S2000 Under The Hood S2000 Technical and Mechanical discussions.

car driven without oil fill cap on!

Thread Tools
 
Old 01-12-2006, 01:37 PM
  #1  

Thread Starter
 
TheCarGuy2021's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: El Segundo, CA
Posts: 2,519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default car driven without oil fill cap on!

So today in the 60 degree weather that wonderful cleveland is having in the midst of winter, i decided to change my oil. As i finished putting in my 4th quart and dinner was ready, so i go eat dinner. i come back to finish to find out that the car is gone! Turns out my brother wanted to take it for a ride in the sun. Little did he know that i was in the middle of changing my oil. I called him and he immediately returned, only about 15-20 miles put on it, and the temp never rose above 3 bars. I now need a new fill cap as well as even more oil. So my question is has this harmed the engine in any way, and if so what could i do about it. Also, where could i find a reasonably priced oil fill cap?(left the old one sitting on the valve cover)

Thanks,
Sam
Old 01-12-2006, 02:09 PM
  #2  
Registered User
 
S2000GT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chicago (ex London UK)
Posts: 7,776
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

i dont think this will have any ill effects on your car - actually I did this once on my previous S, although intentionally

I was due to go away on a driving/meet weekend in the S, and I was still at work on the Friday. I decided to top the S off with oil during my lunch break. Took off the filler cap and dropped it down the side of the block. NO WAY of getting it back!

I was stuck and had to use my car - so I drove ~20 miles to my local Honda dealer to get one from parts - come to find out its special order - 2-3 weeks!

Luckily I knew the sales guy at the dealership and he gave me the oil cap from the S in the showroom so I could go away that weekend.

When I got back, I took the car in for service, and they found the oil cap lodged down somewhere near the undertray.

So, I think youll be okay and you might even still have your oil cap in the car somewhere! Makes a mess on the underside of the hood tho
Old 01-12-2006, 02:29 PM
  #3  

Thread Starter
 
TheCarGuy2021's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: El Segundo, CA
Posts: 2,519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

thanks, goin to pop off the undertray now.
Old 01-12-2006, 02:44 PM
  #4  
Moderator
Moderator
 
Billman250's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Long Island, New York
Posts: 22,124
Received 1,403 Likes on 840 Posts
Default

The oil cap will almost always lodge itself on top of the transmission, this happens all the time. You may hear a noise, it's the oil cap pinned between the engine/trans and the firewall. It will never fall out if it's in the "money spot". You'll have to feel around for it.
Old 01-12-2006, 04:17 PM
  #5  
Registered User
 
Race Miata's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

[QUOTE=TheCarGuy2021,Jan 12 2006, 02:37 PM]As i finished putting in my 4th quart and dinner was ready, so i go eat dinner.
Old 01-12-2006, 04:28 PM
  #6  

Thread Starter
 
TheCarGuy2021's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: El Segundo, CA
Posts: 2,519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

everything was done except for adding the oil, so the area was somewhat clean, and there were 4 empty bottles of oil laying there, if i were him, and drove a '98 camry (no offense to camry owners), and saw the opportunity on such a nice day i wouldve done the same thing, steal the keys, and hopefully realize the oil filler cap was not on, put it on, and take off. Luckily there was some oil in it, and it had the new oil filter on it

thanks again,
Sam
Old 01-12-2006, 04:33 PM
  #7  

Thread Starter
 
TheCarGuy2021's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: El Segundo, CA
Posts: 2,519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Now what's the problem with eating dinner at 5:00?
Old 01-12-2006, 05:32 PM
  #8  
Registered User
 
Race Miata's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by TheCarGuy2021,Jan 12 2006, 05:33 PM
Now what's the problem with eating dinner at 5:00?
Ah, OK. Forgot I'm quite up north here. Here in Vancouver with stupid Daylight Saving Time, it gets pitch dark as early as 4pm in the winter. Again, no offence intended.

Nonetheless, you're a nice brother. If my brother stole my car like that, I'm sure I won't be that generous.
Old 01-12-2006, 06:34 PM
  #9  

Thread Starter
 
TheCarGuy2021's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: El Segundo, CA
Posts: 2,519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Again, no offence intended
none taken, and for the record i didnt let him off that easy.(told him i had a 60 dollar billet filler cap, and now he is going to clean my engine bay with a toothbrush)<not joking, but then again back a few months ago i spilled a gallon of gas in his trunk from a gas can for the lawn equipment...
Old 01-12-2006, 11:10 PM
  #10  
Registered User
 
Squeezer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Jackson
Posts: 2,307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

so you poured oil into the engine but didn't put the cap on? why?


Quick Reply: car driven without oil fill cap on!



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:49 PM.