My car lost its oil lid and some smoke is coming out of the engine.?

Question

A garage attendant forgot to put back my oil cap/lid when fueling and when I got home I realised smoke coming from my engine, only to find that the oil cap was not there. There was lots of smoke coming from the engine, can that be dangerous even after replacing the cap?

Answer 1

even running around all day you wouldn't lose enough oil to harm the engine internally, so you're probably good there, but what I suggest is that you take a lot of pictures of the mess, check the engine over for oil puddles and deal with them, check the oil just to be safe and drive to another garage, if not a few, and act like you left the cap off and get an estimate for repair, then return to the first shop.



Calmly tell the staff what happened and that you want an oil change which needs to include a new filter, any and all fan belts replaced, a new air filter, and a thorough cleaning of the engine and the compartment. This, or a variation of it, is what most mechanics would suggest had you left the cap off claiming they are compromised due to contamination...



check for other items on the estimates and add them too...



hopefully the shop is a descent one and they'll just do it, and not push you into suggesting that they could be looking at an engine replacement because God only knows how truly contaminated the inner engine may be unless they would care to have attorney's decide after reviewing the pictures and the estimates... do not show them these though... they are for your attorney, not them!



good luck!

Answer 2

just check the oil to make sure the level is good. The smoke was from the oil splashing on the exhaust manifold which is very hot. There should not be any damage. Only the smell of burning oil for a day maybe.



Let me revise this. If it is the cap on the top of the engine it should be ok. This is where you add new oil after a oil change or add more oil. If it was the plug on the bottom of the oil pan that could be severe. But you said cap so Im just going with that.

Answer 3

Oh dear, what a mess. If you replace the missing oil and the cap you should be ok if you haven't driven too far.

The smoke will be the oil which has splashed out of the open oil filler opening and landed all over the engine compartment. When it gets hot from the engine it will smoke.

I would ring the garage and get them to collect the car, replace the oil and steam clean the engine compartment.

Answer 4

Oil and oil vapor spew out all over everything, but falling on the exhaust manifold is the worst place because the oil can catch fire and burn up your car. The oil cap is not just decoration. It is used to keep oil from flying out, for one thing. You may need to have your engine cleaned to get rid of the spilled oil. Gunking and hosing in the driveway have environmental consequences as well as legal consequences if you get caught or reported. Refill the lost oil to bring it's level up. Get a new cap and tell the lunkhead who lost the old one how much trouble he caused and complain about their shop on "Yelp.com"

Answer 5

It will continue to smoke as long as there is oil dripping on the exhaust manifold. And yes it is dangerous; when it gets hot enough it can and will start on fire. That's way it is recommended to wash off (pressure spray) your engine with degrease at least every 6 months. It also helps with identifying oil leaks and other fluid leaks by having a clean engine as well as the ability of the engine running cooler.. Anyways, when the oil burns off it will stop smoking..

Answer 6

top off your oil and wipe off any on the engine with a rag. the smoke is just oil burning off from when the engine warms.

Answer 7

You need to replace the cap and have it checked out by a mechanic.

The problem is oil reacts with oxygen when it gets hot, but the oil cap reduces the amount of oxygen available so it doesn't react as much.

The oil 'burns' (but without flames) which is why you get the smoke.

The burned oil doesn't lubricate the parts of the engine the way it should, so excessive wear could quickly occur.

Again, have a mechanic check it out, and you should probably also change the oil.

Zeba

http://www.JigsawADay.com

Answer 8

just buy a new cap and pcv might help it dangerous no sign of old age or wear not a problem thats dangerous



just replace it

Answer 9

yes..you might have burned up your engine...have a mechanic take a look at it and make sure you get the person who left the cap off, pay the bill if you need a new engine.

Answer 10

thats the smoke thats suppose to be coming out of your exhaust, do an oil change and replace the cap

Answer 11

if it ya oil u prob just wrecked ya car if theres smoke coming from ya oil intake and there is no oil in it it will prob see's....drestoy it self go back there and ask for them to have a look at it but dont drive it