# Kid drove car without water in radiator. Now, oil leaking out.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 30, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970 "2013-09-30T01:16:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/1 "2013-09-30T01:16:56Z")
So, did he probably blow a head gasket? Engine didn’t seize up.
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### Author:  [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/2 "2013-09-30T01:29:30Z")
Melted/blown gasket is the most likely explanation. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t done a whole lot of other damage as well, just that that’s the most likely explanation for leaking oil. The head, block or any of the plates could also be cracked or warped.
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### Author:  [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/3 "2013-09-30T01:29:36Z")
Yep, probably.
Assuming you refilled the radiator, is it blowing white smoke out the exhaust?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/4 "2013-09-30T01:32:32Z")
> [@Blake](#):
>
> Melted/blown gasket is the most likely explanation.
Is that dad or the car? 😉
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/5 "2013-09-30T01:36:38Z")
There are all kinds of seals that can be damaged by overheating. The head gasket is only one of them. Is there any smoke coming out the tailpipe? Oil makes black smoke. Antifreeze makes white smoke. Look for oil in the coolant as well. That’s a sure sign of a blown head gasket. Wait until the engine is cool and pop off the radiator cap and look there. It doesn’t always make it back into the overflow container.
Is the oil leaking out onto the ground or getting burned by the engine? If it’s leaking you can clean off the engine and look for the leak(s). If you are lucky it will be a valve cover gasket that went. Those are relatively easy to replace.
A much worse scenario is the heads warped from the heat. If the heads get warped they won’t seal properly and you get similar symptoms to a blown head gasket. Be forewarned. If the heads are leaking and they take them apart (for either a blown gasket or warped heads) they may find that the valves have warped as well from the heat, which could make it an even more expensive repair.
Hopefully it will be something cheap and simple like a valve cover gasket. Good luck!
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### Author:  [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/6 "2013-09-30T02:00:31Z")
**R.I.P Car**
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/7 "2013-09-30T02:47:58Z")
To clarify, was there “no water” as in it was known to be bone dry and driven inadvertently or was it discovered after the fact that continued driving had dangerously lowered the cooling system level? How far was it driven impaired?
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/8 "2013-09-30T03:05:02Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#):
>
> Is there any smoke coming out the tailpipe? Oil makes black smoke.
Usually oil makes pale blue smoke, and black smoke is from excessive fuel.
> [@](#):
>
> Antifreeze makes white smoke.
Agreed.
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### Author:  [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/9 "2013-09-30T04:17:18Z")
Can the kid still sit down?
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### Author:  [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/10 "2013-09-30T09:41:57Z")
Why would the car lose water ?
The oil and water may have leaked out of the same initial cause , eg where there was corrosion in the head or block.
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### Author:  [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/11 "2013-09-30T09:43:07Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#):
>
> Usually oil makes pale blue smoke, and black smoke is from excessive fuel.
>
> Agreed.
Maybe I’m colorblind, but I see both smokes as having the same color. The way I can tell them apart is that coolant smoke looks thicker and spreads differently, like a cloud or fog.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/12 "2013-09-30T11:33:41Z")
We were all at beach for the last week. Kid came home Sunday AM and says he drove one mile in town to pick up buddy for games yesterday. Noticed heat gauge showing overheating. Noticed oil leaking out under engine. He then drove it another six blocks to his mom’s house and parked it, with much oil coming out underneath. I got home last night, opened radiator cap and added over a gallon while it sat there. I haven’t tried to start it. Will have it towed to our good Camry mechanic. JUst trying to prepare myself for the cost. :eek:
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### Author:  [@Chris\_Luongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chris_Luongo)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/13 "2013-09-30T12:40:46Z")
Samclem, do you know how old the car’s transmission fluid is?
Engine oil is brown when new, and changes to a darker brown (or even sometimes black) with age and use. Transmission fluid is generally pink or red, but often changes to medium or dark brown from age and/or heat.
Furthermore, in most cars, the radiator also has a small, second compartment built into it, where transmission fluid passes through. The coolant, though relatively hot, is still less hot than the transmission fluid. So, the hot transmission fluid is sent through the additional compartment in the radiator, where the not-so-hot coolant cools it down.
What I was getting at, is that old transmission fluid can easily look like motor oil.
Before the car gets towed away, I’d recommend to simply check the motor oil level with the dipstick, and you’ll soon know if motor oil was lost or not.
Transmission fluid level is supposed to be checked with the car warm and running. (You’ll usually, though not always, see detailed instructions right on the dipstick shaft itself.) So, you can’t accurately check the level without starting the car (and you shouldn’t start it until you know what’s wrong), but you can still pull the dipstick out, look at the color of the fluid on it, and see if it matches what’s leaking under the car.
Coming from the radiator, you’ll have two (or more) hoses carrying the coolant, as well as two lines with transmission fluid. Maybe you’ll get lucky and somehow a transmission line and coolant hose failed at the same time. Not likely, but it would be nice if that’s all it is.
By the way, good call that your son didn’t drive the car much afterward, and that you chose not to restart it. I suppose it would have been even better if he hadn’t driven it the final six blocks, but the fact that it still ran when he arrived is a very good sign. Besides the overheating and the leak, did he say if it was still running well?
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### Author:  [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/14 "2013-09-30T12:54:05Z")
The Camry is on of the few cars I have seen that retorqueing the head after over heating seemed to fix the problem. My brothe rhad one and because of a broken fan belt overheated and oil was leaking afterward, he retorqued the head and it was fine afterward.
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/15 "2013-09-30T12:57:47Z")
I read the title and wondered which was leaking the oil…
It doesn’t sound like the overheat was serious; it’s possible the leak is minor or even unrelated. All of the above suggestions about exhaust smoke etc. are good diagnostics.
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### Author:  [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/16 "2013-09-30T14:07:17Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#):
>
> Can the kid still sit down?
😃
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/17 "2013-09-30T14:50:16Z")
Modern cars rarely leak coolant anymore. It’s been years since my van needed any coolant added. I keep an eye on the overflow tank. You may have a bad radiator cap that let your coolant get out.
Hopefully it’s a simple fix and new head gasket.
Since you’ve lost coolant already. This would be a good time to get the radiator flushed out and new antifreeze. Go some place that has a pump that can flush out everything very thoroughly. I had my van done last Spring and it was $40 including the new antifreeze.
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### Author:  [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/18 "2013-09-30T15:25:10Z")
Did the gallon of coolant fill it up to the full mark? Being a gallon low on most modern cars isn’t that big of a deal and if that’s all it was I’d bet the overheating is unrelated.
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### Author:  [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/19 "2013-09-30T15:31:18Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#):
>
> Can the kid still sit down?
I suspect the kid will mostly be doing a lot of walking in the immediate future.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-drove-car-without-water-in-radiator-now-oil-leaking-out/669970/20 "2013-09-30T21:29:07Z")
Towed to my mechanic this afternoon. He’ll check tomorrow and call me. I’ll let you know tomorrow evening.
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