It can happen to the best of us

[BrianWC]

Changed the oil this weekend. Drove to work and back yesterday and today (2 hrs total per day) plus an additional 5 hour trip today. Walked outside tonight to find a giant puddle in the driveway. The oil pan drain bolt was about 1.5 turns from falling out.

Lost about 1 quart of oil. Topped off w/ PP and stuck a jug of Tection Extra in the trunk in case something like this happens again and I catch it before a rod flies through the hood.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: BrianWC
Changed the oil this weekend. Drove to work and back yesterday and today (2 hrs total per day) plus an additional 5 hour trip today. Walked outside tonight to find a giant puddle in the driveway. The oil pan drain bolt was about 1.5 turns from falling out.

Lost about 1 quart of oil. Topped off w/ PP and stuck a jug of Tection Extra in the trunk in case something like this happens again and I catch it before a rod flies through the hood.


Ouch!

The closest I did to screwing up an oil change was when I filled the car with 5 quarts instead of 4 because I forgot that the big Wal Mart jugs are 5 quarts instead of the 4 you get from the auto parts stores. I also left the oil filler cap off once. I'll never do that again.

 

[WishIhadatruck]

I have a buddy that just plain forgot to add the oil when he was done. Bye bye motor.

 

[hate2work]

I left the oil filter off one time, started the car before realizing my screwup. Oil was everywhere on the side of the engine. We all screw up from time to time.

 

[BrianWC]

Well the crazy thing is I drove down a really rough backroad today. I can't fathom how the thing didn't jiggle the whole way out. What happened is I used my gator grip socket on the drain plug and I think my hands were pretty oily (I don't use gloves). I think I must have let the wrench slip off and absent-mindedly thought I had tightened down the plug.

 

[J_Myler]

The very first time I changed oil (I was 16) I forgot to put oil back in the car

I talked to my Dad and he asked if I put oil in it and I said I thought I forgot somthing. Needless to say thats the first thing I check befor I start the car after an oil change

 

[BrianWC]

Yeah, the only other time I've screwed up was on the CR-V. It was the first time I put PP in it. I left the drain bolt off and watched as all my new PP went right through the engine and onto the ground.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Originally Posted By: BrianWC
Yeah, the only other time I've screwed up was on the CR-V. It was the first time I put PP in it. I left the drain bolt off and watched as all my new PP went right through the engine and onto the ground.


You might have well as poured your PP into the toilet!

 

[simple_gifts]

I ALWAYS put the new oil on top of the engine; can't close the hood unless you put the oil in.

 

[rg200amp]

I first time I changed my own oil, it was on my truck. I drained the oil, then I tried to get the oil filter off. NO GO!

I had to walk to the auto parts store and buy a oil filter rench.

 

[J_Myler]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
I ALWAYS put the new oil on top of the engine; can't close the hood unless you put the oil in.
I like that idea

 

[sciphi]

I've had struggles with oil filters before. My fiancee's (bless her heart) Escort that hadn't had an oil change in a year (5000 miles that year) had the filter stuck on pretty badly. It took an old strap wrench to get the thing off after a brutal hour-long struggle.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp
I first time I changed my own oil, it was on my truck. I drained the oil, then I tried to get the oil filter off. NO GO!

I had to walk to the auto parts store and buy a oil filter rench.


I've done that a few times! When I changed the oil for the 1st time in the Corolla, the factory put that filter on tighter than I have ever experienced, like it was welded on. Man I was [censored].
Doesn't Toyota know you don't machine tighten an oil filter??

 

[tom slick]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
Originally Posted By: rg200amp
I first time I changed my own oil, it was on my truck. I drained the oil, then I tried to get the oil filter off. NO GO!

I had to walk to the auto parts store and buy a oil filter rench.




I've done that a few times! When I changed the oil for the 1st time in the Corolla, the factory put that filter on tighter than
I have ever experienced, like it was welded on. Man I was [censored].
Doesn't Toyota know you don't machine tighten an oil filter??

This guy installs factory filters

 

[eljefino]

I ran two quarts of maxlife through my engine and into the drain pan while my father-in-law was watching. good thing it was free after rebate.

Dropped my drain plug washer in the drain pan, walked to the parts store for another (only 1/4 mile) because the oil was still slowly dripping, and I did not want to mess the driveway by yanking the drain pan and fishing through it for the part.

Have discovered loose lugnuts days after work where I had a tire off, but it could have been rust between the brake rotor and hub, and/or aluminum rims needing retorquing. I always leave the center cap off for a few days as a reminder so I double-check that stuff.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Recently I added oil to my Civic and forgot to put the cap back on. I thought I had an exhaust leak because all I could smell was what I thought was exhaust, and the engine was louder. It actually was the vapors coming out of the open valve cover going into the car. Luckily I caught it quick and only a very small amount of oil was on the underside of the hood.

I always verbally, out loud, say "Oil filter on, plug in, oil in" every change I do, my car or friends' car. It has prevented me from making a huge mistake over the past 20 years.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I forgot to put back the oil filler cap twice, once for LS400 and once for S2000. After dring about 1 mile I smelled something was burning, I stopped the car open the hood and there was the oil filler cap on top the engine. The car smelled bad until I washed the engine the next day.

I'm using the oil extractor therefore I'm not worrying about drain bolt.

 

[wcbcruzer]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp
I first time I changed my own oil, it was on my truck. I drained the oil, then I tried to get the oil filter off. NO GO!

I had to walk to the auto parts store and buy a oil filter rench.


Next time it happens, just hammer a philips head screw driver into the filter and twist off. A bit messy but works for those hard ones.

 

[Bulli]

never had any bad experiences changing the oil aside from hard to unscrew oil filters that were tightened at a oil change shop.. Grr

 

[Audi Junkie]

I poured some Clean 5000 strait through my friend's Jeep Liberty. All 5q, no drain bolt.