Edmunds Answers questions

have 63 223 f100 both timing marks face each other but put balancer on does not line up with mark on cover help

gwanthony — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:31:14 GMT

both timing marks on gears face each other put cover on then balancer mark on balancer does not line up with cover does that mater want to make sure this is right so i can start this truck please help thanks

63 223 f100

gwanthony — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:16:23 GMT

have a 223 f100 both timing gears face each other but piston is not up top also when put timing cover on 0 mark on balancerdoes not line up with mark on cover how do i make sure timing is right do i only care bout marks on gears or what please help

Oil Leak Question - GM Engine

fourmoremarine — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:50:54 GMT

the leak is only dark black and its dripping about the middle of the back of the engine towards drivers side fender wondering if it could be a o ring that someone told me gm uses in a hole where the distributor used to go or if its the intake gasket
thanks for you responce

Too fast idle on cold start?

jmaier — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:28:05 GMT

When I first start in the morning and the engine is cold it revs up to 2700rpm..Much too fast on a cold dry engine,dealer says thats normal.. Can this be lowered ?

How many of you are using synthetic oil in your cars? If so, what brand?

bassmax — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:28:03 GMT

How many of you are using synthetic oil in your car? If so, what brand?

Can you tell me what are some of the symtoms of permanent engine damage when there has been too much oil added?

kinzel — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:50:54 GMT

to much oil was added by a company and i need to know some of the symtoms of permanent engine damage to the engine and outcome of such

Bad oil change? Hitting rev limit early.

poysn1 — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:22:56 GMT

would the wrong oil filter cause my car to hit rev limit early?

When you change your oil, can you mix regular 5w-30 oil and synthetic 5w-30 oil without harming your engine?

yeagerb — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:55:27 GMT

have left overs of both types of oil and would like to use up

What is meant by pumpout system with the oil and filter?

haasfour — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:48:07 GMT

pumpout oil system?

Who sells toilet-paper oil filters these days?

jack137 — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:19:02 GMT

Why aren't toilet paper oil filters available for all cars? I had one on my 1970 Renault 16 (from JC Whitney) and not only increased gas mileage by 10% but also ELIMINATED all engine wear.

Swepco 502 AND 303?

inshan — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:55:31 GMT

Hi everyone,
I read wonderful things about this product on the manufacture web site so I would like to know if anyone here ever used this product and what's there honest opinion?
Thx.

If your mechanic forgets to replace oil in a vehicle after a oil change and blows the engine up, are you at fault ?

thumbsdown — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:42:25 GMT

If I bring my vehicle in for a oil change and your mechinic forgets to put oil back in my vehicle and blows up my engine are you responsible to repair it?

Engine oil and overfilling.

fie — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:37:20 GMT

Was just wondering. I was told it will not harm an engine to overfill the dipstick. I know this is false. but I can't tell others to shut up.

If there is a yellowish oily build up under the engine oil cap, is that something to worry about?

spookaluke — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:45:48 GMT

The car dealer guy said that is normal condensation that builds up in the cap! Is that a load of crap or is it like he said normal? Thx

Why does my car idle at close to 2000 rpm for several minutes before finally settling at 700 rpm?

blackadder5639 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:34:11 GMT

I've read from more than one online article that modern cars do not need to be idled for a while before driving. But several of my friends believe in the doctrine.....one guy said his mechanic advised him to. I'm wondering if this behaviour shouwn by my car when I first start it is proof that perhaps I should idle the car to "heat" the engine first?

I've also heard that revving the engine (say, to higher than 3000 rpm) in cold weather isn't good and shortens the engine life. Is this true?

When my engine is warm and at idle my oil light will flash on and off until I increase the RPMs.

jayinjax — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:32:05 GMT

when the engine warms up and I am at idle, in gear, the oil light flashes. if it isnt flashing, all i have to do is move the steering wheel a bit and it will then come on. I guess when I move the steering wheel it is putting a load on the engine, lowering the RPMs and lowering the oil pressure. I am running mobil 1 0W 40. should I be using a 20W 50??

Why is my car having engine power problems?

aliceforquer — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:56:07 GMT

Istarted having problemswith my car a week ago when I put some cheep gas in my car. I don't have any problems shifting the clutch but it doesn't want to change gears and the engine reves up. When I go up hill it has a very dificult time clibimg. What could be the peoblem?

