OH CRAP!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

['96explorereddiebauer]

HELP!!!! I changed the oil 30 minutes ago. Anyways, I tightened the oil drain plug and oil filter up and poured in the new oil. Well, right after double checking everything I did like checking for oil leaks and such and there were none. So went into my truck, start it, it's normal for me to see that the oil pressure guage would stay in "L" for a split second then jumps to the normal range. Well, this time, the oil pressure gauge didn't jump at all and the "Check Gage" light went off. So I listened for any noises, none. So I turned the engine off and see what was going on. Well, I got off the truck and saw a GIGANTIC puddle of engine oil on the ground and I also smelled something funny. I remember while installing the oil filter, I accidentally dropped it. It was a pretty hard hit to the ground. I'm thinking that I screwed up the filter. Oh...the source of the leak is from the filter, I'm pretty sure because the area around the drain plug is clean. What do you guys think?? HELP!!!!!!! Thanks!!

P.S. Since I smelled something funny, not strong at all, it's a faint smell. Will this cease my engine?? If so, I'm very very very very very dead.

 

[tbomb]

my guess is that when you took the old filter off, the o-ring peeled off the filter and got stuck on the truck. or maybe when you dropped the new filter, it knocked the o-ring off of it (this is pretty unlikely though.)

heres what you gotta do. take your parents car to go get more oil and a new filter (just in case.) drain the oil and take off the filter - check to see if the o-ring is stuck on the truck where the filter goes (it might also be stuck to the new filter, so check the top of the filter too for the old o-ring) - if it is, peel it off, put on the new filter and add the new oil you just bought. id bet some pretty high stakes that this is what youre problem is - ive done it before - im sure we all have.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Thanks for the LIGHTNING QUICK responses!!! The old seal came off with the old filter so that's not the problem and I looked at the area where the filter goes to is very very very clean, no corrosion, no nothing, very shiny metal. So I ruled that out.

 

[tbomb]

good thinking gimp but i guess we're wrong. (i had to find out the o-ring thing the hard way when my truck spilled a quart or 2 in my parents garage, heh. that oil dry stuff is amazing, isnt it?)

billy, did you check the new filter before you put it on? was there an o-ring on it? theres definately something thats "not kosher" about the filter connection. maybe you did damage the filter when you dropped it. i cant imagine what else it could be. my only advice at this point would be to splurge for an extra $10-$15 and do another oil change and when you get the filter off, do a good visual check on everything (i.e.: the bottom of the block where the filter goes on, the filter itself, o-rings, etc.)

im really curious now.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Originally posted by tbomb
good thinking gimp but i guess we're wrong. (i had to find out the o-ring thing the hard way when my truck spilled a quart or 2 in my parents garage, heh. that oil dry stuff is amazing, isnt it?)

Heh...you're lucky that you spilled only a quart or two. Mine spilled the whole 5 quarts. 5 quarts in and 5 quarts out. I'm really suspecting that it's the filter because like I said before, I didn't see any oil inside the chamber...that big circular hole in the middle of the filter. The new o-ring is there and I don't see any damage to the block visually. Oh...here's the bad thing too...my parents aren't home and my car is the only car here so I can't go get oil until they get home. So I have to put this off a few hours. It's parked outside without oil and filter. Weather is very dry and there are shiny metal exposed, do you guys think that it'll corrode?

Edit: I take the weather comment back. I just checked the weather conditions, humidity is at 70%. Should I push it back into the garage?

 

[tbomb]

well, if youre only putting it off for a few hours, you should be ok. id go throw the filter back on just so it "protects" the area that could possibly corrode. and definately let us know what the outcome is.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

I'll definitely tell you guys the outcome. Well, I'm gonna go get something to eat then take a power nap because I gotta wake up at 4 in the morning tomorrow. Gotta see those meteor showers!!

 

[ok89]

METEOR SHOWERS?!?!?!?!?

Can i see them two can you tell me more about it?

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Dead Link Removed

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Ya know what?? I'll take that back. Try this link:

http://www.skypub.com/sights/meteors/leonids/king.html

Another one:

Dead Link Removed

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Well...after a few hours, 5 quarts of new oil and a new FRAM filter (hey, that's all Wal-Mart carries), it works like charm again. So my assumption is the oil filter problem. I'm glad I didn't kill my engine. Thanks again for all your help Gimp and Tbomb. Well, gonna sleep now so I can get up at 4 am.

 

[tbomb]

billy, glad you got it all fixed, and luckily it was just the filter which is an easy fix.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Yup, I'm very glad I didn't cause any damage. And this time, I used Mobil 5W-30 instead of Mobil 10W-30. My engine is a lot quieter and gained a whopping 3 miles per gallon so now, I'm getting 22 mpg instead of 19 on the highway. What's the reason behind this??

 

[Jason_25]

Originally posted by '96explorereddiebauer
Yup, I'm very glad I didn't cause any damage. And this time, I used Mobil 5W-30 instead of Mobil 10W-30. My engine is a lot quieter and gained a whopping 3 miles per gallon so now, I'm getting 22 mpg instead of 19 on the highway. What's the reason behind this??

Auto tranny, 4.10 gears, stock tires, and you're getting 22 MPG? That's amazing.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

I know!!! I'm surprised too...but it's only on the highway. In the city, I get around 14 in the city because driving in Raleigh is a b****.

 

[69Mach1]

Glad it worked out ok Billy.
Remember to put that first quart of new oil into the new filter before spinning it on. Saves a few seconds of dry start up...

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Thanks for the tip Jeff. If I pour in a quart of oil into the filter first, do I still pour 5 quarts of oil into the engine? If I remember correctly, you fill 5 quarts of oil when you change oil and filter but fill 4 quarts when you just change oil.

 

[69Mach1]

One in the filter, four in the engine for a total of five.

Another tip: Don't use Fram filters, they'r junk!

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Ok...cool. 4 quarts in the engine and 1 in the filter. I'll remember that. Fram filter is all Wal-Mart carries and that's the one place that happened to be opened at 11:30pm. I got the Fram's Tough Guard filter. They sell them for $7.80. I usually get Purolator filter...the premium one, that costs $6. I'll go back to Purolator next time I change my oil. Thanks again for the tip!!

 

[rustytr]

Glad nothing major went wrong with your engine.

Good meteor shower wasn't it!