rockpaul]

I have a 2019 CX-5 with 71k miles and a few weeks ago I noticed a tiny drop of oil here and there on my garage floor. I check the oil level and it was and still is perfect. Even though the oil drops were burly noticeable it bothered me so I took it to the dealership and they did an inspection and found that the Timing cover seal is leaking and the cost to repair is $1500. Does anyone know if i need to fix the leak asap? or i can wait? Is this common in Mazda? I read online that sometimes the fix is not 100%. I am so disapointend in Mazda I thought Japanese-built engines are among the best in the world.
For reference, I bought this car for 3 months and it had no leak and it ran perfectly. I did get a second opinion from a local Japanese mechanic who basically quoted me the same price. Any thoughts on what do to do. Obviously, this car is out of warranty and has no extended warranty.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

They tried their hand to fix mine under warranty... it came back as weep/seep during the winter months. For some reason warmer temps it just dries up.

It has never resulted in any noticeable oil loss between changes for years now.

Might be buried in my old rear main seal thread

Small Oil leak for me too... :-(

Looks like I will paying the dealer a visit. I noticed some of this residue when I changed my front diff and cleaned it up as well. I thought somehow it was leftover from oil change. Apparently not. Nothing big enough to accumulate on the floor but you won't see it unless you drop the front...

mazdas247.com

 

[wlong01]

Would the repair be covered under Powertrain Warranty if your mileage was lower?

 

[Zig613]

The repair is covered by the 5-year power train warranty provided you also meet the mileage criteria. I have a 2018 and the timing cover leak was repaired earlier this spring. In Canada the warranty is 5 years with unlimited mileage. The timing cover leak is a known issue for the 2.5 (non-turbo) engine. I would discuss it further with the service manager and/or Mazda corporate.

I looked at the timing cover area from the top of the engine yesterday and it appears that there are a few drops of oil there again. My guess is that when I do my next oil change in the fall that I will see additional small amounts of oil dripping down to the top of the oil pan like I saw before the repair. The leakage is very minimal. Just enough to notice that something is leaking. Between oil changes there has never been enough leakage to see any indication of oil loss on the dip stick.

IMO when they do the repair they don't allow enough time for the gasket sealant to properly dry before they ship the vehicle out of the garage thus, the repair doesn't work. I have until March 2024 before the power train warranty expires for them to perhaps get a second change to repair it properly.

 

[edmaz]

... Timing cover seal is leaking and the cost to repair is $1500. Does anyone know if i need to fix the leak asap? or i can wait? ...

You can wait, but would need to monitor the rate of leakage carefully if you do.

You might want to continue looking around for a shop that would do this job for quite a bit less than that quote you posted. For instance, someone who won't be charging $250 for 'misc parts' (which is probably blinker fluid and other similar items). And also someone who would charge for the 2 hours or so that a good pro would take to do this job, instead of that ridiculous 5.3 hours.

 

[rockpaul]

They tried their hand to fix mine under warranty... it came back as weep/seep during the winter months. For some reason warmer temps it just dries up.

It has never resulted in any noticeable oil loss between changes for years now.

Might be buried in my old rear main seal thread

Small Oil leak for me too... :-(

Looks like I will paying the dealer a visit. I noticed some of this residue when I changed my front diff and cleaned it up as well. I thought somehow it was leftover from oil change. Apparently not. Nothing big enough to accumulate on the floor but you won't see it unless you drop the front...

mazdas247.com

Wow so they fixed it and the leak came back? I agree I think it has very little effect on oil level. My concern if the leak gets worse I live in Vegas and the temperature right now 110 and it is leaking so should expect it to leak more during the winter months?

 

[rockpaul]

Would the repair be covered under Powertrain Warranty if your mileage was lower?

I think so. I am not sure since I am the second owner of this car.

