I have been changing the oil in my cars myself for years. In fact, I don’t think I have ever had a dealer or repair shop change my oil. Why do I do this?
1) I like to use full synthetic oil (Mobil 1) and a quality oil filter (K&N or Mobil 1)
2) I don’t trust a shop to use the oil and filter I provide
3) Gives me a chance to do a look over the whole vehicle (other fluid levels, brake pad left, etc)
4) I know the job will be done right!
So, a couple weeks ago, I change the oil in my Lotus as usual. All appeared fine for several days, but this past weekend I noticed a small puddle of oil under the Lotus in the garage. After pulling the under-tray, it was clear that I was getting a steady drop from the drain plug. Apparantly the oil plug gasket had a slight leak. I normally do not replace these washers on a regular basis, but I will be from now on. Although this is the first time I have ever had one leak, it certainly seems like cheap insurance. Think about it….
Filed in DIY
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Also tagged drain plug, gasket, job, leak, Lotus, mobil 1, oil filter, oil mobil, oil plug, Repair, synthetic oil
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Wednesday, January 9, 2008
One of the interesting aspects of the Internet is the ability for car enthusiasts to share information about their vehicles. I am always amazed how many people have similar issues with their car, however when discussing with a dealer, the dealer acts as if no one else has an issue.
Recently the folks on LotusTalk.com have identified a potentially serious issue with the overhead oil feeds in the camshaft cover. This is believed to be causing a failure of the camshaft, which ultimately results in a broken rocker arm. Multiple people have now confirmed that their car also shows evidence of a problem. So far, Lotus, and Toyota who manufacturer the 2ZZ-GE engine are silent…. You can read more here.
What other cars have similar issues? I would love to hear other folks experience, I have included a few well known issues that I currently know of.
Ford Spark Plug Issue
Toyota Oil Sludge Issue
BMW Engine Failure
Filed in Lotus, Repair
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Also tagged BMW, bmw engine, camshaft, engine failure, failure, Ford, Internet, Lotus, oil, rocker arm, spark plug, Toyota, toyota oil sludge
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