Oil buildup on side of engine near dipstick.

2006 Tacoma with a V6 has oil buildup on side of engine near dipstick. It’s below the exhaust manifold near what looks like a sensor. Is this a common issue or what could possibly be causing this?

 

Clean it all up nice a pretty. Then drive it for a bit and then you will be able to see where it is leaking from.

There is a known issue with the timing cover leaking on the passenger side.

 

Thanks. I just watched a video that someone took of their timing chain cover leak. It looks like the exact same thing. Yikes!

 

Do guys fix these timing covers or just watch them to be sure it’s not getting real bad?

 

Some do and some don't...

It is quite an involved process as the entire front of the engine must be removed and the oil pan, in order to do it by the manual.

 

If its just minor seepage that doesn't cause your oil level to drop dramatically, then help protect you from rust.
Funny thing about cars... those with engines that leak oil tend not to rust out as much as those that are sealed up really well and never leak a drop.
Wonder why that could be......?

 

It is not a big leak. There’s no spots on the floor from it. Oil level is fine.

 

Then I would just keep an eye on it and consider it automated rustproofing. If it gets worse, then you consider fixing it.

 

I'd also look at the VVT screen bolt. It's right there in your pic and it could be leaking too.

 

Which one is the vvt screen bolt? Thanks.

 

Do you do your own oil changes?

 

I don’t own this yet. Went to look at it yesterday and seen this. I do plan to change the oil myself.

 

Oh.

Well it may not be a leak but oil spillage from a dip doodle oil change place.
Clean it up and see if it reappears.

 

Third pic. Your pics are so close up it's hard to get perspective on where that bold head is located, but it looks an awful lot like the VVT bolt you remove to get to the screens.

 

Here are the locations for the VVTI Filter Screens: One in each side.

 

No the filler neck is on the other side. I have the same issue. But never any drops on the ground so I'm leaving it alone.
It's the infamous timing cover leak especially since it's a 06

 

Funny, my 06 is doing the same thing. Also no oil on the ground. Did you come to a conclusion? For orientation this is the passenger side with the vvt oil screen bolt in the top portion.

 

Read the link below, as this maybe the issue?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/updated-t-sb-0326-08-oil-leak.17846/

 

Unless you are seeing a noticeable drop on the dipstick, I would just be aware of it. My 2014 was leaking, so I cleaned the crap out of the engine bay and determined it was coming out of the valve cover. I didn't do a thing for several months. It didnt get worse, and the biggest issue was it would drip on the exhaust manifold from time to time and smell like burning oil. I have since replaced the valve cover gaskets, which fixed the leak. But like I said, unless your dripping on the ground and loosing enough to drop the dipstick level, you're fine.

 

Might me worth trying some Mobil 1 High Mileage 5w30. It's seal and gasket conditioners may help to slow or even stop the seepage. It's also on the heavier side of the 5w30 range which can be beneficial for higher mileage engines.

I use it with good success in my daughter's 10 year Yaris with about 136k miles. She's bone dry.