Always do a thorough pre-flight after maintenance!

[mikea]

I decided at the last minute to run da car over for an oil change and to have the flashing dash lights looked into. I had the "check engine" and brake lights come on but they went out.

The bad news? It needs an oxygen sensor and a master cylinder. When the boss told me that he couldn't get it done Friday I sighed because I wanted to go flying Saturday. I told him it would be OK if I could get it in the late morning Saturday.

The good news? The mechanic called me at 6 PM and told me the car was ready. He stayed to finish it. I was grateful but I could have waited.

Jann drops me off and I paid the bill. Drove out to visit Target.

The more worser news: About 2 miles away I get a strong smell. Then the oil light flashed. Then the oil light stayed on. I know that means I'm OUT of oil.

The only place I can pull over is a Wal-Mart lot where I figure I can buy some oil to limp back. Of course the oncoming traffic is so heavy I can't make the left turn to get to it. As I stop black smoke pours out from under the hood.

It looks like the seal on the oil filter gave out.

I called the station and the guy answering says the engine is probably seized. No it isn't. I waited for while inside the Wal-Mart, looking at getting a gallon of oil, and called Jann to get me. Rather than leave the car, I decided to call for their tow.

In the morning I'll call to ask if they've got my new engine installed. The funny thing is I'm bummed like I did something wrong. The only thing I did wrong is not stop the engine right where I was rather than drive a few more blocks. I also was thinking "hurry" so I did the wrong thing and revved it when I should have let it run at idle.

 

[wesleyj]

Just be sure and remember that, when you have that same smell and smoke in the 235. find a feild really close. dont wait 2 or 3 miles

 

[fgcason]

When any vehicle comes out of the shop wear your grubbies, pop the hood, open the cowl, remove the cover, whatever. Just get in there with a flashlight and crawl underneath. Go a mile and recheck.
Problems can range from non events to minor oopsies to catastrophic misses to deliberate sabotage.

How does the new seal on a car oil filter give out anyway?


There are some significant undeniable advantages to being your own mechanic.

 

[GaryO]

How does the new seal on a car oil filter give out anyway?

I had that happen after an oil change once. Only I made it home before the oil pressure dropped and the oil poured out all over the driveway. But at least I wasn't left stranded.

 

[gkainz]

I'm going to make a wild guess here and play post incident arm chair investigator. I predict that the seal from the old oil filter stuck to the filter mounting boss, and the mech, in his hurry to finish it up for you, didn't notice the old filter was missing its seal when he stuck the new filter on the engine. If it were me, I think I would be either taking the new failed filter off myself with plenty of photos, or be watching over the mech's shoulder as he pulled it off in the shop.

 

[Skip Miller]

When any vehicle comes out of the shop wear your grubbies, pop the hood, open the cowl, remove the cover, whatever. Just get in there with a flashlight and crawl underneath. Go a mile and recheck.
Problems can range from non events to minor oopsies to catastrophic misses to deliberate sabotage.

I picked up my car after some work that included a "free" oil change. (Of course there is no such thing.) I did the preflight and when I stuck my head under, there was a stream of oil about the size of a pencil flowing down. It was also blazing hot and humid, and the mech who brought the car around left the a/c on full blast with the door open, waiting for me to jump in and drive off.

I left it there, running and leaking, and went back in to see the service manager. (The leak, although bad, wasn't going to empty the sump in a short time. And I kept my eye on the idiot light.) The SM blew me off, saying that what I was seeing was a/c condensate. Well, there was a/c condensate under the car. "What you can see from here is condensate, what you can't see, because it is screened by the tires, is oil." When he finally got off the phone, he begrudgingly came out to look.

Then he hopped to it! It seemed what he was most upset about was the 2 qts of oil on his precious driveway.

They took the car back behind the curtain and concluded that nobody had tightened the oil filter. At the end of the "discussions", just before I drove away, I asked him what he had learned from this. He gave me a blank look so I continued "what you should have learned is that some of your customers know their ass from a $2 dollar hat. Some of your mechanics don't."

How does the new seal on a car oil filter give out anyway?

If it were not seated properly on the filter, it could have been squeezed further off the correct position by the torque of tightening the filter. A risk the mechanic on my car did not encounter.

There are some significant undeniable advantages to being your own mechanic.

Very True. Then you know with certainty who to blame when something isn't right. Been there, done that many times. I still prefer to do it myself.

-Skip

 

[wbarnhill]

Yeah, far too many times I've gotten the "She's all ready! Here's the keys! Sign here!" routine. Sorry, but after those times, I'm taking the car around a block or three before officially agreeing that the work was completed.

 

[supercub185]

I agree with greg,if the old oil filter gasket is stuck to the oil filter housing they will leak bad.I have a fairly large auto shop and we tow in a few a year where some bonehead does'nt check that.I preach this to my mechanics,make sure the old gasket comes off,two makes it leak bad.I have also seen many aircraft come out after maintenance that are down right dangerous.Bolts loose,controls rigged loose or backwards,and many other dangerous things.I think all pilots should know how to maintain the basics of their craft.

 

[GaryO]

I'm going to make a wild guess here and play post incident arm chair investigator. I predict that the seal from the old oil filter stuck to the filter mounting boss, and the mech, in his hurry to finish it up for you, didn't notice the old filter was missing its seal when he stuck the new filter on the engine. If it were me, I think I would be either taking the new failed filter off myself with plenty of photos, or be watching over the mech's shoulder as he pulled it off in the shop.

Actually, the new filter had two seals stuck together. When the mechanic notified the supplier he learned that it was not an isolated incident.

