[Ridge2016]

Newbie here. Hope this is right place to post.

So I went to open my hood to show my uncle (a mechanic) the 2017 RTS he's been waiting to see since I got it and right away I noticed a "hole". "This doesn't look right" I said, and we both realized that was where you fill it with oil. THE CAP WAS MISSING! My heart sank. He was in disbelief.

So as I'm pondering how and when this happened, I see the cap sitting up there on the flat area between the hood and wipers. The cap was full of water obviously and there was my next thought... I was driving this new truck in rain storms and it's been cold with some little snowfalls and there's been condensation and dews around.

Truck was running great this whole time though.

I checked the dipstick. Dry. Panic set in.

I drove (another vehicle) to get some 0W-20 and added a quart in there. Checked dipstick, normal level. Oil wasn't dirty or watery though.

Midas was the one that did the oil change 3 months ago. Only drove 2100 miles since.

So I went to Midas today and they tried to tell me all is ok and not want to do anything. They showed me the dipstick and that it wasn't "milky white". I mentioned I had to add a quart in it last night because I didn't want to drive it there with no oil

I told them it's better for both of us they change the oil and filter and drain the pan.

They did, for Free. They also cleaned the oil that splattered under the hood.

So I ask you Honda folks...... am I going to be ok?? Truck has 12,500 miles on it.

Thanks

 

[jimbosr1]

You will be fine.If you can't change your own oil,you should inspect their work before you leave the parking lot of the shop that did the work.Look under the hood and look under the vehicle for any dripping oil.

 

[zroger73]

Moderator's note: Post moved to relevant forum.

1. There's a possibility that a very small amount of water splashed into the engine bay and into the engine, but probably not much and almost certainly not enough to cause a problem. What little bit of water that splashed into the engine (if any) would evaporate quickly after the engine reached operating temperature. I seriously doubt that there will be any long-term consequences.

2. This is why I perform all of my own service. It's easy to recommend that you never go back there, but this sort of thing can happen anywhere - even at a Honda dealer. If the person who changed your oil still works there, he probably got some "retraining" after you brought this situation to their attention.

So, as scary as this might seem, I'd let it go and spend my time worrying about more important things.

 

[Ridge2016]

You will be fine.If you can't change your own oil,you should inspect their work before you leave the parking lot of the shop that did the work.Look under the hood and look under the vehicle for any dripping oil.

Thanks! I actually feel great it's a Honda. I think if it was a Ford or something else I'd be screwed. lol.

Hard to change the oil myself here in winter but Lessons learned. I do always check driveway for oil leaks but never checked under the hood my whole life. (45 yrs old here). I'll most likely start doing the oil myself now.

Moderator's note: Post moved to relevant forum.

1. There's a possibility that a very small amount of water splashed into the engine bay and into the engine, but probably not much and almost certainly not enough to cause a problem. What little bit of water that splashed into the engine (if any) would evaporate quickly after the engine reached operating temperature. I seriously doubt that there will be any long-term consequences.

2. This is why I perform all of my own service. It's easy to recommend that you never go back there, but this sort of thing can happen anywhere - even at a Honda dealer. If the person who changed your oil still works there, he probably got some "retraining" after you brought this situation to their attention.

So, as scary as this might seem, I'd let it go and spend my time worrying about more important things.

Thanks! They mentioned the evaporation as well. Good to hear from you too. I asked if they know which mechanic it was, they didn't answer. I think they were getting my point.

Thanks for reassuring me and I agree.... time to move on. If anything comes above in near future regarding this, I'll update thread. (thanks for moving it btw). Love the Truck so hopefully I can stay active in the forum. :smile:

 

[MrClam]

Hope all will be well with it. After I change my oil I'm pretty freaked out to triple check that I actually put the cap back on because I'll do something and then a second later not be sure whether or not I actually did it...

If you have a Honda dealer close by I would check their website for oil change offers like a coupon or maybe during the week at certain times it's cheaper or price match another dealer's service cost if cheaper.

 

[Sniffer]

Thanks! I actually feel great it's a Honda. I think if it was a Ford or something else I'd be screwed. lol.

Hard to change the oil myself here in winter but Lessons learned. I do always check driveway for oil leaks but never checked under the hood my whole life. (45 yrs old here). I'll most likely start doing the oil myself now.



Thanks! They mentioned the evaporation as well. Good to hear from you too. I asked if they know which mechanic it was, they didn't answer. I think they were getting my point.

Thanks for reassuring me and I agree.... time to move on. If anything comes above in near future regarding this, I'll update thread. (thanks for moving it btw). Love the Truck so hopefully I can stay active in the forum. :smile:

My vehicles are checked and topped up every 14 days religiously (used to be every 7 days but I'm gone with work every other week now)

When I was still in Europe I owned a VW that were known to have a weakness whereby the water pump would fail and dump a bunch of coolant into the engine oil.

To put it into perspective, when the oil drain plug was removed literally litres of coolant would come out before the oil (the oil settles on top)

I did my homework and purchased the vehicle just after it was repaired for a steal (so cheap that I drove it for 4 years and still made a tidy profit) no doubt due to the fact that many people would be nervous at such a proposition

The vehicle ran perfectly and most likely still does (I only sold it as I was relocating) - it was one of the best vehicles I ever owned

I`ll be surprised if your vehicle suffers any ill effects from the missing cap

 

[smufguy]

I think you will be fine, given how many miles you have driven in three months. I would have suggested the same thing; change the oil & filter for a peace of mind.

Yet another lesson for folks who take their vehicles in for service. Though mistakes do happen, there are millions of vehicles on the road that are serviced by a service center/dealerships. I advocate servicing yourself, then I look at someone like my father who is almost 80 and cant even pump his own gas. Word of advice is, when the service, whatever it is that you brought the car in for, before you leave the service center, open the hood to make sure your dipstick, your oil filler cap, etc are on. There were times when I used to take my car to my mechanic (before I learned to service my own car) and would find his pliers, wrenches, and screwdrivers in the cowl area.

 

[DOB]

Next time have your mechanic uncle change the oil......:|
Midas probably put in only 5 quarts of oil thats why it was low...

 

[olgzr]

I’m surprised that you didn’t get a check engine light with the oil cap off. Years ago, I left the oil cap off on my 2000 F150 after changing the oil and I had the CEL a day or two later. The code was something about a massive vacuum leak. In your case, I agree with the previous poster that Midas probably only installed 5 quarts of oil. I'm glad you got the oil and filter change done, you should be good now.

 

[Ridge2016]

Word of advice is, when the service, whatever it is that you brought the car in for, before you leave the service center, open the hood to make sure your dipstick, your oil filler cap, etc are on.

On my older cars I always used to pop the hood and look around often.. But a new car/truck on something as simple as an oil change I would say 99% of people do not. I'll be part of the 1% from now on though.

Next time have your mechanic uncle change the oil......:|
Midas probably put in only 5 quarts of oil thats why it was low...

He's 70 something yrs old and lives in NY.. :frown:
I think I probably lost a quart from splashing out.

I’m surprised that you didn’t get a check engine light with the oil cap off.

That's a good point. Do other trucks have this feature? I assume the Ridgeline doesn't because no light came on for me..

 

[zroger73]

That's a good point. Do other trucks have this feature? I assume the Ridgeline doesn't because no light came on for me..

Crankcase ventilation system designs vary from engine to engine. Some engines will set a DTC without an oil cap and some won't. Some of it depends on whether the oil cap is on the valve cover or engine block and the way the engine is plumbed internally and externally.