Sambunyon248

My 97 turbo that I've had six years has just had a service recently. As I was cheerily handed the bill, it was mentioned that they suspected the rear main seal was leaking and this would be a 'gearbox out' job to fix. They couldn't be 100% sure, as it was obscured by other engine bits.

As someone who knows nothing about car engines - what are the implications of a leaky seal ? How does it finally fail and would it damage the engine ? Should I get it fixed immediately or wait until it becomes more obvious as a problem ? Should I check under the engine for leaking oil ? Can I get away with driving it further if I just check the oil and top it up as required ?

I'm planning on a couple of long journeys in December and would hate to be forced to nurse the car along due to ignorance of what this all means.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers/

Sam

scoobyboy

never in 9 yrs of working on subarus have i changed a rear main. it's more likely to be the breather plate behind the flywheel as it's only got a silicone gasket. it is still a gearbox out job so if you want to replace the rear main as well your right there anyway