 

[ejensen]

How does the new seal on a car oil filter give out anyway?

Had one fail a few years back. Got about three blocks from the station. The kid who change the oil said, "It shouldn't leak, I tightened it real good." Turns out he had installed it with a nice big wrench.

 

[mikea]

They said the oil filter seal "just failed" quoting Gus Grissom. Needless to say he was very apologetic.

I had about a quart left in the sump and the filter was still full of oil. I guess I shut down the engine in time.

This mechanic/owner is actually very good, I found him through Click and Clack's MechaniX files.

Hey, I got the tank topped off and my next oil change for free.

I'm thinking this is what I get for trying to be nice to da old car. If I had left the oil congeal to sludge it might have been better.

 

[fgcason]

If it were not seated properly on the filter, it could have been squeezed further off the correct position by the torque of tightening the filter. A risk the mechanic on my car did not encounter.

Yea I know, but like I said, how do you screw that up? It's not like it's a top end overhaul. It's a simple screw on part with a mounted rubber seal that's hand tight plus 3/4 turn. A quick glance will verify the seating surface is clean. The momentary incompetence/neglect level has to be pretty significant to dump all the oil overboard within a couple miles. (I guess I just don't have any tolerance for something that simple and common being screwed up then again I don't work for leakygrind and do 100 of them a day)

That said, Greg probably has it right with the old seal stuck on the vehicle. Either that or they spun it on real quick and left it where it stopped when someone distracted them. When you're working on something you have to stay with it until it's done properly. Everyone makes mistakes though. As long as the shop admits the error and fixes it at their expense I walk out the door happy.

Very True. Then you know with certainty who to blame when something isn't right. Been there, done that many times. I still prefer to do it myself.

I'll take full responsibility for my own incompetence even on the motorcycle which is 100% me-only including tires.
No one touches my stuff anymore unless I can't fix it due to lack of equipment or a place to do the work. The can't-fix-it list is pretty short nowadays and that list is about to get a lot shorter.

 

[mikea]

BTW, My other two experinces with this:

When I worked at a gas station, I changed my own oil and filter and then drove home, only to have the oil light come on just like this time. In that case I drove the car a few more miles through the city with the light glaring to a buddy's gas station where the mechanic reinstalled the filter properly and put in a full load of oil. I don't remember having any permanent damage. That was a 1960-something Buick.

Then there was my sister who had a few years old, bought-new, Firebird. She always added oil when the light came on. When she drove a car load of friends all the way out to Six Flags the engine seized.

 

[fgcason]

Then there was my sister who had a few years old, bought-new, Firebird. She always added oil when the light came on. When she drove a car load of friends all the way out to Six Flags the engine seized.

That's sad. Not uncommon, but sad.
Substandard engine bearings obviously. We don't need no steenkin lubrication.
That's why we call them idiot lights. By the time the light comes on, the damage is already done.


If you want real fun, part of my preflight inspection is anti-sabotage. I had a shop doing a front end alignment take their wrenches to the leaf spring attach bolts and severely overtorqued them. I found out about it 10 miles later at 55mph as the road made right turn when the left rear aft bolt snapped. Damn near put me on the roof. Turned out all the bolts had been overtightened very recently.

Preflight like your life depends upon it.

 

[Skip Miller]

No one touches my stuff anymore unless I can't fix it due to lack of equipment or a place to do the work.

Unfortunately I have had to add "time" to that list. In a few years that will change, too...

-Skip

 

[Tom-D]

Took my Wrangler into the "Oil Pit" to get the oil changed, as I watched them put the jeep on the lift and drain the oil, I never saw them open the hood.

they came in the waiting room and told me it was ready, I asked the manager how they added oil to the engine with opening the hood, and got the deer in the head lights look.

I then told him to prove the Jeep had oil in it. we both went out and checked the oil, it had "0" on the dip stick.

trust but verify..

 

[LearDriver]

I never fly the Dakota out of any maintenance without the cowl coming off first and having a thorough look as well as inspecting the whole aircraft as best that I can. Then I go up and fly for an hour and give it a good workout. The mechanic knows that I do this. That may be why I never find anything wrong. When they know you are thorough and a PITA they make sure their work was done right before returning the equipment to you.

 

[rottydaddy]

I'm going to make a wild guess here and play post incident arm chair investigator. I predict that the seal from the old oil filter stuck to the filter mounting boss, and the mech, in his hurry to finish it up for you, didn't notice the old filter was missing its seal when he stuck the new filter on the engine. If it were me, I think I would be either taking the new failed filter off myself with plenty of photos, or be watching over the mech's shoulder as he pulled it off in the shop.

Been there, done that... luckily, before any damage was done, I was alerted to the fact that the oil pouring onto the exhaust was making a humongous smoke screen behind me...
It was my fault that time... first and very last time I failed to make sure the gasket came off with the old filter.

It's amazing how poorly that gap is sealed with two rubber gaskets, instead of one... but it must have something to do with the lip on the filter.

 

[rottydaddy]

Actually, the new filter had two seals stuck together. When the mechanic notified the supplier he learned that it was not an isolated incident.

I guess that's a new item to add to the oil-change checklist...

 

[poadeleted21]

I never fly the Dakota out of any maintenance without the cowl coming off first and having a thorough look as well as inspecting the whole aircraft as best that I can. Then I go up and fly for an hour and give it a good workout. The mechanic knows that I do this. That may be why I never find anything wrong. When they know you are thorough and a PITA they make sure their work was done right before returning the equipment to you.

You could just do like me and make sure your A&P/IA is also your CFI.