1100 mi drive sans filler cap...

[earlyre]

Just back from vacation, went to visit bro in dallas. Before i left, topped off the oil (1/2qt low)threw the bottle with its remainder in the car, and drove the 1100 mi straight through(9-5,both pm)while there, start cleaning out front gutters(2"deep layer of gravel) need a scoop. AHA! I pour the remaining oil from the bottle into the crankcase(whats 1/2 qt over gonna do?) Close up the hood,go inside wash out bottle, cut off bottom, instant gutter scoop. Car sits for approx week. On the way back home, i notice a strong oil smell each time i start the car. Pop the hood, no filler cap. Look around, w/flash light(10p sunday night) find the cap, partly melted, sitting on the cross member right under the exhaust... finish the drive home, put the car up on ramps, to drain while its stll good and hot. Will put new oil/filter on in morning. Then off to parts store in other car for new cap.

So any chance i just messed up my engine? No cel, mileage unafeccted.

 

[TechnoLoGs]

Had a car (a BMW E30 with the 2.7L ETA) that guy did this. Took cap, never put it back on.. Put a rag in there. Drove everywhere the weekend with it. Car and engine were fine.

Had a Volvo where oil wouldnt stay in it, the oil shot out dipstick, for unknown reasons. Car died the same day (engine issues.)

Sounds like you are fine.

 

[robshelton]

Sounds like your engine is going to be OK. Whatever has happened is done, but if it didn't spray a bunch of oil out of the filler hole it shouldn't have hurt anything. And while I wouldn't recommend trying it, its a heck of a story! That free "Gutter gravel scoop" could have wound up costing you big time! And yes, many of us have similiar stories, some with not-so-good endings!

 

[Donald]

Whats done is done. Doubt you did much harm.

But if we told you your engine is probably ruined, what would you do differently?

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: TechnoLoGs
Had a car (a BMW E30 with the 2.7L ETA) that guy did this. Took cap, never put it back on.. Put a rag in there. Drove everywhere the weekend with it. Car and engine were fine.

Had a Volvo where oil wouldnt stay in it, the oil shot out dipstick, for unknown reasons. Car died the same day (engine issues.)

Sounds like you are fine.


For the OP, you're fine. Any dirt that got in was caught by the filter, and you never lost pressure. An oil and filter change is a good idea, though.

For TLG, I explained what was going on with your Volvo. It had a plugged flame trap (PCV), common in that vintage and mileage, that allowed excess crankcase pressure.

Clearly you were too busy posting, taking video while driving, and asking extraneous questions, to listen or understand what I was saying back then.

 

[VinceF]

With positive pressure from any blowby, you may have gotten some oil to condense outside the motor. Cars used to have just a road tube to vent the blowby under the motor. If blowby was bad, you could see smoke coming from the pipe. Now it gets sucked into the motor to be burned.

 

[earlyre]

So,basically,as i suspected after typing my long-winded op, i just degfeated the pcv system for the trip, and was venting to the atmosphere.

 

[Astro14]

Yep. And there's a chance that some dirt got in, but it would have been swept down the drain holes in the head to the pan, where it would be picked up and run through the filter, so I sincerely doubt you've sustained any damage or excess wear.

 

[earlyre]

I was due for an oil change anyway...