good morning
I write to vent and learn, after doing something really dumb 2 days ago.

I was adding oil-additive n the engine, had to leave in a hurry, so I left. I drove 30 miles or so.
The next morning, I discovered an oil stain on the floor under my car. It wasn't a thick puddle, but it was noticeable nonetheless. I opened the hood and also noticed my engine covered/sprayed with oil and the cap off. Instant panic and elevated heartbeat. Where could the cap be in those 30 miles? - was my first thought.

I looked around the engine's holes, and thankfully found the cap. I had some of the same synthetic oil in a container, so I filled the 2 quarts that remained in the container; the dipstick shows the oil within the range. I then wiped the floor and the engine as best as I could.

1. Should I bother to degrease the engine? Everything under the hood has a haze of brown color on it which I figure will eventually burn or dry off. Should I worry about belts and spark plugs? Why did oil spray out? Because of pressure in the engine???

2. Did I cause any damage? The car starts and runs fine thus far, so this might be a moot point.

Yes, I'm an idiot....

I highly doubt you damaged anything if there was still 2 quarts left in the engine. I’d put the cap back on and use some Simple Green to clean up the oil mess. It may take a few cleanings.

I like to spray down the engine bay with SimoleGreen, let it sit 10 minutes, then hose it down. I do that a couple times a year and my engine bay stays clean as a whislte.

You’ll smell burning oil for a LONG time. Oil takes forever to burn off the exhaust.

You shouldn’t need any additives. Modern oils are more than adequate for our little engines.

Svtrit wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 10, 2024 11:42 am

I highly doubt you damaged anything if there was still 2 quarts left in the engine. I’d put the cap back on and use some Simple Green to clean up the oil mess. It may take a few cleanings.

I like to spray down the engine bay with SimoleGreen, let it sit 10 minutes, then hose it down. I do that a couple times a year and my engine bay stays clean as a whislte.

You’ll smell burning oil for a LONG time. Oil takes forever to burn off the exhaust.

You shouldn’t need any additives. Modern oils are more than adequate for our little engines.

Thank you Sv
This is what the engine looks like now i the attachments. Everything has a yellowish hue. Would you degrease it??

I still see oil below the right side, and I assume that it will continue to drip off engine parts vs a leak.

I thought that adding high mileage stp oil treatment would be helpful.

I would. That oil film will collect dirt and become a mess in the future.

Good luck!!!

Svtrit wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 10, 2024 2:38 pm

I would. That oil film will collect dirt and become a mess in the future.

Good luck!!!

Thank you very much
I found an engine degreaser at HD by Simple Green. I will spray it and let ot drip on a cardboard box.
I assume that I SHOULD NOT rinse with water, right? Or with a light spray???

I rinse with water. Don’t direct spray your alternator. Water spray won’t hurt it at all. You may need to do a few soaks and rinse to get it clean. Take it for a 15 minute drive when you are done to makes sure everything dried out.

I just picked up a 2017 F150 and the engine bay was very dirty. I did the Simple Green soak, and also used a soft bristle brush to scrub the flat surfaces, valve cover, fuse box, and air box. Since it is cold here I had to use a bucket to dump water on the engine bay. I had no problems at all. A garden hose won’t hurt your engine. I would not use a pressure wand at a car wash though. That would be too much pressure on the electrical parts.

Good luck with your cleaning.

+1

I agree with a degreaser. Then go to car wash and pressure wash 6 feet away like your lightly coating the engine to wash it away.

Brush and cover things your paranoid of ruining with tinfoil.

Never did it as a routine but when I did, never had a problem.

Brake cleaner on a rag and wipe off if near electrical stuff.
For bare metal stuff with no elec stuff around it, hit it with the brake cleaner.

itsa300zx wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 10, 2024 4:50 pm

Brake cleaner on a rag and wipe off if near electrical stuff.
For bare metal stuff with no elec stuff around it, hit it with the brake cleaner.

brake cleaner, genius!!
Sprayed it, and things are now their original color.

Thank you.

Refresher course: the attachment is a picture of the alternator, right? Sometimes they're up top or way at the bottom, and it's been a long time since I've had to associate with an alternator.

EDIT - yes it is. I just did a google search...