The oil tag has no wiki summary.
15
votes
2answers
1k views
Do I have an oil leak if I have to add oil?
I don't change the oil all that often (maybe every 8000 miles) and on my 10 year old car the oil light comes on and I need to add a quart or two (and then I start thinking I practically changed the ...
11
votes
2answers
4k views
How far can I drive with 1 gallon too much oil?
I have way too much oil in my Acura TSX. Do I need to take care of it without turning it on or can I drive it to a service station?
If I need to do it in place, I don't have the ramps or a pan or ...
11
votes
4answers
6k views
What are the risks of overfilling a small engine with oil?
I recently overfilled a 4 stroke lawnmower engine with oil. It has been run for about 1.5 hours while overfilled. It smokes a lot right after being started but after 30 seconds or so the smoke clears. ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
How do I select the right oil for my car?
I can give you my cars make and model and the conditions that I drive in, but I'm looking for a general guide to selecting the right oil for a car. I'm not really knowledgable when it comes to cars so ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
What differences between synthetic and dino oil?
What are the main differences between synthetic and dino oil, and is one always better than the other?
8
votes
3answers
2k views
Is it worth switching to full synthetic or blend oil in my older car/truck?
I have a older (enter vehicle here) that has 100k miles on it. Would I see any benefit switching to full synthetic or synthentic blend oil? Is it worth the extra cost in an older vehicle?
For ...
7
votes
4answers
682 views
Is it normal for the oil to be dark in color right after an “oil change” in a 10-year old diesel car?
I took my 2002 Jetta TDI wagon to a neighborhood shop about 10 miles, 24 hours ago. They supposedly changed the oil, but the color is very dark, almost black. Definitely not light-colored/transparent. ...
7
votes
2answers
956 views
How does the change oil light system work and does it matter what type of oil you use for it to work properly?
I want to know if the methods a vehicle decides when to turn on the oil change light have to do with the qualities of the motor oil used in the last oil change. I have heard that the vehicle's ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Is it OK to mix oil of different viscosity?
I have a Mazda RX-8 (with a Wankel rotary engine). Mazda advises North American owners to use 5W-20 oil. The engine was just replaced 200 miles ago by the dealer so it currently has 5W-20 in it.
...
6
votes
3answers
116 views
Will I be okay running thinner oil with a minor oil leak on an older car?
Recently when I had some work done I was shown a minor leak, I believe he told me it was the oil pan. It doesn't drip out onto the ground, but if you look closely you can see condensed oil drops on ...
5
votes
4answers
171 views
How can I know if the right oil has been added to the vehicle?
Considering that the car recommend Mobil 1 Synthetic oil as per the logo on the oil cap, how can I be sure that the garage that did the oil change poured the recommended oil and not another low cost ...
4
votes
3answers
444 views
What happens if unsuitable oil is used in a vehicle engine?
I recently heard an urban legend-like story about a guy in a developing country who decided engine oil was too expensive and so used some vegetable oil instead. The story says the car ran for some ...
4
votes
3answers
681 views
What kind of engine oil to run a Diesel?
I got an 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser with a 2H diesel engine. I never changed oil on a diesel engine prior to this truck, so I'm a little confused.
Toyota Factory Shop Manual recommend API CC oil type, ...
4
votes
2answers
365 views
Are there different kinds of 10W-40 oil?
I was given a used riding mower as a gift, and the other day I started to do some of the yearly maintenance as recommended by the owner's manual.
When I got to the part about changing the oil, I saw ...
4
votes
2answers
990 views
Oil leak when parked on steep incline
The other day I parked my car, and came back a couple of hours later to see a massive oil puddle under my 1994 Corolla. This was the only time I had ever noticed that much of a leak, and I realized it ...
4
votes
2answers
358 views
Which oil grade and kind should I use on a sport car that does amateur drag?
The car is a Dodge Neon SRT-4 with about 81,000 miles that is used for amateur occasional drag.
What grade and type of oil would be the best to improve my performance while still preserving the ...
4
votes
2answers
713 views
oil leaks when driving, not while parked
My wife has a 2004 Mazda 6, 2.3 liter 4 cylinder. When the car is parked, oil doesn't pool underneath. After driving for about an hour, we need to add about 1-3 quarts. With this issue, where could ...
