Oil under the hood? Time to panic?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,962
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From: San Fernando Valley, CA
Oil under the hood? Time to panic?
This showed up very recently. The car did have the oil changed last week, and I didn't see this then, but I should mention it. The engine has never been cleaned and it has 4,200 miles on it.
Anyhow, I popped the hood looking for the mysterious "rattle" problem, and I noticed some oil spray droplets on the valve cover. Then I noticed spray on the heat shield and headers. I got home and it still has the "grime" along the gasket, but it is only on the passenger side (exhaust side) of the engine, with most of it near the frontmost cylinder.
My coworkers and I initially suspected a sloppy oil change job, but the dealer changes the oil from the bottom of the car. The area around the oil fill cap has oil residue, but I am at a loss how the splatters are concentrated in the area they are in. Here's the photos:
So what's the verdict? Sloppy oil change or leaky gasket under the valve cover?
Anyhow, I popped the hood looking for the mysterious "rattle" problem, and I noticed some oil spray droplets on the valve cover. Then I noticed spray on the heat shield and headers. I got home and it still has the "grime" along the gasket, but it is only on the passenger side (exhaust side) of the engine, with most of it near the frontmost cylinder.
My coworkers and I initially suspected a sloppy oil change job, but the dealer changes the oil from the bottom of the car. The area around the oil fill cap has oil residue, but I am at a loss how the splatters are concentrated in the area they are in. Here's the photos:
So what's the verdict? Sloppy oil change or leaky gasket under the valve cover?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,962
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From: San Fernando Valley, CA
Originally posted by boiler
That's not a leaky gasket.
That's not a leaky gasket.
at the dealer? The spray droplets are what was causing the concern, they were concentrated around the one corner of the engine (that's the most dirty of course).
Registered User
Joined: May 2003
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From: Elsewhere
The mechanic may have a had a big fan blowing on him when he started adding the oil and fan could have blown some oil around. Looks to me like the fan was blowing across from the driver's side. You might do a quick check to make sure the vent hose is secured into the valve cover though.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,962
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From: San Fernando Valley, CA
Well, it was back at the dealer today, I showed them the engine and they told me pretty much what I expected: a sloppy oil change.
The service manager pointed out that quite a bit of oil "missed" the oil fill hole on the engine and is staining the valve cover.
They did ask me where I had it done, and the service manager wasn't all that pleased when I told them they did it the previous week.
The service manager pointed out that quite a bit of oil "missed" the oil fill hole on the engine and is staining the valve cover.
They did ask me where I had it done, and the service manager wasn't all that pleased when I told them they did it the previous week.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Chapel Hill, NC
Originally posted by rworne
Well, it was back at the dealer today, I showed them the engine and they told me pretty much what I expected: a sloppy oil change.
The service manager pointed out that quite a bit of oil "missed" the oil fill hole on the engine and is staining the valve cover.
They did ask me where I had it done, and the service manager wasn't all that pleased when I told them they did it the previous week.
Well, it was back at the dealer today, I showed them the engine and they told me pretty much what I expected: a sloppy oil change.
The service manager pointed out that quite a bit of oil "missed" the oil fill hole on the engine and is staining the valve cover.
They did ask me where I had it done, and the service manager wasn't all that pleased when I told them they did it the previous week.
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serves 'em right!
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,962
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From: San Fernando Valley, CA
Originally posted by Johnny--2K
check your filter too....there have been issues with peoples filters coming loose, and some to the point of starting a fire because it came loose while driving!
check your filter too....there have been issues with peoples filters coming loose, and some to the point of starting a fire because it came loose while driving!