Long story..

I have just replaced one of my injectors and decided to take the car for a spin to see if everything is ok. Of course I have pressurized the system and checked for leaks before starting it up. No leaks no problem. From the start the car idled better than before and the mixture seemed to be richer. After the car warmed up really good I took it to a highway stretch in order to log my third and forth gear pull. I was hoping that the newer injector will get rid of some of the knock I was experiencing.

When I punched it in third everything was good, switched to forth at 6400RPM... PUFF! I see a tail of white smoke trailing behind me and smell gasoline like vapours. First thing that comes to my mind is, did I tighten everything well on the fuel rail??? Then IM thinking is this thing going to explode on me?! I quickly switch to the right lane and stop on the emergency lane. Get out of the car, something is leaking big time under the hood, and there is smoke coming out all around the hood area. It's a bit dark, and it smells like fuel vapours. I wanted to pop the hood to check it out, but then decided not to risk it. If that was a fuel leak opening the hood would give it more oxygen, possibly starting a fire. I move away from the car and call 911, reporting a possible fuel leak and smoke coming out from the car. They come within 10 minutes and check it out. It turned out to be major oil leak! The firefighters were very friendly, and I felt like an ass to waste their time like that. With some relief I have called CAA. While on hold with the CAA a police cruiser arrived. I approach the cruiser and see a smiling Police Officer. He goes "Hey bud, what's happening? You the one reporting a fuel leak? You want me to set up some flares?". LOL.. I tell him it turned out to be an oil leak. He asks me what year my car is and I tell him 90. He complements the original paint job, and keeps joking around telling me that there is a big scratch on the side of the car. What a joker, but at that time I appreciated some comic relief. He takes my info down and leaves. Finally I get through CAA and ask for a flatbed. Takes the lady for ever to locate Kingston RD. (the extended highway section). After 30 mins regular tow truck arrives (not real CAA just contracted guy). I'M thinking WTF?, where is the flat bed?! Guy is all pissed off that he has to take out his dollies. He says that CAA is screwing him for doing all that extra work without paying more for the hook up etc. etc. He bitches all the way to my home, about 5 minutes from there.

Next day I have jacked up the car, oil was everywhere starting from the oil filter area all the way back to the rear of the car. My brakes and rims are covered with oil. The oil must have been pissing out through the open wheel fender, wrapping around at the back. My back and bumper are covered with oil. I think I have sprayed some cars on the highway since some guy turned around to westbound and flipped me a bird. Whatever like I did that on purpose. sh!t happens. Hopefully there was no damage to the engine / turbo. There is some oil left in the oil pan (tip of the dip stick) and I stopped pretty fast, about 20 seconds from the oil leak.

The cause: Loose oil filter! WTF? I tightened it very well by hand.. this never happened to me before. I guess I will use the tool to tighten the oil filter from now on. Scariest thing that ever happened to me in this car.

This happens every single time you call CAA for a flat bed. I have no idea why they can't get it right. At least the guy that showed up for you had dollies. I've wasted many hours going through the exact same thing.

Glad to hear your car didn't go up in flames though! You should always have a fire extinguisher in your car, especially after doing fuel system work (even though that turned out not to be the problem).

That is really strange, I always tighten my oil filter by hand. I have never had that problem. I think i might start using a tool now though.
I am just glad to hear that your car is still ok.

Kyle

Chris, maybe you just need to hit the gym more often?

Seriously though, this is exactly the type of stuff that makes me petrified of starting my car for the first time.

A million times a day "Did I put everything back together properly?" I sure hope so. Only one way to find out I guess.. :rolleyes:

The first drive I take will be a very slow one to a speed shop, before it's too late.

I think your engine and turbo should be ok since there was still oil in the pan. Good thing you pulled over so quick. Have fun cleaning!

Actually, check the oil filter mount. They are notorious for coming loose and in turn causing a correctly tightened oil filter to come loose. Take the oil filter off, and check what the oil filter threads on to. You need a big (22mm?) socket/wrench to tighten it up.

I've got a good one...
It's back when I had my cavalier...
I was having some starter problems, I thought it was just the usual thing - the little thing not coming out.
So I drove like that for a while, push starting the car.
One day I stopped at my house and popped the hood to see if there is anything going on.
Thang god I did cause as soon as I opened it the engine set on fire. I am like WTF?
I quickly look for something to put the fire out with...a jug of oil....no good, a jug of windsheild washer fluid...let's try, I open it and dumed it all over. I ended up putting the fire out with it.

