Feeling Like A Rookie Today

[frank3]

Can't believe it...changed my oil and filter yesterday. No big deal, right? Well, I went to double-check the oil level today after taking a couple of 2-3mi. trips yesterday to make sure that I had topped off the oil correctly.

Well, the oils topped off...only problem is, I forgot to put the oil filler cap back on! Now it's somewhere on the road. Bavauto just got an extra $5 for a new cap that I hadn't planned on buying.

Live and learn.


Odd thing though, I hadn't noticed any change in performance. I've read some posts where people note decreased performance w/oil filler cap off.

[Henri]

I'm curious... there was no Check Engine light on ??

[bitcore]

I don't think there's a sensor to even check for the oil cap...

[Furious]

funny, i know that if you dont have your fuel cap on , it will give an engine warning light , so im surprised that there is no light when there is no cap. but i suppose its because there is no vacumm or presure related things that go on in the crank case

[NeverLeaned]

Originally posted by Henri@Oct 31 2004, 05:40 PM
I'm curious... there was no Check Engine light on ??

[snapback]221855[/snapback]

Interesting that it didn't come on. I know of a few Volvos that won't even start without the oil filler cap on. (has to do with keeping the system pressurized)

[uiuc240]

Yeah, most cars will not run without the cap on. I guess BMW doesn't route their vacuum lines that way.

[B3M2W5i]

so is there oil all over the engine bay? i remember when i forgot to put the cap on for my auntie's toyota i went to check out the oil level when we got to mcdonalds and there was oil everywhere so i covered it up and told her i wanted to hose down the engine bay to make sure it was clean :P

[frank3]

No check engine light came on...I was suprised.

Fortunately, there was only a couple of small splashes of oil on the hood insulation that fairly easily was soaked up by a paper towel...yeah, I thought there would be more oil all over the place.

I thought I read a post sometime ago that when people took off their oil filler cap when tuning a car, the revs went way down or something similar to that because of the vacuum runing through the engine. Odd thing was that I didn't notice any difference in the way the car ran!

[97alpineM3]

Hmmm... might have to call a tech friend of mine.. but I could have swore that the oil system was pressurized.... due to the seals and such... but maybe its not a localy pressurized system.... hmm interesting.. I will look in to this..

Lata,

Les

[Ding]

one time my brother in law changed the oil on his mits. and just drained out all the transmission fluid and put in way to much oil, haha