LexusFan66

Hi all, looking for some guidance here. I noticed this engine oil leak when changing my oil yesterday. Any feedback on possible culprit? 2011 ES350 with 50k miles.

Wilson2000

You need to de-grease it all, drive it some, and recheck for the origin. It is likely the hose that is transitioning from steel to rubber.

chuyrobles

That looks like the classic timing cover leak/seep that afflicts many, if not all, 3.5 V6 across Toyota/Lexus models. Our 2007 ES350 had it and our 2018 RX350 has it. Your’s appears among the most excessive I’ve seen but I bet you barely notice oil loss at the dip stick. Just wipe it down well at every oil change. The leak is where the right bank cylinder and the timing cover meet. The Care Nut utuber, a Toyota certified mechanic, has a good video on it. He even suggests at the end it is ok to ignore it. On our ES350, I changed oil, from 5/30 to 10/30 and that noticeably reduced the seepage. On our RX, the seepage is minimal.

The official fix involves removing the engine, but many have applied silicone around the leaking area.

ESh

This is the leak from your inner drive shaft boot.
You need to replace the clamp, fill the joint with grease and degrease everything with brake cleaner.

Mechanics would say you need to replace the whole driveshaft, but the answer is no.

tolian21

only dealer will agree to replace robber seal only, most mechancs will refuse replacing the seal
only

ESh

You can replace it by yourself.

Wilson2000

The Car Care Nut has a great video about the fix for a leaky axle boot. He highly recommends replacing the boot rather than buying a rebuilt axle (how most mechanics will tackle it). A good DIY person can do it, otherwise a good indy shop is always a better bet than the dealer.