Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... December 20, 2011, 06:31:30 PM So my neighbour across the road, an elderly lady whose life has just about fallen apart in the past year (her husband left her for an internet romance, she wrecked her car [one of many she's wrecked], her furnace shiznit the bed, one of her dogs washiznit by a car, the other died of cancer, and lots of other stuff) had her car towed home yesterday, and knowing I'm a mechanic she came over to my house for help.It seems she was doing her christmas shopping and the check engine light came on in the Olds Aurora her son gave her after she wrecked her Cobalt. She stopped and a passerby told her it meant her car needed oil (this would be the free advice the thread title alludes to). She dumped a gallon into it and continued on her way. After a short while it came on again, so she pulled over and dumped another gallon in. She then started on her way again and noticed couds of smoke coming from the rear of the car, so she pulled over and shut it off, and had it towed home. The pics tell the rest of the story. When I opened the hood I noticed that the entire engine was covered in oil. I pulled the dipstick and found this:So I jacked the car up and drained the oil. I figured this 20 liter bucket would suffice. I ended up having to put the drain plug back in before it was finished draining because the bucket was full. Even after draining 20 liters out of the car the dipstick was now showing "normal". Now, a Northstar engine holds a lot of oil (you can see where someone wrote "8 liters" on the rad support). I drained 20 liters out to make the dipstick show normal, which means she had at least 28 liters of oil in that engine. There are about 4 liters in a gallon jug, so obviously she put more than two jugs in. It blew all over the engine (blew the PCV valve right out, as well as the dpistick). I don't know if she did any permanent damage, but there was so much oil in the alternator that it wouldn't charge for about 5 minutes...Needless to say I gave her a quick lesson on how to check her oil. And that check engine light that she was so worried about to begin with? O2 sensor... Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #1 – December 20, 2011, 06:35:46 PM epic Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #2 – December 20, 2011, 06:53:18 PM You might be able to clean out the alternator by blasting it with electronic cleaner (tuner control cleaner) and letting it dry. It may dissolve the oil and allow it to run out while cleaning the contacts at the same time. I use it all the time when I work on old amplifiers that have dirty switches and pots. On a similar note, I knew a guy who decided to take a road trip in his Z24 Cavalier. Before he left, his dad instructed him to check the oil at the first gas stop. After stopping to refuel, he popped the hood and removed the oil cap on the valve cover. Not seeing any oil in there (yeah, uh huh), he went into the store and bought a quart of oil and poured it into the engine. Repeat several times until the oil level was up to the top of the valve cover. By his logic, the oil was now topped off. The engine cheesed itself a few minutes later on the interstate. When he told me the story, I had tears in my eyes because I was laughing so hard. Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #3 – December 20, 2011, 07:05:29 PM It Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #4 – December 20, 2011, 07:16:56 PM We just did head gaskets on my moms aurora. NEVER AGAIN!!! How the hell do they only do flat rate at 16hrs on that job?? Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #5 – December 20, 2011, 07:17:57 PM Jeeeeez and to think I freak the HELL out if I by some ungodly chance overfill by even a half-quart LOL....I've always wondered exactly how things would go down if you grossly overfilled an engine. At least she still has a vehicle (or at least it seems that way from the end of your post?). Certainly just more insult to injury for that poor woman. Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #6 – December 20, 2011, 07:32:10 PM Quote from: cougarcragar;375930You might be able to clean out the alternator by blasting it with electronic cleaner (tuner control cleaner) and letting it dry. It may dissolve the oil and allow it to run out while cleaning the contacts at the same time. I use it all the time when I work on old amplifiers that have dirty switches and pots. On a similar note, I knew a guy who decided to take a road trip in his Z24 Cavalier. Before he left, his dad instructed him to check the oil at the first gas stop. After stopping to refuel, he popped the hood and removed the oil cap on the valve cover. Not seeing any oil in there (yeah, uh huh), he went into the store and bought a quart of oil and poured it into the engine. Repeat several times until the oil level was up to the top of the valve cover. By his logic, the oil was now topped off. The engine cheesed itself a few minutes later on the interstate. When he told me the story, I had tears in my eyes because I was laughing so hard.A friend of my sister's did that exact same thing to an old Celebrity with the iron duke, with remarkably similar results. I cleaned the alternator out with brake cleaner (was all I had in my garage)... Quote from: fordguy545;375932We just did head gaskets on my moms aurora. NEVER AGAIN!!! How the hell do they only do flat rate at 16hrs on that job?? You've gotta drop the whole drivetrain out the bottom of the car. A hoist is a necessity, along with the proper fixture to set the drivetrain on. I've done em before when at the gm dealership. I think warranty flat rate was under 10 hours... Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #7 – December 20, 2011, 09:08:33 PM How about the 6cyl alero. I get to put a motor in that gem next week or so. Not looking forward to touching that car. I was planning on out the bottom.That's an insane amount of oil. Maybe it cleaned it out...heh. I sold a 2002 Yamaha Raptor to a dude. I told him the chain needed to be adjusted. He brought it back because the trans was messed up on it. He was right, it was making horrendous noises. The chain was tighter than a bow string. Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #8 – December 21, 2011, 12:18:08 AM I'm amazed that an engine will run with that much oil in it. Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #9 – December 21, 2011, 12:43:26 AM good god almighty.. they ought to make checking oil and things of the sort a part of driver's ed in schools.. i can't tell you how many times i've seen young kids driving around with the horrendous sound of wasted brake pads.. Quote from: ZondaC12;375933I've always wondered exactly how things would go down if you grossly overfilled an engine. in my experience, a sbf will push the rear main seal out enough to start leaking and relieve some of the excess oil.. i've fixed numerous rear mains after 'know it all's' do their own oil change, dump in 10 quarts (with a stock 6 quart pan) and wonder why it's leaking.. other motors may do other things, like start shoving it out the pan gasket, force it out the dipstick tube, etc etc..and tom, people that give that kind of advice can't even stock the shelves at walmart correctly Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #10 – December 21, 2011, 12:50:42 AM Wow, I didn't even think that much oil would go in haha. Those northstars do hold quite a bit of oil though, I changed the oil on my mom's Aurora and it took 7 quarts I think. Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #11 – December 21, 2011, 02:23:06 AM Wow. makes me feel blessed and lucky to have a gal who knows how to (properly) check and maintain the oil level...Checking oil, the ability to change a tire on the side of the road, and how to put gas in are but a few things every driver's ed course should have in it...some people are car savvy though, and some..well, some adults are infants in a bigger body. Sad to say, but I've seen it myself. :( Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #12 – December 21, 2011, 04:58:57 AM Problem here is upbringing. I didn't know a thing about cars before I got my license. Then my dad bought a $110 car and told me I had to take it to auto shop if I wanted my license. Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #13 – December 21, 2011, 08:35:42 PM Quote from: ThunderbirdSport302;375971Wow. makes me feel blessed and lucky to have a gal who knows how to (properly) check and maintain the oil level...Checking oil, the ability to change a tire on the side of the road, and how to put gas in are but a few things every driver's ed course should have in it...some people are car savvy though, and some..well, some adults are infants in a bigger body. Sad to say, but I've seen it myself. :( I cant resist.... call me next time you need to change a water pump lmao Quote Selected
Free advice... sometimes you get what you pay for... Reply #14 – December 21, 2011, 08:49:14 PM Fu Quote Selected
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