Aw, dammit.
Nov. 30th, 2007 07:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johnridleyOn the way home from Scouts on Tuesday, my low oil pressure light came on (on the Taurus).
I figured I was just low, and limped home by turning the engine off and letting what oil there was collect in the pan for 20 seconds or so (usually coasting) and then restarting and driving another 3/4 mile or so until the light flickered again.
I drove over a paint can in the driveway on my way out that night; I could have cracked the pan or something. However, it's also been a couple thousand miles since I checked the oil, and that car does leak a bit. So I didn't know which ti blame.
Last night I changed the oil & filter. This morning I drove to work (I had a late night last night and lots to do tonight so I needed the extra hour it would have taken to ride). There was a lot of oil on the pan and back, but that's normal on this car. I think it DID seem like fresher oil than normal.
Well, at mile 8, the low oil pressure light came on again. There's no oil on the dipstick. I limped the last 2 miles to work.
So now I guess it's wait until it gets light, then start the engine and try to find the leak. I'll probably bum a ride or borrow a car and go get a case of oil at Meijer and once I find the leak, dump a few quarts in (I only had two in the car and I dumped one in the first time the light went on) and decide whether to drive home or to the dealer's, depending on whether I think I can fix it. Yes, I have AAA but they only tow 5 miles for free, and a half a case of oil will be way cheaper than the next 5 miles.
Unfortunately if it was caused by the paint can, it's probably in the pan, and replacing the pan will probably involve at least lifting the engine out of the car a bit, and I don't really have time for that this time of year. Also getting the pan gaskets just right can be a right PITA, and I'd just as soon leave it to someone who will have to fix it if they screw it up.
However, the car did not leave a stain on the ground while it sat from Tuesday until last night, so that would seem to rule out a pan leak. If it's only leaking while it's running, it's almost got to be a pressure-side leak. That could be pretty easy to fix; it's probably a leaky sender.
One thought was "it's getting low pressure when the engine is hot; it could be a bad oil pump" but thankfully that's not the case because that wouldn't leak the oil out of the car.
I figured I was just low, and limped home by turning the engine off and letting what oil there was collect in the pan for 20 seconds or so (usually coasting) and then restarting and driving another 3/4 mile or so until the light flickered again.
I drove over a paint can in the driveway on my way out that night; I could have cracked the pan or something. However, it's also been a couple thousand miles since I checked the oil, and that car does leak a bit. So I didn't know which ti blame.
Last night I changed the oil & filter. This morning I drove to work (I had a late night last night and lots to do tonight so I needed the extra hour it would have taken to ride). There was a lot of oil on the pan and back, but that's normal on this car. I think it DID seem like fresher oil than normal.
Well, at mile 8, the low oil pressure light came on again. There's no oil on the dipstick. I limped the last 2 miles to work.
So now I guess it's wait until it gets light, then start the engine and try to find the leak. I'll probably bum a ride or borrow a car and go get a case of oil at Meijer and once I find the leak, dump a few quarts in (I only had two in the car and I dumped one in the first time the light went on) and decide whether to drive home or to the dealer's, depending on whether I think I can fix it. Yes, I have AAA but they only tow 5 miles for free, and a half a case of oil will be way cheaper than the next 5 miles.
Unfortunately if it was caused by the paint can, it's probably in the pan, and replacing the pan will probably involve at least lifting the engine out of the car a bit, and I don't really have time for that this time of year. Also getting the pan gaskets just right can be a right PITA, and I'd just as soon leave it to someone who will have to fix it if they screw it up.
However, the car did not leave a stain on the ground while it sat from Tuesday until last night, so that would seem to rule out a pan leak. If it's only leaking while it's running, it's almost got to be a pressure-side leak. That could be pretty easy to fix; it's probably a leaky sender.
One thought was "it's getting low pressure when the engine is hot; it could be a bad oil pump" but thankfully that's not the case because that wouldn't leak the oil out of the car.
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no subject
Date: 2007-11-30 03:57 pm (UTC)