Rapid Oil Loss

[Guest mcramsay]

I had a bit of a hairy moment yesterday, which nearly involved me writing off my m3 engine, I was running the engine with an oil pressure test gauge connected, it was a quick release one with a fitting screwed into the stock pressure light hole, luckily i saw the cheap quick release coupling blow off while the engine was running ( oil pressure was fine, at the time, obviously then I had a jet of oil firing out at engine pressure, I managed to jump across the car and shut the engine off, it was running for a max of 15 seconds at idle with this happening. I cleaned up and checked the dipstick and it was literally just touching the minimum line. I topped everything up and run the engine again up to temp for around 30 mins and all seemed well, I was just wondering what the chances of any damage being done are?

[Guest 2b cruising]

Not to worry. If the oil was still coming from the pipe joint, and you were on tick over, no damage will be done.

Fill to level and don't worry about it.

If you really want piece of mind, drain the oil through a siev and look for metal bits. If you have a magnetic sump plug, the bits will be on it. If you drain through your wife's tights, you can re use the oil.

I didn't tell you that. Haha.

[Guest Ian & Carole]

You should be OK, however the engine was running at vastly reduced oil pressure with the escaping oil allowing the pressure to drop.

 

If you have one I would suggest popping an oil pressure gauge on it as soon as and check.

[Guest mcramsay]

I take it if I had wiped any bearings I would see a lower oil pressure than previous?

[Guest 2b cruising]

Yes. Doubtful though. Lower pressure on tick over no load on engine.

[kevin the chicken]

You could probably reuse the tights too. Make sure you take them off her first. Would have thought that as the oil was still blowing out that it was still being picked up and pumped every where it should have been. Lucky you noticed when you did or it probably wouldn't have ended well.

[fry61]

Might as well use the tights for a filter --- they are useless as a fan belt --- tried many years ago when our quick mini lost the belt on the motor-way at around 110 mph.

[maccavvy]

you worry too much.. it didn't run out of oil. as you mentioned.. itll most likely be fine .

[bullfist]

I holed my oil filter three miles from home driving around some country roads, so legged it back home leaving a nice trail of oil all the way to home (oil pressure light came on half-way home and was very tappety by the time I got home).

After letting it cool down, there was nothing left in the sump. Refilled it and added a new filter and all has been good for twelve months now.

After many months of rain the oil trail on the road has now disappeared.

I blame the original problem of hitting a pothole on the extra weight I had in the car that day (wifey)!

-steve

[HAWKNORTH]

Because the engine was running, everything will have had a nice coat of oil and protected everything in the short period in which you lost pressure. don't worry.