4
votes
2answers
12k views
Will Putting An Extra Quart of Oil In My Car Ruin It?
I put too much motor oil in my car's motor. About a quart - have I ruined my car? I've been driving it. I know I need to get the oil drained. But I'm worried that I've ruined my car which has been ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Oil burning smell and slow oil leak
I am wondering what types of issues I am most likely looking at with this; My 2003 Ford Escape (V6) has an increasingly pronounced burnt oil smell that has developed slowly over a year or so, coupled ...
3
votes
2answers
6k views
Oil in coolant - how much trouble am I in?
I have oil in my coolant reservoir. Could it just be the head gasket or is it almost certainly the entire engine or might it be something else entirely?
Thanks in advance...
3
votes
2answers
896 views
BMW E30 M20 oil warning light goes on on hot days but the motor sounds and performs fine
The car: BMW '90 E30 320i Cabrio with the six-cylinder M20 engine.
The problem: the red engine oil warning light inside the instrument cluster (not the check control) lights up after some driving. ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
Accidentally poured engine oil into the coolant reservoir
My 1990 Mazda 626 leaks oil like a sieve, so I regularly top up the oil.
In a moment of stupidity, I opened my radiator cap instead of my oil cap while topping up my engine oil, and poured about ...
3
votes
3answers
316 views
how to clean up spilled oil?
I changed the oil in my pickup a couple months ago, and had about a quart of clean oil left in the container when I was done. I don't have a garage or other handy place to keep stuff like this, so I ...
3
votes
2answers
667 views
Is the vent from the pcv valve back into the air intake really needed?
After working on my car, I didn't bother to reattached the line from the pcv valve into the air intake before testing the motor. It ran normally. This made me question whether I need to even return it ...
3
votes
2answers
234 views
Oil pressure question
I am driving a 1995 Bonneville and, lately, whenever I am idle, at a stoplight for example, my oil pressure drops and my check engine light comes on. Any ideas on why this could be happening?
3
votes
1answer
405 views
Should oil be changed every 3000, or 5000 miles? [closed]
I've always heard that the oil in a car should be changed every 3000 miles, but I read the manufacturer's suggested maintenance guide, and it says to change it every 5000 miles. Which is correct, or ...
3
votes
1answer
188 views
Add 2 stroke oil to a 4 stroke petrol engine during burn-in period
I'm planning to get a new petrol (gasoline) car soon.
A friend of mine, who worked as a motorbike mechanic when he was young, told me he puts a small quantity (125 ml / 4 oz) of 2 stroke oil in the ...
3
votes
1answer
120 views
Cannot Pull Oil Dipstick
Here's a simple, yet frustrating, problem. I cannot check my oil, because the dipstick is stuck fast to the tube.
I don't really want to pull and twist so hard that it breaks off.
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Which provides better engine flushing, traditional flushing oil or adding a flush additive to old oil?
Background
I think that my vehicle would probably benefit from having it's lubrication system being flushed out at it's next oil change. Checking prices of flushing oil at local suppliers I noticed ...
3
votes
2answers
36 views
+50
Grinding sound during cold start?
I have a 2009 Honda Accord. Over the past several months, I've noticed a grinding sound immediately after cold-starting the engine. It only lasts for a fraction of a second, doesn't continue once ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Oil leak - just keep refilling?
I have a 1995 Honda Accord with over 170k miles on it. I have the oil changed regularly every 3000 miles. My mechanic noticed the oil levels were pretty low at each oil change and took a deeper look. ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
High / fluctuating oil pressure causes?
My girlfriend has a 1997 Pontiac Bonneville SSE (3.8L GM 3800-II, non-supercharged). It ran low on coolant a few weeks ago, and started to overheat. I refilled with coolant, but the next time I was in ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
Blue-ish smoke coming out from the exhaust
I have a VW Golf mk4, 1.9 TDI from 2001 with 230.000+ km on board and for some time now I have blue smoke coming out of the exhaust.
The problem aggravates when I'm stuck in traffic or when the ...
2
votes
1answer
476 views
accidentally placed oil in the coolant reservoir in a BMW 325i. How do I fix it and what is the cost?
