The horrors of seeing automotive fluids under your car

"MPA" (MPA) 04/25/2014 at 00:58 • Filed to: corvette, tighten the fucking oil filter, oil leak, derp, team punkass racing, wrap your ass in fiberglass, the vette gets em wet, stay classy!

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So today I took the Corvette to work, because it makes me hate driving my DD ('09 Accent GS) so much. It was due to rain badly this afternoon, so I snuck out of work at 9:30 to go swap cars.

I had a photography class tonight, so of course when I get back to work I realize that I left the camera in the Corvette. No big deal, I have time to run home after work to get it.

So I get home about 4:45 (the photography class starts at 6), and as I'm walking past the Corvette, I see oil on the ground, coming out from under the the driver's side. And of course I start freaking out. I checked the oil, and the level was normal. So I head out to my shed and drag the Harbor Freight low profile jack out of the shed, because I can't leave without knowing what the fuck is broken or I'll be distracted. It's enough oil that I'm thinking it must be a gasket or something like that, but not enough to change the level on the dip stick.

As soon as I get the car up in the air, I notice a small drip of oil on the bottom of the oil filter. I run in to get some paper towels, and get under the car. I wipe the oil off the filter, and realize that when the dealership did the oil change before I bought it, they didn't put the filter on tight enough. I was able to tighten it a full turn, which says a lot as I'm not known for my strength.

I've put 2,400 miles on this car in the 40 something days I've owned it - !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It could've been A LOT worse - it could've spun off without me noticing, grenading the engine.

For peace of mind, I'll check it on Sunday to make sure it's still tight. And I will definitely be the only person doing oil changes on this car, as long as I own it.

The picture is after I wiped off the excess with the paper towel - I'll have to hit it with some degreaser this weekend to remove the stain.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > MPA 04/25/2014 at 01:05

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Good thing you spotted that, It's likely some apprentice at the dealership didn't pay attention.

Scary__goongala! > MPA 04/25/2014 at 01:13

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I own a 31 year old diesel, don't even talk about seeing fluids on the ground lol

EL_ULY > MPA 04/25/2014 at 01:17

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Garrett Davis > MPA 04/25/2014 at 01:18

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It's time to stock up, my friend. This will get that oil stain out in no time.

I totally know what you're going through with all the miles on your car. I just bought my Focus ST two weeks ago tomorrow and I already have 1100 miles on it. I just can't stop taking pointless trips and long routes to and from work. I'm glad I didn't lease it, I would go way over the mileage limits.

offroadkarter > MPA 04/25/2014 at 01:22

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I would be raising hell at the dealer. Make sure your filter lands firmly onto the face of the tech that did this oil change.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > MPA 04/25/2014 at 01:30

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Could be worse; they could have hulk-crushed the oil filter like I did on my bike...

cluelessk > Garrett Davis 04/25/2014 at 01:54

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I don't know how people can stick to leases. But I guess most people just commute in town while I drive highway everywhere.

Garrett Davis > cluelessk 04/25/2014 at 01:58

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Yeah, if it's just short term and a commuter car I can understand, but not a fun car you want to drive a lot.

Soloburrito > MPA 04/25/2014 at 02:03

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that stain looks like male reproductive organs.

Or maybe there's just something wrong with me.

Buick Mackane > MPA 04/25/2014 at 03:49

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I have owned many cars, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos, MGB, Triumph, Fiat, Ford, Chrysler, Buick, AMC, Plymouth, and the only car that never leaked a drop is my current daily driver, an extremely battle scarred 1996 Saturn SL2 with 179,000 miles on the clock. Still runs like new, handles like a go-cart and gets 37 mpg.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Buick Mackane 04/25/2014 at 05:09

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Clearly your Jag and MGB never had any oil in them...

Takuro Spirit > MPA 04/25/2014 at 06:23

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I wouldn't have tightened it.

I would have called the dealer, told them what you found, and made them come out and

A. Tighten/Change/Clean it up

or

B. Tow it to the dealer

If it were any other lesser car there'd be less of a big deal, but I've seen it happen to lesser cars and the dealership's sent people to fix their mistakes.

Jayhawk Jake > Garrett Davis 04/25/2014 at 06:59

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I did 3000 before making my first payment on the Sonic.

Meatcoma > Jayhawk Jake 04/25/2014 at 08:52

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I did 150 before I signed any paperwork on my Camaro lol.

Slave2anMG > MPA 04/25/2014 at 09:11

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You don't need a British car then....because if it's not leaking oil it means it's out of oil...

mpa-burner2 > Takuro Spirit 04/25/2014 at 09:41

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I wanted to drive it today, so I didn't want to wait for them. but I will be calling them in a few to tell them about it.

mpa-burner2 > Soloburrito 04/25/2014 at 09:41

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I thought the exact same thing lol

mpa-burner2 > offroadkarter 04/25/2014 at 09:42

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I'll be calling them in a few - the dealer is about 20 miles away, and loving the car, I wanted to drive it today :)

Matt Urban > MPA 04/25/2014 at 13:16

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the bigger concern is when those drops stop dripping

Garrett Davis > Jayhawk Jake 04/25/2014 at 15:58

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Wow. Looks like that's about where I'm headed, though not quite as much. Did it level off after that?

Jayhawk Jake > Garrett Davis 04/25/2014 at 16:21

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Yeah, I haven't averaged 3000 a month. I'm coming up on 12,000, and I bought it at the end of July. So throwing out that first month I'm averaging right around 15,000/year, maybe a bit more.

Garrett Davis > Jayhawk Jake 04/25/2014 at 16:27

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That sound about right. I'll probably level out to about that after a few months.

Buick Mackane > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 04/25/2014 at 16:59

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What???

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Buick Mackane 04/29/2014 at 15:36

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They're British cars, they leak oil.