What are the differences in a blown head gasket and a cracked head?

bjs32 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:06:49 GMT

I have water in my oil but don't know if I just have a blown head gasket or if it is worse...cracked head. Help would be appreciated!

What oil to use?

tapgypsy — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:15:29 GMT

What is the meaning of the numbers used to specify the grade of motor oil? Should I be using a 10W-30 or a 20W-50 oil?

I own a 2004 Chevy Silverado. The oil is turning into sludge. What could cause this?

cjw1976 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:30:57 GMT

I took it in for an oil change and the guy said there was hardly any oil in it and what was in it was total sludge. I changed it at the 3000 mile mark. Not sure what could cause this.

My 2001 Ford Focus w/ 74,000 mi is losing oil. Theres no leaks on the driveway. Lost 3qts in 700 miles!! Help!

minnesotamare — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:56:02 GMT

2001 Ford Focus SE, 5 speed manual transmission.
Had it in to dealership for knocking-pinging-rattling problem last May 2007. Replaced spark plugs, fuel filter, water pump and cat.convt.
Car ran great! Now, only 3,000 miles later I noticed my oil light coming on and the oil was low. Took it to dealer. They did a complete oil/filter change and said come back in 1,000 miles. I had to come back in 700 miles as the light came on again and they said I was down 3 qts of oil. There is no oil in the driveway and only the slightest smoke out the exhaust. Compression test was performed and all 4 cylinders are 185. Where is the oil going and why??
Thank you.

HELP! If I added oil to the oil dipstick area of my 99 VW Jetta instead of to the engine, what are the consequences?

drsinwdc — Sat, 03 May 2008 21:24:03 GMT

I have added oil to my 99 Jetta several times over the last 9.5 years as it guzzles gas. This evening, I checked my oil and saw that it was low, so I quickly added a quart...but to the wrong location, the oil dipstick area instead of to the proper location. I immediately realized it as soon as I emptied the quart, but did not start the car. Will this damage the car? Will the oil still find its way to its proper location? Do I need to have the oil drained before driving it? A bone head mistake!!!....HELP! If I drive it now, will it damage the car or engine?

How do I get my 1980 Ford Bronco into 4x4 with manual hubs? It would not lock the other day.

jeramys — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:33:31 GMT

My drive drive shaft was spinning, and I switched the hubs to lock position however no 4x4. got stuck in a creek. I put it in 4H after locking the hubs rolled forward a bit and no lock. Can someone give me a play by play of the way to get it into 4x4? I think it is the hubs themselves and if it is I don't know how hard that is to replace. Also, it has a huge leak of oil. It seems to always spray the oil out of the seal where the filter is?? I cannot figure it out. It doesn't look like it is comming from the block, it might be from around the pan, but it spits out all 6 quarts and runs dry. I have wrenched down the filter tight however it still seems to back out and leak???

What is the right weight of oil for a 2003 Kia Sedona?

truckersmom — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:32:09 GMT

my manual has 20w20 AND 10W30 for this time of year. I live in Marion county and it gets pretty cold as well as hot.I have been told in the past "The THICKof the summer and the THIN of the winter." but I've always had hand me down cares from family.(not knocking it beats buying when you get it free or real cheap). Now I have something newer,nicer, and owned by 2 people.(Me & previuos)

My oil cap come off driving home on my Toyota Tacoma. Oil went everywhere under hood. The oil level seems to be ok. What such I do? Help,

mtrreader — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:37:50 GMT

on way hole from work i must have lose oil cap on my 2000 tacoma truck ,, oil went everywhere ,, check oil level seem ok ,, terrible mess what do i do now

Fixed head gasket on '99 Subaru Outback but there's a new oil leak in the back of engine. Head gasket again?

rachel18 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:55:20 GMT

I purchased my '99 Subaru in Nov 2008. After Christmas I had it into the dealer because my AWD was not working and a head gasket leak was found as well. The dealer fixed both problems, for free. I am now driving on the freeway everyday for work since I moved so I am driving her a bit harder than before. Now I have a second oil leak. The new leak seems to be in the back of the engine. The oil in hitting the exhaust so now I am the person driving the smoking car. Could this leak be the head gasket again? I have ordered my Haynes manual so I can see what the issue could be as I have never owned a Subaru before and unfamiliar with the engine. Can any one tell me what the problem could now be with the oil?

