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Could lack of oil cap cause "cracked engine head"?

My female friend has a Toyota Camry 4 cylinder with around 133K. She had it serviced 2 weeks ago and they changed the oil. It was leaking something recently (we thought it was anti-freeze). The people who serviced it 2 weeks ago took a look at the car and said it was missing an oil cap and down to 2 quarts of oil. Could the lack of a cap cause the oil to get too low and then cause a "cracked engine head"? Is that same as a cylinder head?

What I don't understand is that my friend says there was no indication that the engine overheated and no oil check light was lit up on the dash. Seems to me that if it really were true that the lack of an oil cap (negligence) caused the car to lose oil and crack the engine, then something on the dashboard should have lit up beforehand, which my friend says did not happen. I don't know what to make of the whole thing. What do you think?

J
Reply to
jaynews
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Yes. The leak you speak of, if its green or red watery stuff, it is indeed coolant and depending on how much it lost and how long she drove it with low coolantm its possible it may have a damaged head,.BUT, before that happened, the coolant or engine temp gauge would have indicated very high.

On the otherhandm the person who left the oil-filler cap off is responsible for the 1/2 a sump's worth of oil being lost. This loss of oil, probably did not cause any problem as the engine will function with this low level OK,

In both cases, that means no damage should have occured,...good news!

Seems

She didn't lose enuff of either fluid to effect the engine. The person who left the oil-cap off, should be barred from working on the car :-)

If however, the engine does have a cracked headm it will push coolant out of the system in most cases. Take it for a short drive, and check whether it loses coolant, It will after an intial fill, vent some coolant into the coolant resevoir container, but this should stop after 15 mins of normal driving.

Jason

Reply to
Jason James

Question is terminalogy IS it the head cover or head that it cracked?? Could have brokrn the head cover where the oil cap goes ???

Reply to
sqdancerLynn

Who said it was only down 2 quarts, the guy who left the cap off? Maybe it was near empty and your low warning system doesnt work. A cracked head is usualy caused by no coolant. But the mechanic still screwed up, how do you know he is now correct that the head is cracked. Get a different opinion.

Reply to
m Ransley

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