What could this be?

You two are about to be neighbors.

 

To reiterate, that appears to be the Cam Tower leak. It doesn't look too bad, mine actually had oil forming drips. The reason that you don't want to tel it go and just keep adding what leaks out, is that there may be noxious fumes. If it gets bad, to the point that it leaks enough to drip onto a hot exhaust manifold, your truck could catch fire and someone could die (this hasn't happened, just a speculative worst case scenario). Seller sounds kinda like a dick, but that's just my opinion, and should be taken with a grain of salt. My warrantied repair for this was just over 2K, that was for both sides repaired. You could still try your luck with a call to Toyota Corporate. Be prepared to make several, I don't think that they're really interested in fixing this if they can avoid it. You may be able to find an independent shop that's done a few of these repairs if it comes to that.

 

Personally I would get it fixed but no need to stress over it.

 

Recommended oil is not 5-20 it's 0-20...

Yeah...Another Yankee moves south. Thats fine just don't bring your Yankee voting habits with you...

 

I am a 3 time cam tower loser, but they were all under 20k miles or less. It’s not if, but when, they all seep at some point, mine dripped, left oil in my garage, and smelled burning oil. You have a 8 year old truck, it will sweat horsepower, no drips on ground, no burning smell, life should be good. I also see at least one trail down from the valve cover gasket, could be that simple. If it bothers you, clean the crap out of your motor, buy an engine oil dye kit(a few days will reveal if you have a leak or normal seeping). Then if needed document results(pics), and go talk to the mechanic first. Doubt oil consumption is an issue.

 

This issue for whatever reason makes me get crazy ideas trading it in and getting a Tacoma (which I know is retarded). I still haven't seen it on any 2016's so my fingers are crossed.

OP, welcome to the forum. This place is awesome. It's sad, but I talk to a lot of these people more than some members of my family. Your leak doesn't look too bad. Besides this issue and the AIP pumps, these trucks are solid.

 

Hoooooooollleee up!!!!

If Cam Tower is the same as Valve Cover then this is an easy fix. I did mine right after I bought my truck and the cost was what..... under $100 and doing the surgery.

If they are not the same them am back to eating my Doritos and the game!!!!

Are they the same?

 

Not the same. The Cam Tower leak is WAY more involved.

 

Ok.

Back to eating Doritos.

 

Now I’m hungry.

 

If it makes you feel better I have driven cars with a lot worse leaks. My jeep leaks about the same and I have no concerns.

 

Missed it but I can tell you, I will pass. However, I’ll play Santa and get you a bottle...

 

I had a cam tower leak. It looked exactly like the op's photo. The oil would leak down and burn on the heat shield right below it (the shiny metal with the honeycomb like pattern). It smelled horrible. The dealer originally thought it was a valve cover gasket and replaced that first, which did not fix the problem. Eventually, mine was fixed under warranty. The leak did not affect the performance of the tundra and did not produce a noticeable drop in engine oil. It is a difficult question of whether I would pay to fix it myself if it was not covered by warranty. If I were in the OP's position, I may just try to sell the vehicle and cut my losses. I'd trade it in so that it becomes a dealer's problem and not some poor other person's.

 

I am certainly thinking about going that route but I don't know if I want a 40K commitment. I have already paid 1700 to register it in CT and I will certainly be out of that money .

What do you guys think? should I trade this in and just buy a brand new one?

 

I can't answer the trade in question, but it seems to me the mechanic who told you it was fine is really the one liable for this issue. You purchased it based on his assessment, if he would have provided an accurate assessment describing the leak and potential cost and you bought it anyway then he is off the hook. Did he put anything in writing re the tests he performed (compression, etc) or the mechanical quality of the truck? If so, he should be the one that pays for the repairs. I wouldn't let him repair it though

 

The Mechanic is about .5 miles away from my house and is a local guy. I am pretty mad at him but oh well, What am I gonna do? He didn't put anything in writing and didn't charge me for the inspection either. I think he tried his best. The truck is in such a good shape that it may have fooled him and he didn't deem it necessary to really look at everything.

 

The mechanic may simply not be familiar with the issue that Toyota has with the leak. You went to him seeking his opinion, not an absolute verification. Ultimately, you had to decide what weight to give to his assessment, then decide whether to purchase or not.

 

I agree with you. Since I don't know a lot about engines, I tried to give business to a local shop. I guess you live and learn. I have got the dye and UV light on order and will keep all of you posted.

 

I would run the dye test before making any big $$ decision. You can monitor the extent of seeping or leaking.
when was the last time an oil change was done on your truck and how does the dipstick look ?
As far as trading for new or whatever, this is a much bigger purchase than just getting the issue fixed and go on with your truck and life. I'm sure on the trade a dealer would low ball you for what the cam leak fix would cost you at a dealership.
I would keep the truck and get the leak fixed. It's not like you blew the transmission and the truck cannot drive.

 

plus your truck has 95K ish miles. You should have flushed most of the potential issues already.

 

I called Toyota to see if they could help me out but they couldn't however they did mention that the vehicle has had all recalls done and has a good service history. At this point, I am going to do exactly what you suggested. The last OIL change was done recently by the seller but I am going to get one done just for the peace of my mind. I am also have rear/front differential and transfer case OIL changed. I am also going to drain and replace the ATF.

 

yeah fresh oil, drop that dye and drive it. If it leaks it will show with the UV light/yellow goggles then you can tell if it's both sides and where.

 

I am at Toyota dealership, they're replacing my valve cover gasket (under warranty)... IMO mine looks like a cam tower leak but dealer wants 2 do valve cover gasket 1st. Which I guess, I understand... less labor and parts for them.

Afterwards I guess I watch like a hawk and hope that it fixes it. The kicker is, if this doesn't fix the small leak, then I have to make sure I don't drive too many more miles and put myself outta warranty

 

To restate what everyone has already made abundantly clear, I am almost certain that this is a Cam Tower leak. It is expensive to get fixed, 3-4k, most likely.

If I were in your shoes I would just not worry about it and add oil if it gets low.

If it makes you feel better, I had a 2000 Toyota 4runner that leaked roughly 7 quarts of oil per oil change (5,000) miles. It gave a whole new meaning to "leaking like a sieve". However I just checked and added oil every few days and the motor lasted to just under 500,000 Miles.

Honestly, just check the oil and add oil to it if it gets low. Toyota recommends 0w-20 or 5w-20 motor oil for the Tundra. There are valid arguments out there for using more viscous oil (thicker), mainly CAFE standards, and engine longevity.

Save yourself some $$$

 

Have them put dye in the oil. You'll know very quickly if its a cam tower leak.

 

Seller said he sold under book value. What book and how did he rate condition? Exceptional is like brand new and very few vehicles fall in that category. I am guessing he used NADA which can be way over valued. Best gauge of value is what similar vehicles actually sell for. Something between NADA and KBB is probably real value. I never would never have sold my 2013 for NADA value. I would drive and monitor oil levels before I dumped $3k into it. $3k buys a lot of oil. Not sure of Ct. laws but in Texas you get tax break on trade value. Most likely dealer will catch leak they are pretty thorough when evaluating trades. Clean trades are where they make money. I would try cleaning right before trading and see what you can do. If you can find a 2017 you like there are some great deals right now.