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Oil Leak

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    #32
    Darragh29
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,097 ✭✭✭Darragh29


    Fishtits wrote: »
    Sammy, relax.

    To sum up all the relevant advice - if your oil warning lamp didn't light up - you're safe.

    Once the warning lamp comes on you're screwed, if you're cruising and it illuminates, your motor will reduce itself to scrap in 500 meters, and grind you to a halt in the process.

    Cheer up & move on.

    This is not necessarily at all true either. There is no way of telling what damage could be done, there could be none and there could be a lot.


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    #33
    Dartz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,367 ✭✭✭Dartz


    I remember reading an article in Bike Magazine that might be relevent.

    They took a Kawasaki 600 and ran the engine while the bike at high revs until all the coolant boiled off. It ran out of fuel before going bang.

    They refilled the petrol tank, and drained all the oil, putting a litre back in, reasoning that the oil itself was still cooling the engine. The oil that drained out was still so hot it melted the catch tray. It was runny as water and generally hazardous.

    They tapped the throttle wide open, started it up, and the thing started backfiring when it hit the rev-limiter. Limiter cut the spark, letting unburnt fuel through to the exhaust where it exploded on the red-hot metal. The result of this being the exhaust and catalytic converter catching fire after about a minute.

    They doused the flames and killed it, leaving it overnight to cool. Refilled the oil and coolant. Started it. Not a bother on it.

    Truth is, unless you run right out of oil, you're not going to kill your engine. Oil in your sump is down there to cool off, and make sure air/debris doesnt get into the oil circuit. If that happens, it'll starve itself of oil no matter how much is in there. Even if you have about a litre or two in there, the engine will stay lubricated, but the oil itself will be knackered faster as it heats up and begins to carbonise. Knackered oil won't lubricate, so then your engine dies.


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    #34
    Fishtits
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,382 ✭✭✭Fishtits


    Darragh, I understand what you're saying, But...

    My advice was aimed at the OP.

    Given his detailing on what happened, I'd say he's OK.

    He wasn't interested in the proportionality of wear or whatever, he just wanted to know if his car would work.

    Based on what he'd posted, I'd say he's OK.


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    #35
    sammy657
    Closed Accounts Posts: 112 ✭✭sammy657


    Well there was hardly any on the dipstick only a few drops. But i was told that i only lost about a litre of oil as there is oil in the engine even if there is none showing on the dipstick. I left it for 15 mins to cool down but when i checked it was still warm and i checked it on an incline and i still got a few drops off the dipstick. Oil was all over the engine and was steaming but im sure because it was splashing only a little oil would cause that mess am i correct? Many thanks


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    #36
    ART6
    Registered Users Posts: 2,632 ✭✭✭ART6


    sammy657 wrote: »
    Well there was hardly any on the dipstick only a few drops. But i was told that i only lost about a litre of oil as there is oil in the engine even if there is none showing on the dipstick. I left it for 15 mins to cool down but when i checked it was still warm and i checked it on an incline and i still got a few drops off the dipstick. Oil was all over the engine and was steaming but im sure because it was splashing only a little oil would cause that mess am i correct? Many thanks

    A litre of oil over the engine would make one heck of a mess. Even a little oil would soon cover a hot engine. The loss of a litre would not threaten your engine at all. In fact dipsticks generally don't reach to the bottom of the sump. Their purpose is to show a minimum and maximum oil level, not how much oil is actually in there.


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    #37
    sammy657
    Closed Accounts Posts: 112 ✭✭sammy657


    Its not like i had no cap at all its just that it was not screwed on properly. There was a mess of oil everywhere alright as well as a few drips below the bonnet and stains on the floor. Ah i see well like i said there was drips on the dipstick alright enough to wipe off onto abit of tissue paper


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    #38
    sammy657
    Closed Accounts Posts: 112 ✭✭sammy657


    Sorry about this guys i have just been reading that the astra has just a low pressure warning light is this true? This must mean that even if no oil is showing on the dipstick or a few drips there must be some still in there am i correct?


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    #39
    Darragh29
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,097 ✭✭✭Darragh29


    sammy657 wrote: »
    Sorry about this guys i have just been reading that the astra has just a low pressure warning light is this true? This must mean that even if no oil is showing on the dipstick or a few drips there must be some still in there am i correct?

    The low oil pressure warning light is the light we have been discussing here. Even though their might be no oil as per the dipstick, there is still oil in the engine, hence why your oil light/low oil pressure warning light didn't come on.


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    #40
    sammy657
    Closed Accounts Posts: 112 ✭✭sammy657


    Ah i see thanks mate i just assume tho that the oil light comes on when the oil drops below the min mark. Has anyone else had this trouble? The engine was covered alright but im sure there was still oil at the bottom of the engine and being picked up from the sump by the pump as it was only splashing out the cap at the top of the engine because it was not screwed on properly


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    #41
    Darragh29
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,097 ✭✭✭Darragh29


    sammy657 wrote: »
    Ah i see thanks mate i just assume tho that the oil light comes on when the oil drops below the min mark. Has anyone else had this trouble? The engine was covered alright but im sure there was still oil at the bottom of the engine and being picked up from the sump by the pump as it was only splashing out the cap at the top of the engine because it was not screwed on properly

    On your car there is only one oil light. That's the low oil pressure warning light. This will come on when there is low oil pressure, caused by a lack of oil in the oil distribution system. It doesn't matter how much oil was splattered over your engine, all that matters is that the low oil pressure warning light didn't come on.


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    #42
    ART6
    Registered Users Posts: 2,632 ✭✭✭ART6


    Like Darragh says, it's a pressure warning, not a level warning, and it's common to most cars that I know of. As long as you have oil pressure you're OK, although running on low oil isn't to be recommended as the limited amount of oil will become fouled eventually. Even so, that wouldn't happen in the distance you travelled. Splashing from a loose or misplaced cap will make an awful mess that looks much worse than it is. Stop worrying about it:D


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    #43
    sammy657
    Closed Accounts Posts: 112 ✭✭sammy657


    Ah thanks mate. Well the garage just topped up the oil again is this correct? As the oil that i saw everywhere looked quite new had a golden colour to it. But yeah i traveled between 100 and 115 miles cant quite actually remember but between them distances


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    #44
    sammy657
    Closed Accounts Posts: 112 ✭✭sammy657


    Ah also people cos i had the oil leak and there was alot of oil over the engine should i replace the timing belt? I know for a fact the car has a timing belt cover but would the oil get into this cover?


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    #45
    sammy657
    Closed Accounts Posts: 112 ✭✭sammy657


    Anyone?


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