2005 50K mikes Oil Leak and Other Repairs

[Marianne]

My 2005 TBird has an oil leak, possibly more than one. I have heard that this is a bad thing to have happen. It can be very costly to repair and doesnt always last long. I've been told it can be thousands of dollars to fix?

It also needs bushings for the ball joints. They are all torn and need replacement.

Then as I drove home, the car misfired and the wrench and engine light came on.
Any advice?

I drove it to the service dealer I use. I was only a mile away and I crept over there and left it .
Tomorrow any advice about what to ask and what I should expect to pay?

Thanks for any advice!
Marianne
Sarasota Florida

 

[T.Riggs]

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the late time but I have a question and hope some of you can give me advice.

My 2005 TBird has an oil leak, possibly more than one. I have heard that this is a bad thing to have happen. It can be very costly to repair and doesnt always last long. I've been told it can be thousands of dollars to fix?

It also needs bushings for the ball joints. They are all torn and need replacement.

Then as I drove home, the car misfired and the wrench and engine light came on.
Any advice?

I drove it to the service dealer I use. I was only a mile away and I crept over there and left it .
Tomorrow any advice about what to ask and what I should expect to pay?

Thanks for any advice!
Marianne
Sarasota Florida

Hi Marianne, I’m also here in Sarasota and take my 2004 to Steve’s Auto onPalmer Road.(941) 371-1542. Keith runs the show there and I know he’s honest and trustworthy. I try to do any work I can but sometimes repairs are out of my realm of expertise. The worse oil leak now, after replacing every gasket that I could get too, is the rear main seal. The transmission has to be dropped to get to it thus very expensive. If your ignition coils haven’t been replaced yet, that’s usually the culprit with engine misses.

 

[biddle]

The check engine light could be from the COPS. See this thread- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum...-05-ford-thunderbird-ignition-coils-cop.5040/

Oil leaks are often caused by gaskets, but until you take it to a mechanic you are just playing guessing games.

The suspension issues are common for a car of this age.

 

[Marianne]

Hi Marianne, I’m also here in Sarasota and take my 2004 to Steve’s Auto onPalmer Road.(941) 371-1542. Keith runs the show there and I know he’s honest and trustworthy. I try to do any work I can but sometimes repairs are out of my realm of expertise. The worse oil leak now, after replacing every gasket that I could get too, is the rear main seal. The transmission has to be dropped to get to it thus very expensive. If your coils haven’t been replaced yet, that’s usually the culprit with engine misses. I love my Bird, but as an owner, you have to expect to Fix Or Repair Daily. (FORD) Feel free to call me if I can help. T.Riggs. (941) 600-4493

Hi Marianne, I’m also here in Sarasota and take my 2004 to Steve’s Auto onPalmer Road.(941) 371-1542. Keith runs the show there and I know he’s honest and trustworthy. I try to do any work I can but sometimes repairs are out of my realm of expertise. The worse oil leak now, after replacing every gasket that I could get too, is the rear main seal. The transmission has to be dropped to get to it thus very expensive. If your coils haven’t been replaced yet, that’s usually the culprit with engine misses. I love my Bird, but as an owner, you have to expect to Fix Or Repair Daily. (FORD) Feel free to call me if I can help. T.Riggs. (941) 600-4493

Thank you for the info. I had to bring it to the Lincoln dealer because it was close and the wrench light was on. So I’ll let them fix that problem. I bought my 2005 6 years ago and have replaced all 8 coils. Do they need to be replaced again?

Anyway, once that problem is fixed, I will take the car to your place for the oil leaks and bushings. Thanks so much!

Any idea how much I may have to spend for these repairs?

 

[biddle]

I bought my 2005 6 years ago and have replaced all 8 coils.

Any idea how much I may have to spend for these repairs?

If they didn't replace the valve cover gasket and it was leaking, they could be ruined again. Read the COPS Page- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum...underbird-ignition-coils-cop.5040/#post-31709

You will find out the cost when the dealership calls you. Write down what is wrong or have them print or email and estimate. You can take it somewhere else for a second opinion. I think someone responded above and gave you a number. Obviously the dealership charges top dollar.

 

[Marianne]

If they didn't replace the valve cover gasket and it was leaking, they could be ruined again. Read the COPS Page.

You will find out the cost when the dealership calls you. Write down what is wrong or have them print or email and estimate. You can take it somewhere else for a second opinion. I think someone responded above and gave you a number. Obviously the dealership charges top dollar.

Thanks so much. I know nothing at all about these things, but I’m wondering if all my problems may be related. They are saying I have oil leaks and now my engine is misfiring. When they relaxed each coil I was under an extended warranty so they only fixed whatever the code diagnosed. So one coil at a time. They never replaced or mentioned the valve cover gasket in 6 years. Can that be the oil leak and also causing coils to fail?

I hope I’m not appearing too dumb. Just worried that this may be a lot of money. The dealer charges $195 an hour for labor!

 

[biddle]

I hope I’m not appearing too dumb. Just worried that this may be a lot of money. The dealer charges $195 an hour for labor!

It will definitely be a lot at the dealership! You are not dumb, but you need to read if you want to learn. The answer to your question is in my post above.

 

[TBirdchris]

Motor oil leak 2004 T-Bird.
Oil drip hangs on the engine pan bolt near the oil filter housing with some wetness creeping up near the housing. Oil filter seal is not leaking. Valve covers are dry. Oil pan bolts are all tight. Thinking it might be the oil filter housing gasket. Is this a common leaking point? The other thought would be the pan gasket. Low mileage vehicle with only 23,000 miles. Thanks for any ideas!

 

[1984shovelhead]

Ball joints that are tight don’t need changing because of torn dust covers unless you want to burn money true they’re more likely to fail sooner but they should be low on your priority list stay away from dealers in general go to an independent if you have zero clue who to use ask a reputable collusion repair for a recommended place

 

[Rawah652]

Motor oil leak 2004 T-Bird.
Oil drip hangs on the engine pan bolt near the oil filter housing with some wetness creeping up near the housing. Oil filter seal is not leaking. Valve covers are dry. Oil pan bolts are all tight. Thinking it might be the oil filter housing gasket. Is this a common leaking point? The other thought would be the pan gasket. Low mileage vehicle with only 23,000 miles. Thanks for any ideas!

Just did an oil change on my 2004 T-Bird and noticed some oil drips from the same location- drips on the oil drain plug and oil filter, and a bit wet in general on the underside (I'm a recovering helicopter mechanic, but still use a torque wrench on everything, so I know when I last did the oil change everything was torqued to the specs in the MX manual). Looking at the top, nothing is visibly wet. I didn't have the time yesterday to really get into it.

I'll definitely post an update with what I find as I get the time over the next few weeks to dig into the issue (it's been dripping for a few months now, but life gets in the way of MX at times). Please update if you find anything yourself!