what is the recommendation to deal with a "rear main seal leak"?
some peers are informing me that this is "normal" for SVRs and dont pose any serious concerns, rather just to monitor it for any growing pains.

thoughts/advice?
thanks

 

I have 11 vehicles, 9 are work utes/trucks and probably 6 or 7 of those have some sort of oil leak. For the work vehicles cost is a factor in our maintenance schedule so we just monitor them and only repair if the vehicle can't make it to its next service without needing a top-up... for leaks requiring a top-up in between services you can do this if you want, but my staff aren't great at reporting issues or maintaining vehicles so we fix them then because there's a fair chance someone will ignore the oil light and blow the motor. In my younger days when my wallet was lighter I've had cars that required half a litre of oil every week or two haha

I'd probably be a bit more pedantic about the Jag, but for most cars if the oil leak is minor and it's not getting worse then you can happily trot along as long as you keep an eye on it. That being said, if your mechanic's advice is to fix it urgently and you have no reason not to trust them, be careful of holding the opinions of friends at the pub or strangers on the internet above a professional who has seen the car..

 

Dunno why "some peers" are saying it's normal as I'm confident it's extremely rare on the AJ133 SC as in the F-Type SVR, in fact I've never heard or read of a single instance.
My WAG is that these "peers" believe the myth that the AJ133 is a Ford engine or at least a Ford based/designed engine as I understand that a leaking rear main seal on a Ford V8 is relatively common.
Are your sure it's really a rear main seal leak?

 

Does the leak actually drip on the ground?

Is the crankcase ventilation working OK? PCV valve in many cars can clog over time, allowing pressure to become excessive.

"As long as it still drips, you aren't out of oil yet!"

 

As OxXFR said I have NEVER heard or seen a 3.0L or 5.0L Jaguar engine with a rear main seal leak!
I have owned and been working on these engines for almost 10 years now.
Please post evidence?
Can it happen sure enough! But facts are required for such a wild claim!

They are NOT your peers with such ridiculous statements. Sound like the typical retard from the social media crowd where all claims are 100% true!?
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thanks all for chiming in, appreciate it.
I got notified by the shop I took the car to get a full third party purchase inspection, they also quoted me like about $2k for a fix but told me is not urgent and I could carry on without much concerns at all.
got the report and a bunch pics, gonna try and see if any show the leak.

 

Good news 👍 If you decide not to fix it I'd suggest you continue taking it to the same mechanic, so that they can monitor it and advise you if it becomes more urgent.

The hard part is coming to grips with that little puddle of oil you see on the shed floor.. even under an old work truck, it's not a nice sight 😢

EDIT: I re-read your post, is this on a pre-purchase inspection? I assumed you already own the car, is that not the case?

 

Not just the shed floor - plastered all along the underside of the car!!
Usually will leak even more while running.

 

We just re-paint the undersides of the work vehicles every three months so I can't see it 😂😂

 

When my Gen1 clutch/flywheel got replaced under warranty they replaced a leaking rear main seal too. I had 17,000 miles on it at the time.

 

yeah I already bought the vehicle but just wanted to understand better this issue, any issue, that gets brought to my attention. so thanks, all of your knowledge sharing here is reassuring to me.

I'll just keep an eye on it with my local shop then!

 

No worries - I don't think it's a big issue, have the services done regularly and keep an eye on it

 

My 11 XK 5.0 NA with 42k miles leaked oil from the rear main, fact that my dealership had a special to correct (Jag south Orlando). I attribute mine to being slightly driven before I bought it, having said that; while it is UGLY to look at, will not cause any harm unless you let the oil get low or it turns into a flood. Which it will over time and I had an indy correct just before a moron totaled it out (okay, might still be a LITTLE upset about that).

 

Do you mean rear pinion seal