 

[rockpaul]

The repair is covered by the 5-year power train warranty provided you also meet the mileage criteria. I have a 2018 and the timing cover leak was repaired earlier this spring. In Canada the warranty is 5 years with unlimited mileage. The timing cover leak is a known issue for the 2.5 (non-turbo) engine. I would discuss it further with the service manager and/or Mazda corporate.

I looked at the timing cover area from the top of the engine yesterday and it appears that there are a few drops of oil there again. My guess is that when I do my next oil change in the fall that I will see additional small amounts of oil dripping down to the top of the oil pan like I saw before the repair. The leakage is very minimal. Just enough to notice that something is leaking. Between oil changes there has never been enough leakage to see any indication of oil loss on the dip stick.

IMO when they do the repair they don't allow enough time for the gasket sealant to properly dry before they ship the vehicle out of the garage thus, the repair doesn't work. I have until March 2024 before the power train warranty expires for them to perhaps get a second change to repair it properly.

 

[rockpaul]

Wow the Mazda warranty in Canada is amazing. Here in the USofA I am definitely not covered.. 3 years or 36k miles.

So you have a similar leak and you’re not concerned about doing it anytime soon even though it is covered? I am leaning toward just leaving as is for the next 6 months and see what happens. The fact that the fix not 100% seal makes me skeptical of even trying to fix.

 

[Zig613]

^^^^ Prior to the repair I monitored the leak/seep for about 8 months. I had the repair done at the same time as the fuel pump recall.

As I had mentioned previously, there was no visible oil loss on the dip stick. The oil on the bottom of the timing cover and the few drops that dripped down to top of the oil pan was barely noticeable. My guess if the dealership was doing the oil change they wouldn’t have noticed.

I am going to monitor the seep for the next few months and I will likely get it repaired under warranty at another dealer before my warranty expires in March 2024. Perhaps they will do a better job.

 

[yrwei52]

Wow so they fixed it and the leak came back? I agree I think it has very little effect on oil level. My concern if the leak gets worse I live in Vegas and the temperature right now 110 and it is leaking so should expect it to leak more during the winter months?

Your 2019 CX-5 has 71K miles, it’s definitely out of 5-year / 60K-mile powertrain warranty in the US.

There’s a TSB for this timing chain cover oil leak problem, and the procedure is complicated. That’s why the failure rate of this fix is high. Some here had tried twice and the area still weeps.

If I were you I’d just leave it along without warranty. Check the oil level more often, and look the leak area often making sure it doesn’t get worse.

Try to use high-mileage full synthetic 5W-30 oil (I definitely will use “Mazda approved” thicker 5W-30 oil instead of 0W-20 in Las Vegas) and see if the condition improves.

 

[rockpaul]

Your 2019 CX-5 has 71K miles, it’s definitely out of 5-year / 60K-mile powertrain warranty in the US.

There’s a TSB for this timing chain cover oil leak problem, and the procedure is complicated. That’s why the failure rate of this fix is high. Some here had tried twice and the area still weeps.

If I were you I’d just leave it along without warranty. Check the oil level more often, and look the leak area often making sure it doesn’t get worse.

Try to use high-mileage full synthetic 5W-30 oil (I definitely will use “Mazda approved” thicker 5W-30 oil instead of 0W-20 in Las Vegas) and see if the condition improves.

Thank you for the advice. For now I am going to leave it as is like you said and keep checking the oil level here and there. Next oil change at the dealership I will ask for 5W-30.

 

[yrwei52]

Thank you for the advice. For now I am going to leave it as is like you said and keep checking the oil level here and there. Next oil change at the dealership I will ask for 5W-30.

Here’s Mazda’s TSB for timing chain cover oil seepage problem.

TSB No.: 01-018/18 Oil Seepage at Engine Front Cover

Based on the parts list in the TSB, your Mazda dealer had listed a couple of questionable parts don’t need for the repair. You don’t need alignment ($125.00)、”Honda” Genuine Coolant ($43.32) 、Engine Oil 0W20 Synthetic ($46.00)、Oil Filter Kit ($6.62). You do need additional VVT Motor O-Ring and Sealing Washer, and up to 2 quarts of engine oil for topping off. TSB says the labor is 3.4 hours instead of 5.3 hours ($832.10) listed on the invoice.

