i notice my car is leaking oil from under the engine where the exhaust pipe starts from engine. It was due for a service so I booked it in and got it checked. The mechanic is saying it is leaking form the tappet gasket. So he said it will cost $35 each for the gaskets and maybe 2 hours labour.

I am driving the car on a long drive next week about 1000k's. this shouldnt be a worry i guess. im not too much of a mechanic. but does it sound like the right issue? Please give some advice. And hope he is not ripping me off.

Noticed you haven't had a reply on this.

Sounds like he means the rocker cover gasket. The rocker cover is the black painted cover on the top of the engine. There is oil in there and there is a rubber seal, a gasket, which will leak and need replacing. There are two on a V6 engine and you need to remove some things to get to the back one.

Sounds fair enough to me. If your car is not losing much oil then it shouldn't affect your trip

thanks mate

$35 for each gasket plus 2 hours labour sounds about right, so he's not ripping you off.
Ask him to replace the spark plug tube seals at the same time, they usually come in a kit with the gaskets (3 with each gasket).
If your rocker cover gaskets need replacing then your spark plug tube seals already do as well, or they'll be getting close.
Take one (or all three) of your front bank spark plugs out (easy as), and look at both the plugs and the rubber lead/connector. If you see oil on either then your tube seals are leaking.

$35 for each gasket plus 2 hours labour sounds about right, so he's not ripping you off.
Ask him to replace the spark plug tube seals at the same time, they usually come in a kit with the gaskets (3 with each gasket).
If your rocker cover gaskets need replacing then your spark plug tube seals already do as well, or they'll be getting close.
Take one (or all three) of your front bank spark plugs out (easy as), and look at both the plugs and the rubber lead/connector. If you see oil on either then your tube seals are leaking.

I could not agree more, I replaced the gaskets and had to go back later to replace the seals on my :learn::learn::learn::learn: TL magna good advice here!

yea its the same story. i had my 200000k's service 5 months ago and cant believe those bastards didnt do this then...unbelieveable.. and that too at Bridgestone.. bloody $3800 ..

yea its the same story. i had my 200000k's service 5 months ago and cant believe those bastards didnt do this then...unbelieveable.. and that too at Bridgestone.. bloody $3800 ..

Just would have cost you more . . . I'd love to see an itemised bill and try to work out what the equivalent DIY cost would have been. lol $3.8K SHEESH!

(I can't believe you let Bridgestone touch your car. lol)

Jeez... A dealer probably would have done it for half the price, and an independent even less!

I bought my TJ for that price!

I bought my TJ for that price!

I bought mine for that, and got $2,300 change! lol

Anyone can spell "ripoff"?

Bridgestone: buy their tyres, if you must, but don't let them touch any other part of the car!

This is not as hard as it first may appear to be... It is about an hour and a half to do though so cosestate is about right I spoke...
On another not $3800 what exactly did they do to you car???engine replacement???

yea its the same story. i had my 200000k's service 5 months ago and cant believe those bastards didnt do this then...unbelieveable.. and that too at Bridgestone.. bloody $3800 ..

Is that a typo? $380 for a service is ok - $3800 is supply and fit a recon engine

This is not as hard as it first may appear to be... It is about an hour and a half to do though so cosestate is about right I spoke...
On another not $3800 what exactly did they do to you car???engine replacement???

Sorry but I am struggling to work out what you are trying to say

If you are saying an hour and a half to do a rear rocker cover gasket, that may be true if the mechanic has done one in the past but certainly not true if is the first time. Add to this then if they do bother to clean it properly it will take more time

As for the $3800 for a major service, the person could have shipped the car here, done the job and shipped it back for that which is insane. There is another member called pombonted I think had a similar experience with a Bridgestone service centre here in Vic, she put up a thread in the third gen section as well as Whirlpool, refused to itemise the invoice and also replaced items such as power steering pump claiming was leaking when it was actually the rocker cover gasket.