You have decided to drain the oil from your vehicle. But suddenly, you notice that you can’t get the oil cap off. In this situation, should you pull the plug off the drain or take your vehicle to the mechanic and remove the oil cap first?
If you are in this scenario and don’t know what to do, this blog will help you out.
How to Fix – Can’t Get Oil Cap Off
The oil will still drain even when you cannot get the oil cap off. You will have to pull the plug off the drain, and you are good to go.
Yes, the oil may drain slightly slower, but you shouldn’t be worried about it.
How to Remove a Broken Oil Cap?
For this, you will need a drill bit, a drill, and a masking tape. At first, measure how long you want the drill bit to go down. Because if you drill deeper, it can damage the engine. So, figure out how deep you want to drill and mark the length with the masking tape.
Now, add the drill bit into the drill and drill the oil cap. After that, rotate the oil cap, and the oil cap should come off now.
What to Do If Oil Cap is Stuck?
For this, you will need a plier and a screwdriver. At first, remove the top of the oil cap with your hand or use a screwdriver. When you have removed the top of the oil cap, now use a plier to pull the oil cap off from the engine.
Grab the side of the oil cap and rotate it. However, while grabbing the side of the oil cap, ensure that you hold it gently. Otherwise, the oil cap can break and can cause further complications. After rotating the oil cap with the plier, it should come off the engine, and you should be good to change or add engine oil.
When you are done removing the oil cap, always replace the oil cap. Because if you keep using the old oil cap, you can face a similar situation again.
Simple Trick to Getting Oil Cap Off
Sometimes, vehicle owners fail to remove the oil cap during an oil change. But you can remove it with a wrench.
Grab the side of the oil cap with a wrench and rotate it. The oil cap should come off the engine now.
If you are struggling to remove the oil cap from the engine, follow the methods mentioned above.
Don’t Remove the Oil Cap When the Engine Is Hot
New car owners make the mistake of removing the oil cap while the engine is hot. But as a responsible car owner, you should avoid doing such a thing.
You should always wait for the engine to cool down and remove the oil cap later. Also, you should never drive without the engine oil cap.
3 Steps to Take After Figuring Out You’ve Been Running Your Vehicle Without an Oil Cap
As stated above, you should never drive without an oil cap. Take the following measures as soon as you figure out that there is no oil cap in your vehicle’s engine.
Step 1 – Put the Oil Cap On
As soon as you figure out that there is no oil cap in the engine, you’ll have to put it back on the engine. If you have changed the engine oil in your garage, it is possible to be somewhere in your garage. However, if you have to change the engine oil elsewhere, you should purchase a new oil cap. While purchasing an engine oil cap, ensure that it fits your vehicle.
Step 2 – Have an Oil Change
When you drive without an oil cap, dust and other particles will enter the engine oil. And if you continue driving your vehicle this way, your vehicle’s engine will have permanent damage. So, change the engine oil ASAP, especially if you have driven on a stone track or an uneven terrain.
Step 3 – Replace the Oil Filter
An oil filter protects the engine oil from foreign particles. However, when you have driven your vehicle without an oil cap, there is a possibility that the oil filter has reached its limit and requires an oil filter replacement. So, after putting the oil cap back and changing the engine oil, replace the oil filter as well.
Frequently Asked Questions about Oil Caps
Even when you have an oil filter, you should never drive without the oil cap. Because when you drive your vehicle without the oil cap, dust, and other particles can get inside the engine and damage the engine. If you keep driving the oil cap, you will end up paying thousands of dollars on repairing the engine
So, never drive your vehicle without the oil cap.
No, you will have to use oil cap that is only made for your vehicle type.
Before putting the oil cap in your engine, ensure that it fits your vehicle. Contact a nearby car mechanic if you don’t know which oil cap to add to the engine.
If you are suddenly noticing that the oil in your vehicle is dripping significantly, there is a high probability that it is because there is no oil cap in the engine. Also, if you notice smoke coming out of your engine, it can be because there is no oil cap.
As stated above, you should never open the oil cap when the engine is hot. Let the engine cool down a bit and open the oil cap. Usually, it takes around 10 minutes for the engine to become cool.
Conclusion
While putting back the oil cap, ensure that you don’t put it very tightly. Otherwise, you will have difficulties putting it off again.
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