Left the oil cap loose and it made a huge mess in the engine bay

I was rushing through an oil change on a diesel pickup last Friday. I guess I didn't tighten the oil cap enough after filling it up. A few days later, there was oil sprayed all over the engine compartment. It coated the belts and hoses, making a slippery mess. I spent half a day cleaning it up with degreaser and rags. Now I always give the cap an extra twist before closing the hood. It's a dumb mistake that's easy to avoid if you take a second to check.

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan2315d ago

Did you try using engine degreaser first? A good spray of Simple Green and a rinse with the hose worked way better for me than just rags.

dylan_green5815d ago

Actually dylan23, hosing it down can push grease into places it shouldn't go. A couple microfiber towels and some elbow grease gets into the nooks better without making a huge mess.

charlie_fisher459h ago

Oh man, I've been there... left the dipstick out once and it painted the whole side of my truck. That extra second to double-check everything saves so much headache later. Never making that rush job mistake again.