Over filled oil after ran with low oil...

ATarnowski · Post by **ATarnowski** » 05 Dec 2018, 09:56

Please help!

Did a major screw up a few days ago... The other day I was on the back roads punching it here and there and no issues at all, was running very nice. Drove home, then went out for milkshakes and came back... I had it parked for about 45 minutes, and then I was about to bring my buddy home but I had a massive loss of power right at the beginning of first gear (1.5k - 2.3k rpm). I saw oil all over the ground... The oil light was (not) on but it goes on when the key is turned then goes off (so the bulb works). There were no visible leaks or drips, but this was all of the sudden so I really thought there was a steady leak or drip. So I put 5qts in it (Even though it takes 6.1) and then it ran fine and I drove it home softly.
The next day... I go to get on it (not floor it) and as I reach about 5k for a shift into 2nd I get a HUGE cloud of white smoke out the exhaust and power is lost but the engine still runs and idles fine. I immediately pull off into a neighborhood, shut the engine off, put it in neutral and roll to a safe spot.
I open the hood and oil is all up the side of the air box, some on the fuse box, the underside of the hood and the relay box (I think oil breached the PCV flame trap, I attatched a photo of the flame trap). I was pretty sure my engine was dead, but it still starts and will move the car, it used to smoke pretty bad on start up but the exhaust smoke has slowly subsided. The PCV was changed less than 8k ago from FCP Euro along with the whole coolant system being entirely replaced from FCP euro about 5k ago.
Now: So adding 5qts all at once was a bad idea (oil level on dip stick picture attatched). My whole blow out with all the white smoke was a result of over filling the oil (I believe). I then sucked the excess oil out of the dip stick with a vacuum oil pump and made sure the oil was at the correct level... The exhaust does (not) smoke at all anymore, nor white or blue, it drives and I’ve been driving it to and from school for the past couple days but being very easy on it (Driving under 3.5k Rpm). The car runs cooler now but at idle it goes back up to normal temp, as soon as I start driving on the roads the temp gauge goes back down... I checked the coolant tank and there’s oil in the coolant... This is bad, but I believe it was a result of the original blow out I mentioned earlier in my post when running with too much oil. The car still is running and driving days later... Oil level is the same...
I think I blew or “breached” my head gasket during all of this and leaked out extra oil though the PCV flame trap at the time of the blow out.
The only thing I have no idea about is all that oil I thought I saw all over the ground, there was no visible leak or drip and my oil light was (not) on. There was TONS all over the ground and driveway.

Any suggestions or thoughts on my situation would be greatly appreciated. Should I start parting out or is there still hope?

1998 Volvo S70 NA Automatic 4speed with a sport, eco & winter tranny. Our family has owned it since 1998 (one owner).

-Adam Tarnowski

Post by **misha** » 05 Dec 2018, 10:25

It would be a miracle if headgasket along with ALL other seals are not blown.
Pressure was extremely high in the engine.

Post by **tryingbe** » 05 Dec 2018, 12:00

How much oil in the coolant system?

Post by **bmdubya1198** » 05 Dec 2018, 12:07

Yeah, if it's at the point that there is oil in the coolant, it's pretty much guaranteed that the head gasket blew. The engine likely would have been perfectly fine if it was run a little low, but overfilling the oil seems to have done some serious damage.
My cousin's S70 T5 ran almost completely out of oil in the middle of nowhere on a trip from Florida last year after a front cam seal blew out, to the point that the lifters were clacking louder than I've ever heard and the light was on, and it's lived on for another year and a half and probably 25k miles since then. It still runs healthy.

If the car's in good shape, either get ready to do the head gasket, as well as the cam seals, crank seal, and possibly the rear main, or list it on here and or Craigslist for $500.

ATarnowski · Post by **ATarnowski** » 05 Dec 2018, 12:07

tryingbe wrote: ↑05 Dec 2018, 12:00 How much oil in the coolant system?

-Originally the dip stick was dry: So I put 5qts in...

-Blow out occurred...

-5qts was too much along with any excess oil that was in the pan so I got the oil right in line with the perfect ammound (Mid Dip Stick)

-Now at proper and exact oil level (normal)...

ATarnowski · Post by **ATarnowski** » 05 Dec 2018, 12:14

bmdubya1198 wrote: ↑05 Dec 2018, 12:07 Yeah, if it's at the point that there is oil in the coolant, it's pretty much guaranteed that the head gasket blew. The engine likely would have been perfectly fine if it was run a little low, but overfilling the oil seems to have done some serious damage.
My cousin's S70 T5 ran almost completely out of oil in the middle of nowhere on a trip from Florida last year after a front cam seal blew out, to the point that the lifters were clacking louder than I've ever heard and the light was on, and it's lived on for another year and a half and probably 25k miles since then. It still runs healthy.

If the car's in good shape, either get ready to do the head gasket, as well as the cam seals, crank seal, and possibly the rear main, or list it on here and or Craigslist for $500.

Can the car run with all the seals that you mentioned being blown? I do have some kind of oil spraying into the engine bay, but I can't find the source... I added all that oil in the first place because I felt a huge power loss and the dip stick then ended up being dry. Car starts, idles and runs perfectly... Haven't had the guts to try and get on the gas because I really need this car for transportation and I love the thing!

Post by **erikv11** » 05 Dec 2018, 13:31

(1) I do't see evidence of oil in the cooling system, can you give a better pic of that?

(2) You need to find out where the oil is still leaking some, where you said "... some kind of oil spraying into the engine bay, but I can't find the source"

(3) I'd pull the distributor cap and rotor and see if that rear cam seal is blown. If it is, clean up the oil, put the seal back in and check the one behind the cam sensor too.

Post by **June** » 05 Dec 2018, 13:33

Clean engine and when dry coat with baby powder to see where leak is at. These engines are prone to blow the rear cam seal on the exhaust cam (closest to firewall). My 960, V70, and this S80 all have leaked from this seal. Took some pictures of my S80 to show how far from this seal leak the oil can travel. Your car has a distributor where I penciled it in, but mine does not so it does look slightly different. Mike changed the seal on the 98 V70 on the road as it was easy to change on that (your) car. Hope this is where your major leak is. June

Post by **bmdubya1198** » 05 Dec 2018, 14:44

Great illustrations June!

Your car will certainly run with those seals blown out, but you're going to lose oil at a rapid rate if they're mostly blown out. As Erik said, pull the distributor cap and check for a leak. Same with the cam sensor on the exhaust cam. Those are extremely common areas to have a leak.

Also pull the timing cover, it's just a single 10 or 12mm screw and you can pull it off. If there's oil in there, it could be coming from either one of the front cam seals or the crank seal. Rear main seal leak would be evident from oil between the engine and transmission.

As June said, clean the engine bay of oil first. It's hard to find a leak when there's oil everywhere.

And if there is a head gasket issue, DO NOT let the car overheat! At that point the engine will be damaged beyond repair.

Post by **June** » 05 Dec 2018, 15:17

I cant really see the oil in the coolant tank via the pictures. You can get a loaner head gasket tester from the auto parts store. The area you circled, is that the connection for the PCV to intake hose? The attached video showed you how to use the test kit. Either it is blown or not this test is how the dealer checks for sure. June

[youtube][/youtube]