You should keep checking around finding a reasonable shop to do the repair in case the leak is getting worse. You can even ask for another estimate from the Mazda dealer based on the info from the TSB. Nevertheless the cost of the repair won’t be cheap.

 

[cz5gt]

full oil change is needed usually because the pan is dropped too if I recall. When mine was done the first time they did not change the oil at all.
Few months later the ocv got stuck (obdii errors and timing/advance issues as well) with debree. Another warranty fix. And I did change my oil on my own. Eventually the leak came back on the timing cover. 2nd fix and still wet although much less than before. The timing cover leak as well as the ocv leak are tough to fix properly.

 

[yrwei52]

full oil change is needed usually because the pan is dropped too if I recall. When mine was done the first time they did not change the oil at all.

No, the oil pan doesn’t have to be dropped although a little part of front will be separated from the front cover. Oil pan uses the RTV without a pan gasket, and not dropping the pan won’t be a problem. Hence a full oil change isn’t needed. See the TSB I linked for details.

Noticed that the unique 2-piece cylinder block showed in the diagram could be the reason why the timing chain cover is prone to leak oil IMO.

 

[rockpaul]

Here’s Mazda’s TSB for timing chain cover oil seepage problem.

TSB No.: 01-018/18 Oil Seepage at Engine Front Cover

Based on the parts list in the TSB, your Mazda dealer had listed a couple of questionable parts don’t need for the repair. You don’t need alignment ($125.00)、”Honda” Genuine Coolant ($43.32) 、Engine Oil 0W20 Synthetic ($46.00)、Oil Filter Kit ($6.62). You do need additional VVT Motor O-Ring and Sealing Washer, and up to 2 quarts of engine oil for topping off. TSB says the labor is 3.4 hours instead of 5.3 hours ($832.10) listed on the invoice.

You should keep checking around finding a reasonable shop to do the repair in case the leak is getting worse. You can even ask for another estimate from the Mazda dealer based on the info from the TSB. Nevertheless the cost of the repair won’t be cheap.

The quote you are reading is from a local Japanese mechanic. The Mazda dealership quoted me $1500. Basically the same price local and dealership. I am going to worry about the leak for now and keep an eye on it. My only concern is if does get worse. Thank you for the advice

 

[rockpaul]

full oil change is needed usually because the pan is dropped too if I recall. When mine was done the first time they did not change the oil at all.
Few months later the ocv got stuck (obdii errors and timing/advance issues as well) with debree. Another warranty fix. And I did change my oil on my own. Eventually the leak came back on the timing cover. 2nd fix and still wet although much less than before. The timing cover leak as well as the ocv leak are tough to fix properly.

Wow, and that's why I am not encouraged to do the fix. I cannot believe Mazda engines are having this issue with "newer" models cars. Thank you forsharing

 

[yrwei52]

Wow, and that's why I am not encouraged to do the fix. I cannot believe Mazda engines are having this issue with "newer" models cars. Thank you forsharing

Actually the oil seepage on timing chain cover is the least you should be worry about. The cracked cylinder head and failing switchable hydraulic lash adjusters are 2 possible major problems, however they may be rare, on your 2019 CX-5 2.5L NA with cylinder deactivation.

Cracked Cylinder Head with Oil leaking...How common is this?

CX-5 Tapping noise

 

[Hawke]

Here is a link to another similar TSB, that might also apply to OP's vehicle:

TSB 01-006/23

 

[yrwei52]

Here is a link to another similar TSB, that might also might apply to OP's vehicle:

TSB 01-006/23

So:

TSB No.: 01-018/18 for 2013-2016 CX-5;

TSB No.: 01-006/23 for 2018-2023 CX-5;

The same problem lingers on ⋯