Questions and Answers
Sloppy Mechanic
Q. Dear Sir: I recently got an oil change at my local mechanic's shop. When I got home, I noticed a bad smell and some light smoke coming out of the engine.
When I immediately went back to the mechanic's shop, he looked under the hood and noticed some oil on some wires next to the oil cap opening. He cleaned it off as best he could. He said that the mechanic must had been sloppy and spilled some oil which had dripped down the engine (where it's getting burned by the exhaust system).
Can this happen? It seems at its worst (smell) when I'm going up hill. This problem only started after I got the oil change. How long until the excess oil burns off?
Sincerely,
TimA. It happens sometimes Tim. I have, on occasion, been a little sloppy and spilled oil on an engine while filling it. I do try to clean it up as best I can, but sometimes you just can't get all of it. It's not a big deal and nothing that would hurt the engine. The smoke and smell will disappear in a few days, depending on how much was spilled.
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