2002 Mazda Millenia supercharger. When it sits overnight it will smoke upon starting, then quits. Uses 1/2qt.oil ever 5000 miles.

kathyzoomzoom — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:40:29 GMT

Car only has 54,000 mi. and the warranty has expired. I bought it new and it hasn't been driven very much because we have 4 vehicles. It doesn't leak any oil and it runs just like it always has. What's the problem?

I have a Ford F-250. No oil pressure. Changed upper and lower pumps. Still no pressure. Any ideas on this?

dmap34 — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:38:51 GMT

Could this be the oil cooler clogged or would you suggest something else?

1978 IH Scout II with rear main seal leak. Any mechanics experienced with Scouts near Asheville, NC? Any advice?

jenaught — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:41:25 GMT

1978 IH Scout II w rear main seal leak. Any mechanics experienced w Scouts near Asheville, NC? Any advice?

1978 International Harvester Scout II - 4WD - V8 - automatic - original engine. Rear main seal leak, expensive to fix on any car but really don't want to trust it to someone who does not know Scouts, as they are a breed unto themselves. Also, International Harvester no longer makes parts. There isn't even a category for IH under makes/models. Any advice from a Scout owner/enthusiast would be so appreciated. What would really make my day is to find someone in/around Asheville, NC who can work on Scouts.

I appreciate the helpful answers to my question on the Chevy s-10 from karjunkie and zaken1. I am so glad I found this site. Thanks, Jen

I can't find where to add oil to 1995 Isuzu Rodeo. Normally right on top - but I don't know where the cap is.

amywade40 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:09:37 GMT

I just got a 1995 Isuzu Rodeo. I was told that the noise it makes is a lifter and to add seafom to the oil. I cannot find the cap to open to add the seafoam to the oil. Normally it is right on top of crank case(?), but I don't see one. Could someone tell me what to do please? I found what looks like a "knob" on the right of the rodeo - but the dipstick is on the left and I cannot turn that knob. Thanks in advance.

1989 Ford Ranger oil pan removal. I can't get oil pan out, it won't allow me to pass transmission to drop it down.

loafys — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:28:52 GMT

I have removed all the bolts and oil pan will does not have enough room between transmission and wheel suspenion to drop down and out.

New BMW, low oil indicator

nitpicky — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:10:50 GMT

2008 BMW 335xi "low oil indicator" after only 6k miles. Is this normal? I added a quart and the indicator went off.

my 2002 sentra, 1.8L std trans-has a broken oil dipstick. How do I get it out?

trytofixit — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:37:43 GMT

If I try to grab it with tweezers it slips deeper... can i push it to the bottom and tap in with a screw to pull it out? it's broken with some of the plastic handle still on the metal stick.
It still seals with the plastic handle, so not too urgent except I can't check the oil level!!

95 cadillac Deville has oil on bell housing if not from valve covers where?

bob3012 — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:09:47 GMT

There seems to be oil on the bell housing of my 95 Deville, I thought it might be dripping from valve covers. If not where else could it be coming from?

Huge oil leak in a 1998 Chevrolet Venture- where is it coming from?

davis911s — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:44:08 GMT

I have a 1998 Chevrolet Venture van. 141,000Kms. My wife came home the other day and said the old light came on a few blocks from the house. She said when she got home a HUGE puddle of oil formed under the engine.

I went out, filled the oil and started the engine for about 10 seconds. OIL EVERYWHERE!

I have it in the garage and pulled it apart. The oil leak is coming from the area at the oil filter!
- I checked the filter - it was tight
- I took filter off- no holes in the filter

I am stumped. Is there anoil galley plug or something there where the oil would be escaping from?

The area ABOVE the oil filter is dry. It is only wet around the filter and in front by the air conditioning compressor.

What do you guys think? I am going to clean everything, replace the filter and see if it is that simple , but I KNOW ITS NOT, life is never that easy

Thanks
Shawn

I have been having problem with oil leak at the oil filter (gasket area) on 04 Aveo, anyone got a fix.

cartzar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 06:50:59 GMT

I have read about this problem online from other owners. I have tried different filter brands but so far I have had no success. I was thinking perhaps a slightly larger filter diamiter might help, any ideas welcome.

