A question for the car mechanics...

[Virago]

I just answered a distress call from my daughter. She reckoned the oil light in her car (an old Toyota Celica) came on briefly, so she went and bought a 4 litre pack of oil. She and her boyfriend proceeded to pour the whole bloody lot into the motor.

The car ran for about 2 km before spluttering to a halt in a cloud of blue smoke. She then phoned "daddy" for help.

I drained 3.5 litres out, and the damn thing is still just a whisker above the full mark on the dipstick, suggesting it didn't need any bloody oil in the first place. 4 litres of excess oil!!!!

We got it going, and gave it a run for about 6km, but it is smoky as hell and running rough.

I'm guessing the plugs are fouled, causing the rough running.

Does anyone have any experience of this sort of thing? What damage could have been caused?

Cheers

[Toaster]

Im guessing oil seepage into the cylinders..... how old would the rings be?

[Virago]

Im guessing oil seepage into the cylinders..... how old would the rings be?

Old.

1990 Toyota Sillycar, with 180,000km on the clock.

[sunhuntin]

crap!! i suggest you teach both daughter and boyfriend to read a dipstick! im not sure what damage could have been caused... maybe someone here is a bit of a car nut and can come and evaluate the damage?

[Delerium]

Im surprised the starter motor had enough grunt to start it. It will have had excessive oil pressure most likely so maybe worked its way past valve guides and wherever else there is an oil seal.

[Masterchop]

It could of done all sorts of damage,but probably not.
It most likley pressurised the sump causing oil to be forced past the rings.
If you continued to drive it with that much oil in it, it will blow the the rear main seal out and the oil will seep out of any weak points it can find.

The oil pressure doesnt actually get any higher, but the pumping action of the pistons creates to much pressure in the crank case, forcing the oil out anywhere it can get out.

Just clean the plugs and drive it a while and see how it goes.

[westie]

Too much oil is not good for any engine. My brother blew up two of my cars by putting in too much oil and something went in the crank/rods.
One was on its death bed and the other should've died long ago, so nothing lost there.

[Timber020]

Its probably a 3sge, they are one tough tough motor (made by yamaha). Should be okay, might need to find out why the oil light came on in the first place. They tend to do bottom ends due to lack of oil changes.

[Sniper]

Its probably a 3sge, they are one tough tough motor (made by yamaha). Should be okay, might need to find out why the oil light came on in the first place. They tend to do bottom ends due to lack of oil changes.

On those motors, usually a dodgy sensor

Too much oil causes alot of problems. If there is nothing on the ground in the morning, seals are proberbly ok. I would bet money that the rings and valves lives have significantly lowered and such.

Like Timber says, pretty bulletproof motors though

[Virago]

Cheers guys,

It was definately leaking oil at the back of the motor, I couldn't see where from though. Being at the roadside, it was not easy to get underneath - getting the oil out was a prick of a job!

I will get the plugs checked tomorrow, and we'll see how it goes.

The girl just spent nearly a grand on the bloody thing last month, including a new cambelt. Hopefully she hasn't shagged it.

[0arbreaka]

My bets would be on the rings, check and clean the plugs when you get a chance and see how it goes from there, make sure theres the proper ammount of oil in the car. From my experiences if the light stays on for a reasonably shot period i.e. 20seconds, its usually not much to worry about.

[Sniper]

Cheers guys,

It was definately leaking oil at the back of the motor, I couldn't see where from though. Being at the roadside, it was not easy to get underneath - getting the oil out was a prick of a job!

I will get the plugs checked tomorrow, and we'll see how it goes.

The girl just spent nearly a grand on the bloody thing last month, including a new cambelt. Hopefully she hasn't shagged it.

If oils leaking then its not good. I would get it checked

[JimBob]

Cheers guys,

It was definately leaking oil at the back of the motor, I couldn't see where from though. Being at the roadside, it was not easy to get underneath - getting the oil out was a prick of a job!

I will get the plugs checked tomorrow, and we'll see how it goes.

The girl just spent nearly a grand on the bloody thing last month, including a new cambelt. Hopefully she hasn't shagged it.

Just get in and drive it. There will be excess oil everywhere and it might take a 100k or so for the motor to sort itself out. Get along at a good 100km/hr so the engine gets up to temp and is working hard. Oil has probably gone thru the rear seal but it will probably be OK. Take an oil pack just in case but a good thrashing will sort it out.

[nadroj]

If oil's leaking just follow it at speed on your bike & see if it is enough to justify spending money on fixing the leak.





PT

[scumdog]

Whatever damage likely to happen already has.
Like blown rear-main seal and front crank seal - and even then I doubt it would have done TOO much damage there.

I doubt the rings would have suffered and nothing would have happened to the valves etc.

The worse thing that COULD happen is a bent rod(s) and or bent/broken crank if there was enough oil in the engine to 'hydraulic' - and I doubt that has happened.

Drained a mixture of petrol and 9 litres of oil (don't ask!) out of an old 50's 272 Ford V8 years ago, it was no worse after the experience.

Just change plugs and drive it.:yes:

[FROSTY]

Scumdog has it --Haul the plugs out and replace em($20.00)
Then haul the lid off the air filter box and clean it out -You'll probably need to replace the air filter -I suspect the crankcase pressure would have pumped the oil up into the airfilter boxand the oil "leak"is the oil dribbling out from the overflow pipe AND oil will be going into the carbs/injection as well

[ManDownUnder]

Remember the good old days of the oil level being a plug in the side of the sump...?

Undo the plug - pour oil in till it dribbles out... stop adding oil, tighten plug.

Done. Get it right first time - every time...

[Masterchop]

Remember the good old days of the oil level being a plug in the side of the sump...?

Undo the plug - pour oil in till it dribbles out... stop adding oil, tighten plug.

Done. Get it right first time - every time...

I think your talking about a gearbox level? OR very very old cars.

[ManDownUnder]

I think your talking about a gearbox level? OR very very old cars.

Yes and yes - and aircraft starters... long story - just trust me on this one.

[peasea]

On those motors, usually a dodgy sensor

Too much oil causes alot of problems. If there is nothing on the ground in the morning, seals are proberbly ok. I would bet money that the rings and valves lives have significantly lowered and such.

Like Timber says, pretty bulletproof motors though

Yup, did many years with Toyota, those are great engines. They DO spit out oil pressure switches with monotonous regularity though. The rubber diaphragm gives up and they are (from memory) at the rear of the engine.

From an engine builders perspective; provided nothing has been bent through hydraulic pressure (as SD suggested) just drive it. Kids need to know this stuff, that way parents don't end up under the hood on rainy days....tee hee.