Sign of the Times: Oil Related

[2002 Maxima SE]

About a month ago, I noticed a streak on the road outside my house...looked like oil. I followed it and it went up and out of the neighborhood then does a U-turn and heads back to the neighborhood. I followed it back and it leads right to a house down the street (huge pile of kitty litter in the driveway). So, I figured the filter failed, the drain plug failed, or someone forgot to tighten something. Both the neighbors cars appear to be running, so he caught it in time.

This past weekend while running out to the store...I see a new streak in the road. Same deal, it goes up to the gas station leaving the neighborhood and then does a U and heads back to the neighborhood...different neighbor this time.

I have lived here for 8 years...and this is the first time (I have seen an oil change mishap...then a few weeks later I see my second. It got me thinking...did things get so bad that some folks tried their first oil change and failed?

 

[friendly_jacek]

You mean you didn't talk to your neighbors and let the cars bleed to death?

 

[tenderloin]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
You mean you didn't talk to your neighbors and let the cars bleed to death?


Sign of the Times.......

J/K

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
You mean you didn't talk to your neighbors and let the cars bleed to death?


LOL, no, the accident had already taken place a few days before I noticed.

 

[01rangerxl]

Interesting...I haven't seen any of my neighbors do this, but I think oil changes would have to get a lot more expensive for them to even think of doing it on their own. Around here there's an abundance of dealers and shops offering $20 or even cheaper oil changes for "most vehicles" all the time. I am one of a handful here who changes their own oil, and cost isn't really the reason.

The people down the street do try to work on their Land Rover Discovery II when it breaks, but it hasn't moved in a month, so that doesn't seem to be going too well.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Interesting...I haven't seen any of my neighbors do this, but I think oil changes would have to get a lot more expensive for them to even think of doing it on their own. Around here there's an abundance of dealers and shops offering $20 or even cheaper oil changes for "most vehicles" all the time. I am one of a handful here who changes their own oil, and cost isn't really the reason.


Same here. For me it is a quality issue. I would rather do it myself and know it was done right.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Interesting...I haven't seen any of my neighbors do this, but I think oil changes would have to get a lot more expensive for them to even think of doing it on their own. Around here there's an abundance of dealers and shops offering $20 or even cheaper oil changes for "most vehicles" all the time. I am one of a handful here who changes their own oil, and cost isn't really the reason.

The people down the street do try to work on their Land Rover Discovery II when it breaks, but it hasn't moved in a month, so that doesn't seem to be going too well.



Yep...

 

[Ken42]

Sadly I can not do mine where I live.
So Buy my OEM filter the oil I want go to a local grage lay down 10 bucks and they do it.

Ken

 

[fsskier]

OK, I will toss in my guess..... I have seen this exact thing happen TWICE on my street.....lived here over 40 years.

Both times, the owner did an oil and filter change and forgot to check to see if the filter gasket came off with the filter, or remained on the block when removed. Try it, it comes off the filter very easily.... and sometimes sticks to the block.

Then when the new filter is installed and tightened down the old gasket sort of squeezes out of place and allows a pretty good leak.

Working in a gas station in college, doing oil changes every day, I found this happened maybe every 100th time I did an oil change on a customers car.... always saw it first because I always stick the filters "gasket to gasket" to allow oil from the old filter to prelube the gasket on the new filter.

Curiosity kills the cat.... heck, go and ask him!!

 

[freezing1]

This could have been my house 15 years ago.

I was taking my drain oil to recycling in the back of my pickup when a two-gallon jug got loose and popped the cap off. I had a circle around the entire block..

 

[ahoier]

Spoeaking of which.......[censored] anyone notice how sucky the "Blitz" brand screw on caps are? They got only one or two "threads", and yea, can't seem to get the cap screwed on tight...sure, I got the "upgraded" drain pan, I think it's 10 quarts or so....with the "screen" that's supposed to catch the bolt if you accidently drop it....well, the screw cap on the side stinks, doesn't seem to seat right with the threads....or am I the only one with this problem?


Note: the "bigger" round container, with the convenient pour-"neck" on it, that one caps/seals fine....hehe.


P.S. Back on topic....am I the only one that was looking forward to a juicy ending? Like catching a little neighborhood scoundrel, loosening peoples drain plugs? Now THAT would be some bullskit....

Next up from Stant, locking drain bolts

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

Quote:
Working in a gas station in college, doing oil changes every day, I found this happened maybe every 100th time I did an oil change on a customers car.... always saw it first because I always stick the filters "gasket to gasket" to allow oil from the old filter to prelube the gasket on the new filter.


Nice tip! I am going to start using the end to end method of pre-lubing my filters. Tks!

 

[morris]

years ago i changed all the machines on the ranch. once i started to change oil, when i touched the plug it just turned, just like i put it in. no not much oil had dripped out, if any. even though i did oil changes for decades, i NEVER striped out a plug, nor had a filter so tight it would not come off. thats just one oil story i have.

 

[andyd]

A stripped out oil plug is a pain. OTOH, its a sign that the oil has been changed. ;D