04 L300.3 with a very slow oil Gauge. Is this a pump problem or bad gauge. It take time for to register pressure

brotherjohn — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:37:03 GMT

I have a 2004 L300.3 with just 5490 miles and it has developed two problems after the warranty expired. First, the oil pressure gauge is very slow to show oil , it takes more than 3 to 4 minutes to move. I hesitate to accelerate the engine because of no oil showing on the gauge. The second is a very small coolant leak, perhaps one to two drops from God knows where. Saturn people said because of the out-of-warranty issue the best they can do is share the cost to repair the coolant leak with me at a cost of $700 plus dollars (my end of the cost). We never got to the oil issue because of my telling them coolant cost about $13.00 a gallon and they'll never see me there again. After paying $26,000 and having just 5490 miles in four years, the best they can come with is this .
No wonder GM is is falling behind the foreign car market, with this type of customer care they'll fall to the bottom quickly. I will never buy GM again !!!!

hi i have a dodge 2004 hemi 5.7 what type of oil should it use

987654 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:38:54 GMT

5.7

mercedes benz question

ibrahimm — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:20:07 GMT

hey i got a mercedes benz c240 4 matic....and i took it to the service place to get my engine oil changed and they put in 8.50 litters and thats 1.10 over then it should be....after 700 miles i was driving it and i noticed it wasnt driving the same and light was on saying to reduce oil level....so i checked the oil on top of the cap was yellow and so was the rim of the tube where the cap is put on.....it was thick and yellow.....and i dont know what that is.....should i be expecting serious problems or is this normal.....if u can answer me this it would be really helpfull....thank you

How do I change the oil on a C240 MBZ 2001?

thetroublewith — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:51:45 GMT

My warranty has been expired, I want to learn more about my car.
a 2001 C240 Mercedes Benz.

how do you tighten the oil filter mount on a 96 jeep 4.0

pudpage — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:21:27 GMT

oil leek around oil filter bracket mount

water in the oil nissan KA24E engine, causes?

roadcapt — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:01:55 GMT

have surfaced the head new head gasket, still have water in oil

I just bought a 911 carrera sc targa 3.2L ruf tunned its leaking i checked the engine oil it was below min in am

crazite — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:50:43 GMT

porsche 911 sc targa 1982 was remodelled in 2000 with a 3.2 litre ruf tunned up engine. I took delivery from a car specialist who sold it to me on behalf of his client he told me there was a oil leak through the rings which is simple and will be rectified when i purchase it .I got the car yesterday and the dealer told me the leak have been rectified. I went for a spin last night. and today morning before starting the car i checked the engine oil it was below minimum. After the spin yesterday when parking i could smell like someting burning like tire or oil .Could you please advice me what is the problem as i will be sending the car back to the car specialist on 11/2/08 at least i can discuss the matter with him .There was a little sign of oil leak on the garage floor. thanks hanif
PLEASE IGNORE THE EARLIER ENQUIRY THIS IS THE CORRECTED VERSION THANKS!

synthetic vs standard motor oil

bamm05 — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:28:52 GMT

I have 03 silverado with 42k miles on it. I am considering changing to sythetic, but I have some doubt. I have heard and read all kinds of ideas but not sure what to do.

1996 chev lumina. leaking engine oil at rear of engine, could it be the rear seal? crankshaft sensor, distributor?

redmist21 — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:44:15 GMT

could it be rear seal, crankshaft sensor, distributor seal, valve cover gasket?

I have Cadillac Catera 2001 and it runs great, but under the lid where goes engine oil I see mustardy liquid

godina — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:03:04 GMT

It uses dex-col as a coolant, I had the intake manifold leak fixed week ago.I has 75500 miles

I have three lights on my LS 400 dash that won’t go off! Any ideas?

nikitay128 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:30:34 GMT

It’s a Lexus LS 400, the oil level light is on, the traction off light is on and the check engine light is on. We have taken this car to the shop over 20 times and spent over a thousand dollars trying to get them off. The oil level is always ok,& no codes showing for the engine. When we take the battery out and reset everything the lights go off for about a day. But never stay off.

When I went to check the oil on my 2002 Sentra the top pulled off the dipstick. How do I get the dipstick out?

doug53 — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:44:24 GMT

The dipstick is too far down to reach. Can I get it out without tearing the engine apart?

Is Walmart SuperTech Full Synthetic oil 5w30 made by Mobile 1 ?

runner45 — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 22:03:53 GMT

Car Oil

'02 Chevy Impala leaking oil into coolant. How can I fix it without dropping a grand?

drizzle — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:42:24 GMT

I brought it into a Hertz car care center and they told me I had an intake leak that was letting oil leak into the coolant and apparently some other fluids as well. They told me it would be around $1000, including a fluid flush. Are they right or is there a simpler solution?