Just did my "stupid" of the month...left oil cap off after oil change!

[billb]

Got up early, took Ginger for a warm-up run around the neighborhood to get the oil warm. Came back, got some tunes playing in the garage, drained out the old Mobil1 10W30 (don't ask why I was running that visc.), changed the filter, put in the new Mobil1 15W50. Added 5.5 quarts, put on the oil cap, then started it up to get the oil moving around. Shut it off, removed the cap, added the last quart, got distracted by the wife ("Time to get ready for church...")

Yep. :( Shut the hood with the oil cap off. Started the car up to move it back to retreive the used oil to recycle...noticed a funny idle, up, down, up down, but then it settled out.

Drove to church, noticed a little more surging than usual from stoplights (must've been the MASSIVE vacuum leak!!!) Noticed no unusual smells though...odd.

Returned home, and decided to check oil level. Opened hood, and horrifying look appeared on my face...but fortunately, the oil cap was still laying right where I left it! :D

Any thoughts on damage, other than letting unfiltered air into the engine? There was "mild" oil spray just above the filler neck on the hood underpadding, and a little along the back of the bay, but surprisingly, not much.

She sounds fine, but I'm worried now...

D'oh (slaps forehead).

BTW, RickM, the Peake tool is the best!! It's the first time I've used it since I got it from you. Thanks again!



Bill B.

[winfred]

no dammage just mess

[Phil M]

Ive dont that too.. I was cleaning the oil cap and the area around. got distracted by the cell phone and sat in my car. started her up to let a buddy hear the new beastie boys cd and i look up and oil was splurging everywhere! what a mess

[Sweetwater]

Any thoughts on damage, other than letting unfiltered air into the engine? There was "mild" oil spray just above the filler neck on the hood underpadding, and a little along the back of the bay, but surprisingly, not much.

She sounds fine, but I'm worried now...

D'oh (slaps forehead).

BTW, RickM, the Peake tool is the best!! It's the first time I've used it since I got it from you. Thanks again!



Bill B.

I have had this event happen to me also....no damage done. I just made sure my oil level was correct and changed it at the regular interval afterwards. Of course, this was on a Ford pickup, not the highly sophisticated BMW....I still can't imagine a different outcome.

[andyman32]

...after an oil change. Same. I felt like an idiot but at least I caught it the next day when I checked the cold oil level, before I took it out for a spin.

WHEW!

[rickm]

I can beat that one...(and I'm not gonna logon anonymously to admit it).

It was 1981 or so, picked up a Duster to get me to school and back. Went to change the oil one day. Started draining it then hopped on my bike to ride over to Twin B to get some oil and a filter. Got back, I was getting everything ready when the phone rang. Came back outside, poured a quart in. Mom called out to get my help getting something off of a shelf (it sucks when you're the tallest in the family). I came back out and noticed a black puddle. Crawled down....looked over...and saw the drain plug. :P I forgot to put the POS back in. I pushed the car out of the way and started to clean up the oil. Rode back to Twin B to get another quart. What a mess, luckily only Mom was home to see it and she wasn't aware of what happened. That car ruled, you could have probably drained all of the oil out of it and driven it cross country w/o any damage. :D

Glad you're enjoying the tool.

Get Gordon to show you how to detail that engine so it looks presentable once again. :)

[632 Regal]

I can beat that!

Pre race day, change auto trans clutches and reinstall trans, pour in fluid which was not burnt. Wake up on Race day, haul car to the track and have a pretty good couple time runs low to mid 10s. Race time, line up and stage...launch...shift was sloppy going into 3rd. Come back and check trans fluid, smelled a bit funky but not burnt. shrug shoulders refill the fuel cell and go to line up and race again. Somethings not right with trans and drive it right onto the trailer and go home.

Drain trans get ready to pull it...fluid dont look red WTF??? grab a beer, sit and think...hmmm wheres the drainbucket from the saved fluid to check it out...uh ohh, there it is under the bench all covered and nice uhhhh, what did I pour in there? Found the other drainbucket (same color) ah hah! nice stuff, was a mix of motor oil and gearlube.

How can this happen? Well it was dark by time I got the trans back in and with the little 468 idling nicely at 1800 rpms open header style inside the barn, I wasnt really watching the color of fluid, just tried to pour it back in as quickly as possible so I could get the hell away from that thing...lol

R&R trans clutches and was ready for the next week, made sure this time to use fresh fluid instead of contanerized saved stuff.

[Dan in NZ]

Yesterday I spilled oil all over the exhaust manifold... Boy did it smoke on the way home from the gas station!

[rickm]

Yesterday I spilled oil all over the exhaust manifold... Boy did it smoke on the way home from the gas station!

That wouldn't look too out of the norm for quite a few of the cars around here. I was behind an Eagle Eclipse that poured smoke so bad you couldn't see the license plate (it was ok at idle/sitting at a stop light). Reminded me of the mosquito control trucks. I wonder how in the hell that POS passed inspection....I guess the guy couldn't afford to fix it since it WAS a "kustom kreations" ride (who in the heck thinks up that crap?).

[Unregistered]

I can beat that!

Pre race day, change auto trans clutches and reinstall trans, pour in fluid which was not burnt. Wake up on Race day, haul car to the track and have a pretty good couple time runs low to mid 10s. Race time, line up and stage...launch...shift was sloppy going into 3rd. Come back and check trans fluid, smelled a bit funky but not burnt. shrug shoulders refill the fuel cell and go to line up and race again. Somethings not right with trans and drive it right onto the trailer and go home.

Drain trans get ready to pull it...fluid dont look red WTF??? grab a beer, sit and think...hmmm wheres the drainbucket from the saved fluid to check it out...uh ohh, there it is under the bench all covered and nice uhhhh, what did I pour in there? Found the other drainbucket (same color) ah hah! nice stuff, was a mix of motor oil and gearlube.

How can this happen? Well it was dark by time I got the trans back in and with the little 468 idling nicely at 1800 rpms open header style inside the barn, I wasnt really watching the color of fluid, just tried to pour it back in as quickly as possible so I could get the hell away from that thing...lol

R&R trans clutches and was ready for the next week, made sure this time to use fresh fluid instead of contanerized saved stuff.


I do that all the time right before I run a low to mid 7...

[ryan roopnarine]

bill, did you ever try the bg44k? did it do anything positive for you?

[billb]

bill, did you ever try the bg44k? did it do anything positive for you?

but just didn't get around to it. I'll try to get to it before the next oil change (in December at this rate!)

Drove another 60 miles tonight, no problems. Miraculously didn't spill much oil at all...

Bill B.

[MicahO]

A while back in the 535, I did an oil change, and had a little trouble getting the oil filter housing to 'burp.'

Drain, swap filter, fill, start car.

Two, three, four - shut her down, damn oil light's not turning off.

Loosen the oil filter housing lid a touch, you know - to let it burp.

Two, three, four, five, six - dammit! Loosen the filter lid another notch - THAT should do it!

Two, three, four, five, six, seven (I'm going to burp this thing, the little beeyatch!), eight, nine, ten. Damn oil light! Shut her down, step around front.....

OMFG! Had to be two quarts of brand new Mobil1 poured out of the damn filter housing, over the motor mounts, over the front subframe, running down the driveway. What a freaking mess. Half a quart in the filter housing ever since, and no problems with 'burping.'

You got off easy! ;)