I am an idiot~overheating

[Bjork]

Hey guys. Today I topped up my oil and like a tool didn't put the oil cap back on!!!

Drove ten miles and noticed engine was running hot, pulled over and found oil everywhere!!!

So I top up oil and put cap on this time but now it's overheating big style.

Had to put three litres of water in it over another ten miles.

Going to investigate the overheating tomorrow as to wether it's leaking water or burning it off or an air leak but was wondering if this would be directly related to me leaving the oil cap off???

Other thing I was thinking is that the twomay be unrelated but coolAnt may have froze as I haven't used the car in last couple of days while it's been snowing.

By the way, it's my daily mk2 16v gti.

So to clarrify, main question is are oil cap blunder and coolant loss connected. If I've buggered my car by being a half wit I'll be gutted.

Cheers guys

[Horney]

Overheating and water loss? Sounds like you've done a headgasket.

Nick

[Bjork]

Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!

Could that be a result of driving with the oil cap off?

There aren't any other symptoms like power loss or White smoke. Coolant is clear too

[Conker]

Losing a lot of oil by leaving the oil filler cap off could overheat the engine through low oil level, but the oil pressure warning would come in before that occurred surely? The engine doesn't run as well with the cap off though, so sub-optimal running might cause issues, but I doubt it. The head might not have been getting enough oil and cooked the gasket maybe before the block pressure was low enough to trigger the oil alarm??!

I think more likely is your coolant has frozen at some point in the system and has popped/split a connection and is either leaking, causing overheating through air locks and low coolant levels,  or its overheated big style and done the head gasket in.

Anyway, don't sweat it for now. Get the coolant refilled and bled properly, then test for leaks. If none are found, its compression test time!

[rubberdubber]

Sounds like driving with the oil cap off has overheated and possibly warped the head  Headgasket and a skim required i think

[Bjork]

Cheers conker.

Think I do need to stop stressing and start diagnosing.
Just kicking myself.

As for you rubber dubbed, why scare me like that? 

Don't know what water temp sensor was Reading as it doesn't work but oil temp never got higher than 112 and I've seen it higher than that before now.

Cheers again guys. I'll post my findings tomorrow.

[danny_p]

driveing with oil cap off won't have directly caused any problems,  only oil that can exit there is on its way back to the sump   and these engines can loose a lot of oil  before oil pressur issues.

was there anifreeze in it ?

[Bjork]

Not alot of anti freeze, no. My bad 

I'm hoping the oil cap been left off isn't a factor and that it's just coincidence.

Gonna refill coolant this morning and bleed the system via rubjub jonnys how to then I'm sticking a new header cap on that i'll pinch off my project car.

Then see if it makes a difference. My fan isn't working and neither is my water temp gauge so might look into them but they've never worked really so won't be down to them.

I'm praying it's the cap seal thats gone......will be a happy boy ig I can save some pennies and promise to always have 50:50 coolant in the old girl from now on!!!!!


If none of the above help I think it's time for a little cry and to did out my compression tester and go on a gasket hunt!!!!

 

[Village Idiots]

My son had the same thing happen due to not putting the dipstick back in properly. Just topped up with oil and no problems.

[Bjork]

Cheers village. Think I've got my paranoid head on thinking they're related.

When I pulled over and found oil everywhere the coolant wasn't boiling over.

Everyone cross their fingers for faulty cap!!!!!!!!!!!