It turned out that one of the three mounting points on the starter broke off and the remaining two bolts got loose. As a result the starter was hanging on the wires. I guess it touched the frame, caused a short and the wiring set on fire.
I got it fixed and everything worked fine again.

I will definitely get a fire extinguisher for the car. I have one in the GOLF, I put it there after I did a quick fix on my starter motor :-) Yea cleaning the car will be pain, I will buy some brake cleaner and clean both brakes and probably the alternator. It was soaked too :-( Hey at least I got a under car spray for free :-) Mmmm oil smoke...

I recall something about filters getting loose on the thread part but was never sure which bolt it was. I'll definitely look at that. Thanks guys.

Hey Chris,

Garaunteed it's your oil filter mounting stud. This happened to me on the way out camping last summer. I had also removed the lower splash sheild on the front driver's wheel well at the time to do some work, so the oil escaped out there and travelled all down the body of the car on that side.
The thing is, I had changed the oil just before the trip and noticed a little dripping everytime I would pull over somewhere. This never happened before. So, I even had a 4L jug of oil for the camping trip, just in case. We tightened up the filter as tight as we could and added almost all the 4L jug. Started the car up only to see all the oil pour out onto the road! So, we wait for the tow truck. He comes and can't tow it cause it's too low. Then we wait for the flatbed. By the time he comes, it's already dark. I've got two of my buddies with me and we're on the side of the highway. We didn't make it out camping that weekend.
A little while after this, the turbo went. I guess shutting the car off at 140km/hr to save the engine would cause that. Oh well, what would owning a DSM be without these trials and tribulations?
Oh ya, use some locktite blue on the oil filter stud and I think it needs 33ft/lbs of torque, no more. This is caused from regular removal of the oil filter at oil changes. I check it every time I do an oil change now.

My filter, oil plug and valve cover screws tend to loosen between oil changes - you just have to get into the habit of checking these things. In your case it's probably the oil cooler stud though as mentioned above. Also, if the car saw more road than garage maybe you would iron out all the bugs quicker

Mike, you mean if the car saw more milage. I had the car on the road but just don't have many chances to drive it. GO train is my limo service to work

Well at least now you don't have to worry about having your car rust proofed

It's happened to me quite often (more than I would like) I'm gonna get the stud changed.

I think it has something to do with the threads. Anyway....

Update:

Well the car is clean and back on the road. Ass dyno detected no change in performance so I guess I didn't brake anything. Mobil 1 saved the day I guess.

As to the stud, IM still not sure which stud you talking about. I showed my pic to Mike and he said that his oil filter assembly is different. My car is 90 and the whole thing is aluminium (JDM engine). I would post the pic but have nowhere to host it right now.

After driving the car a bit it started to leak from the filter again. I took off the filter and noticed that the gasket was cracked. I don't know if this was there before, or because I have over tightened the filter. Guys be careful not to over tighten the filter, the gasket is pretty thin. BTW I use the Micubishi oil filters.

Sounds like the oil filter housing came loose on you, there is suppose to be a bolt on the inside, 22mm I think that tightens it down. Happened to Paul S on the track at Shannonville, going 120kph into a corner it let go, oil everywhere and he spun the car out as a result...kept it on the track tho.

Whatever spyhunter, we know you were just trying to make a getaway with your oil slick.

Hey Chris,

Have you had any more problems with your Oil Filter coming off? I had the same problem last year. Turned out to be there is 2 valves in the oil bracket assembly. One of them was sticking open. Causing to much pressure going to the oil filter spinning the filter off. I know the feeling though going 150kms and seeing your oil pressure drop out of no where. Lucky I had mobile 1 in at the time as well.

Mike

Mike,
The filter is tight so far. No leaking what so ever. I think that it was combination of things that made it loose. One of it was putting the Oil filter on while the engine was cold. I changed the oil after winter without running the engine. How did you determine that one of the valves was sticking open? Oil pressure gauge?

Jon

Those oil slick sprayers are legal right?

Hey Chris,

Well I didn't determine it was my valves sticking open. My shop guy did. He got intouch with dealership. That's what they came up with. I new my oil filter came off cause it happen to me before when I was pulling in my driveway for a min to grab something in the house and I came back out. Nothing but oil all over the place. Happened again I forget where. Then the last time on the highway. I said thats it I gotta get it in the shop. They pulled out the two valve's and you could see that one of them was defective. Hard to explain. Problem hasn't come back. Parts only cost like 30 bucks. 180 Labour. I could have replaced both parts myself very easily had I known what the problem was. After doing this job he put a honda filter on my car. I'm going to change that tomorrow when I change my oil pan gasket. Fun Fun. Anyway take it easy:)

Mike