Quick car care lesson for the guys.

[Clutch1]

How could you not notice your oil cap was off?
One time I had mine changed and they left it off... about 2 miles down the road there was tons of smoke boiling out of the hood. Needless to say I got a free oil change. lol

No smoke. It all came right out of the valve cover and got soaked right into the hood underliner. Nothing made it back onto the engine to burn off.

 

[Brookfield]

My last car (got rid of it about 1 1/2 years ago) had a leaky oil pan gasket. I lost all but a qt. of oil and drove like that for about 3 months before I realized I had no oil. I fixed the gasket and re-filled the crank-case. My car hated me and drove like crap for weeks!! It lost all power, was slow as balls, just sucked after that. Than I checked the level one day and I had burnt off about 3/4 a qt. I filled it up and un-knowingly, left the oil cap off. A few months go by and I figured, "Okay, time for an oil change." look under the hod, there is oil everywhere!! Thank god the cap fell between the battery and the inner fender! Samn thing, got her filled up and she drove like ass for weeks!!!

I beat on the one I have now and I'm paying the price. I need a new suspension (about 300, plus time spend doing install and whatever tools I don't have) and heads. I developed a slight tap, well, a little more than slight, from romping on it a bit. Every one sleeps on me cause I drive a Buick LeSabre. I've showed everyone who has slept on me what this old man car can do, until the suspension is needed!! Damn "dynaride"!

I thought all American cars had gadgets to warn when the oil is low, my Audi A4 beeps, it also does it if I haven't shut a door properly, washer liquid low, handbrake left on, etc, flashing up a glowing symbol for each, last week it came up "o/side turning indicator faulty" as I turned it indicated but at a much higher frequency, I had to get it done quickly, as over here in England, if the rate is too fast, it's against the law, & you soon get the blip of a police siren, pulled over, & a ticket to get it done or else, do they do that over there?

 

[Nik00117]

Yes, they will give you what they call a Fix-It-Ticket where if your car is broke, like taillight is out or somthing they give you a ticket demanding you fix it.

 

[root]

drain the oil???

I use a pump...
take out the dip stick.
put pump into hole where dip stick goes.
opperate pump, watch all oil get removed...

change filter, (and invariably spill oil when changing the filter).
put oil in, move car an cover oil spill

drive off...

this is the pump that I have...
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=040210469

makes it a lot easier, and it's more effective since you'll normally find that when draining, the plug is located not in th dead centre of the sump. so there is always a little used oil left in the car...

as well as making it easier, it makes it quicker...
and you don't have to carry about an oil pan that you've put under the car. (thoug a pan does help if you don't want oil on your drive from removing teh filter.

 

[Brookfield]

drain the oil???, I use a pump, take out the dip stick, put pump into hole where dip stick goes, operate pump, watch all oil get removed...change filter, (and invariably spill oil when changing the filter), put oil in, move car an cover oil spill, drive off..

A friend of mine, a garage mechanic, told me a while back that he doesn't recommend this method, because no matter how strong the suction is, there is always sediment left behind, metal fragments, sludge etc, this way, you can't flush, causing more rapid engine wear.