I accidentally added oil to my coolant reservoir. I have a BMW 325i. The oil light came on and I figured my oil may be low. When the oil was added the oil light warning went off. However, the ...
2
votes
4answers
310 views
How can I increase the life of my diesel engine when my car does lots of small trips?
What things can I do to increase the life of my diesel engine when I make lots of shot trips in the car?
My daily routine means that the trip to work goes via another destination which gives my ...
2
votes
3answers
806 views
Audi A4 (1998) extremely noisy when idle, occasional oil light
I have an Audi A4 1998 with over 200k miles. It gets extremely noisy when idle. It usually doesn't happen until it has been running for a while. Revving above 2000rpm can settle it and it isn't noisy ...
2
votes
2answers
37 views
15k mile oil filter
I have been using M1 in my jeep since I bought it with 22k miles on it. I now have 31k and i am thinking about getting M1 Extended Performance which is supposed to last 15k miles between oil changes.
...
2
votes
2answers
186 views
Why is my engine quieter with synthetic oil?
I just replaced the oil in my 2004 Jeep Wrangler today - I thought I'd give synthetic oil a try because there was a "Mobile 1 oil and Bosch filter" deal at my local auto shop.
Until now I have ...
2
votes
1answer
427 views
Passat - Oil warning light on engine rev. Expensive fix?
looking to buy my first car, which is a daunting task for someone with little money and even less knowledge of motors.
Seen this one on ebay, which ticks all my boxes but is cheap because:
When ...
2
votes
1answer
796 views
High oil pressure after oil and filter change
I recently changed the engine oil and filter in my Westerbeke diesel. I gave it the usual (and specified) 4.5 quarts of SAE 30, specifically Chevron DELO.
Now when it starts up it reads 80 psi of ...
2
votes
1answer
34 views
Oil gauge needle is at highest point
I have an 89 Mercedes 300 SE and recently the oil pressure needle has been stuck at the highest point when I accelerate. The values on the gauge are 0 to 3. When I take my foot off the gas the value ...
2
votes
2answers
150 views
Synthetic Oil and oil change frequency
My car (a 2008 Scion tC) says to have its oil changed every 5K miles or 5 months. I just took a new job and commute into the city by bus so I'm driving a whole lot less. I was told that if I got full ...
2
votes
1answer
24 views
1998 Chevy Lumina won't start, crank, or click
I have a 1998 Chevy Lumina and recently i have had intermittent starting issues. MY brother and I bought a new starter and put it in and it still wouldn't start. After replacing the starter we noticed ...
2
votes
1answer
118 views
Cleaning a Jerrycan
I have a couple of 10 Litre steel jerrycans which I used for draining kerosene (UN1223 28sec burning oil) from a tank. After disposing of the kerosene I left the open jerrycans upside down over some ...
1
vote
3answers
450 views
Where can I look to find what kind of oil I should use for my car
Right now I want to change the oil in my 2002 Kia Sedona but I have several cars and I'm never quite sure what kind of oil to use in them.
What I'm really looking for is a link to a site that I can ...
1
vote
3answers
1k views
Difference between “Hypoid” and “Limslip” oils
Recently I changed the oil in my vehicle's rear differential. The manual recommended the use of a "Hypoid" oil, but the guy at the auto parts store suggested a "Limslip" oil instead. I went along ...
1
vote
1answer
17 views
Oil in coolant after gasket work 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
I had a coolant leak that turned out to be a bad gasket. Coolant was leaking into the motor. I had the gasket replaced, and was told to change the oil after a few hundred miles. When I did, it turned ...
1
vote
2answers
23 views
Having Trouble with my 2003 Ford Escape oil light and coolant light
I have a 2003 Ford Escape V6. I'd have to say a couple of months ago my oil light popped on (most of the time only when I hit the brakes), then it would kind of blink a lot until I was on the gas ...
1
vote
2answers
70 views
'92 Toyota Corolla with a oil leak
My 1992 Corolla is leaking oil when driving then pools while parked. Already checked the oil pan and no leak. Where else could it be coming from?
1
vote
1answer
186 views
How to clean/dispose of oily/greasy shop rags?
I have some rags (as I'm sure we all do) that are covered in oil and other various fluids. Is it alright to wash these in a standard washing machine and then air dry them? Is there a specific ...
