tonyc

Decided to start my week with a drive to work in my belovered. Haven't driven it for 2 weeks, so was driving it faster than usual. The roads were slightly wet due to cleaning. Came up to turn right at an intersection that turns on to an on-ramp onto the highway when within a split second I had done a 180 degree spin with my nose scraping a bamboo fence (fortunalty no armco) and my front wheels hitting the kerbing to find myself facing potential oncoming traffic, engine stalled. It was a blind corner and with luck managed to restart, uturn, and joined the highway at a slow pace. I drove for about 8kms till I stopped at the tollgate not aware of what damage I had done up front. When I stopped I smelt burning oil and found that my engine was covered in oil and the oil cap had fallen off. The front bumber is badly scratched and so is the left front wing but no visable dents.

During the spin the rear of the car did not touch anything so what would have made the oil cap fall off? The jolt of hitting the kerb? Found the oil cap lying on the bottom of the engine.
Or perhaps it was loose or off already and the oil splashed onto my right rear tyre which caused me to spin so rapidly (like I was on ice) or maybe my inability to read the road conditions correctly? Any suggestions.

Also driving for about 8kms without an oil cap, and losing oil, what damage would I have done to my engine if any? I assume the oil pressure must have dropped without a cap?

Just before the Christmas break, and the car is in the garage. What a pity.

Regards
Tony
'90 C2

Randall G.

Hey Tony,

I had the oil cap blow off of my own car after an extra-full oil change, combined with an inoperable oil cooler fan, combined with being stuck in traffic on a warm day. Oil everywhere, I estimate that I lost about 1.5 L (or more) of oil (I had to add 1 L of oil to get the reading back on the stick). Any chance you had an oil change recently, or added oil?

Robin Sun has suggested--and I agree with him--that my oil cap probably blew off while idling at an incline, waiting for a stoplight (i.e., tank really, really full and tilted). Perhaps this happened in your case, perhaps the oil sloshing about from the spin?

When my cap blew off, I also found it at the bottom of the engine pan, near the base of the main blower.

How much oil did you add to get the reading back on the stick/reading on the gauge? I seriously doubt you did any permanent damage, unless you had to add something ridiculous like 6 liters of oil.

Good luck getting your car cleaned up!

Jeff Curtis

Sorry about the incident, I think a lot of us have had similar "oopsies".

I've never heard of an oil cap blowing off, but apparently it does happen?

My first thought was to say that someone didn't put it back on tight, etc. Interesting issue though. Maybe it was off prior to the spin...after all that could've greatly contributed to your mishap??

Good luck on the repairs...let us know if you find anything else interesting from the hit. I would vote that there is no serious engine damage, you would have to lose quite a bit of oil, and then beat the heck out of the car for a bit to cause considerable damage.

Tony, fill in where you're from (your profile)...interesting to see where they have BAMBOO fences!

Randall G.

Yeah, Jeff, I've wondered if I might have left the cap off the day of my incident. But, I always put the cap on the flat edge at the rear of the engine, above the center reflector. I think I would have noticed it prior to closing the lid (otherwise, I would have closed the lid right on the cap). But, to be honest, I'll never be able to say with 100% certainty that I reinstalled the cap. That said, I have heard of this happening to others (at least, that's what they think happened ).

Oh, and now that I think about it, it was my own 1 qt. addition of oil that had the level so high. Same level I had added oil to for years, but with a working oil cooler fan (big difference). I had added the oil several days (a week or more?) before the incident, so it wasn't like the oil leaked out right away.

tonytaylor

I feel there may be a problem with the plastic oil caps deteriating with age.
I had a problem at a trackday earlier in the year with oil being thrown over the engine -lots of smoke, not good. It was traced, eventually, to the oil cap. Even though the cap was fully tight oil was leaking past. It was noted that the thread was only really biting on the last turn compared with several turns on a replacement cap ( which solved the problem). I can easily believe the cap causing oil leakage could be blown off but not the replacement.

Jeff Curtis

Good fix Tony...maybe it would be smart to install a new cap on the car and take the old one along in the "McGuyver Box" ...otherwise known as the "save yer A** for the weekend box" (spare parts) for track events??

I am constantly thinking of new/little things that could potentially ruin a $500+ weekend at the track...it's horrifying!

Randall, I do the same with my oil cap ONLY WHEN AT HOME...just in case I do forget and CRUSH it! Imagine doing that at the track, you're set and closing the lid when CRUUUUUNCH - you just waved your weekend good-bye.

But then, you can always look up one of those unsuspecting RSA types and catch them with their backs turned and grab theirs??

Jay Gratton

I really don't have much to add from what the others said. But I just wanted to say I am glad your incident wasn't any worse and that you are OK! Best wishes - Jay

tonyc

Jay,yes, being on a blind curve facing the wrong way can be disconcerting to day the least but fortunatly no cars appeared.
Jeff, I live in Hong Kong and the bamboo fence was a picket type that protects a garden arrangement on the roadside! The front wheels hit the six inch high kerbing though, so not sure what it has done to my wheels suspension. The car as towed to the workshop and don't expect it for a couple of weeks.

danielheren

Sorry to hear that happened Tony. I once had my rear end get out from under me in a light rain. Spun perpendicular to the roadway then straightened out again. It was a little embarassing, and I wasn't even accelerating that much.