26
votes
Accepted
I ran my car on almost no oil for a few weeks before realizing the problem. Now what?
It sounds as though you were low on oil, but not out of oil. Your MS6 requires around 5.5-6 quarts of oil, so if you dumped three quarts in to get it up to level, you still had nearly three quarts in ...
- 153k
24
votes
Will having a radiator full of engine oil do damage to the motor?
The seller should not be selling the vehicle with oil in the cooling system. That supposed "quick fix" should have been rectified at the earliest opportunity. Have him flush the cooling system and put ...
- 1,723
23
votes
Accepted
Switching engine coolant with similar properties oil
There's a very straightforward answer to this question: Water has a much, much higher capability to transfer heat than oil.
Even if you were able to overcome the safety and design issues brought up ...
- 1,134
22
votes
Will having a radiator full of engine oil do damage to the motor?
I would be more concerned about whether engine oil is actually finding its way into the radiator from the engine.
If it is, this would be indicative of a compromised head gasket, warped cylinder head,...
- 39.1k
15
votes
Accepted
What's the black knob near the oil pan?
If your engine is the 2.7 litre, then that is the oil filter.
You can see this in this video detailing how to do an oil change on the 2.7 litre engine.
The oil filter may just need tightening a little,...
- 24.9k
13
votes
Will having a radiator full of engine oil do damage to the motor?
Yes, it's possible some of the seals designed to withstand water and glycol could get damaged
I am thinking you are creating a fictitious scenario here, so I'll roll with it.
If you filled your ...
- 33k
12
votes
I ran my car on almost no oil for a few weeks before realizing the problem. Now what?
When you visit your dealership, have them (and join in if you're allowed into the shop) examine the oil after it's drained. This is important to ask beforehand since some shops use a large funnel/...
- 121
10
votes
Cylinder leak down test to detect oil leakage
You can do a leak down test but look at your spark plugs first
If your burning oil you will see it on your spark plugs. They will be black and have buildup on them. If you find one or two that look ...
- 33k
9
votes
2004 Subaru Forester black smoke oil not accelerating
It sounds to me like you 'windowed the block'. When you lost oil pressure, you were at highway speed, so your engine was spinning decently fast, and every revolution without oil does more damage. I ...
- 8,443
7
votes
Cylinder leak down test to detect oil leakage
I'm wondering if you are having an issue with oil bypass, as in going through the breather/PCV and ending up getting burned through the intake. A simple catch can would prove this out for you. This ...
- 153k
7
votes
Cylinder leak down test to detect oil leakage
Not a desired answer, but with no leaks (to ground or into coolant) it's possible that your engine is just using/burning what some manufacturers would consider a normal amount of oil:
How much is ...
- 698
7
votes
Accepted
Is the dye used for diagnosing oil leaks harmful to an engine?
Yes this is completely fine and what the dye is designed for. You should be able to get a kit at your local auto-parts store.
7
votes
2004 Subaru Forester black smoke oil not accelerating
My son had an engine failure on a 2015 WRX, same exact symptoms, connecting rod broke and punched through the engine block on the top side, breaking open an oil galley. 10K mistake after playing with ...
- 8,010
6
votes
Engine temperature low when it's cold outside
Oil leak is unrelated. You should fix that. (:
There are various possibilities:
The temperature gauge is faulty or the sender that sends the gauge the temperature reading is.
Test: Block part of ...
- 3,363
6
votes
Gear Oil coming out of the breather accumulator after water wading
Thoroughly flush the diff and transfer box - then refill with the correct type and amount of oil.
To prevent this problem - extend the breathers to either inside the cabin or the roof line. This was ...
- 34.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Oil leakage or normal engine procedures
Just reading this forum post, it appears your issue is a very common issue with your engine type. There is a main oil galley which runs right up through that corner of the head. This feeds the various ...
- 153k
5
votes
Accepted
Oil leaking into spark plug well despite new gaskets -- is RTV a solution?
I'm not a fan of RTV
Others that are professional and hobbyists don't agree with me but, some do.
I just don't use RTV, it's like duct tape to me. I get a physiological reaction to the acronym. I ...
- 33k
5
votes
Fixing a gasket oil/transmission fluid leak with epoxy glue - possible reaction with oil?
If it is the oil pan bolt holes that are stripped out, using a Heli-Coil thread insert is the professional permanent solution.
Heli-Coil is the inventor of this repair method, but there are other ...
- 8,010
5
votes
Is messing up this gasket my fault?
New seals that are too large are unlikey to fit. You need one that has the correct internal diameter.
You shouldn't need anything to hold the seal in place. You might benefit from a small wiping of ...
- 8,672
5
votes
Oil leak after oil change
I work in a service centre - either the sump plug was put on finger tight and then the tech forgot to tighten with a socket or he didn't use a collapsible washer or the washer was faulty or depending ...
5
votes
Oil is leaking to my spark plugs. how do I clean it?
Spray some brake clean in the plug well. Hold a rag over the plug hole and hit it with compressed air. You could also use a small tube and a fluid extraction pump. Or you could stuff rags down the ...
- 10.7k
5
votes
Oil in my radiator, but no water in my oil
The problem, in general, is that there is a leak between the lubrication system and the cooling system. There are only few obvious where this can happen:
One is at the head gasket where oil can leak ...
- 14.4k
5
votes
Switching engine coolant with similar properties oil
Water has the nice property that it boils at a fairly low temperature, so the vapour pressure rises quickly with temperature and it is easy to design fail-safe over-pressure protection (a simple ...
- 2,954
4
votes
Car stored for 6 months shows low oil level after 300 miles
The oil level is not going to decrease due to it sitting for six months unless a seal went bad. It would appear to me you have an oil leak somewhere. This doesn't mean you are going to have low oil ...
- 153k
4
votes
Accepted
What do you use to clean oil off of drive belt
Quick googling reveals that drive belts may be damaged by oil leaks. Thus, I would change the drive belt instead of trying to clean it. Drive belts are cheap, but the trouble caused by a failed drive ...
- 14.5k
4
votes
Will having a radiator full of engine oil do damage to the motor?
Strange - engine coolant is antifreeze diluted with water. So the seller is claiming he had oil but not water? I would not buy that car.
For the seller, a coolant system flush would in order, both ...
- 2,838
4
votes
Oil leak: any idea of the likely source?
You have to clean the engine bay first
When troubleshooting for the source of an oil look you first have to completely clean off all of the old oil, dirt and built up grime.
You can get a citrus ...
- 33k
4
votes
2001 WR426F Leaks a bit of oil out of the breather tube, is it normal?
You may have a bad PCV valve or your rings are getting worn out
Your PCV valve controls pressure within the crankcase and assists in dispensing excess oil and running it through the engine as well as ...
- 33k
4
votes
Is it possible to confirm that my oil cooler is leaking (without removing it)?
If those are coolant pipes on the side of it, you could join them together so that they bypass the cooler. If the leak stops you know that the cooler was causing the problem. You may also find that ...
- 24.9k
4
votes
Accepted
Diagnosing an engine oil leak
On that engine the cam(2), crank(1) and balance shaft(1) seals are the only place that can leak oil behind the timing cover.
At 190K I guarantee they are all leaking, Crank usually leaks the worst ...
- 8,010
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