[Dacan23]

Ratchet & 8mm socket...

Was dropping someone off at the airport in Boston and the add oil notification came on. When I got to the airport and saw off my brother in law, I popped the hood and got a quart of oil from the trunk before leaving. Filled it up, then I went to grab the oil cap and I knocked it down into the engine bay near the radiator on the passenger side. Reached down inside to get it and it fell further, after finding a way to get almost my whole arm down there while tolerating the heat from hoses and area, I could barely touch it with my fingers. Managed to get it between 2 fingers and then it dropped and fell even further all the way down to the shielding underneath. I always carry a tool set, grabbed it and took out the bolt/screws from the small shielding piece on the passenger corner of the bumper, you cant remove this piece without taking off the main shield but was able to push it up and reach my arm into the main shielding and grab the oil cap.

All this while sitting in the passenger dropoff at the airport. I was sure a cop would come by as this whole fiasco took 20 mins or so, and they are always chasing people out of the dropoff/pickup areas. But no one surprisingly bothered me.

So carry a ratchet and 8mm socket in case you ever drop your oil cap into the engine bay and need to remove shielding underneath!

I cant be the first person to drop the oil cap down there as we are constantly filling up our oil level?

 

[Fiftytwoeighty]

I thought your were going to say a AAA card...or duct tape.

Kidding aside, I've dropped stuff down there as well. In my case, I was able to retrieve the offending object by using a wad of duct/duck tape double stuck to the end of a very long screw driver.

If you can't duck it fcuk it! I always carry a roll of duct tape in our cars.

 

[Broadoakboy]

I thought you were going to say a quart/litre of oil!!

This is like one of those childhood games..... "I opened the boot of an M6 and I saw, a litre of oil, a socket set, a long screw driver, a roll of duct tape.......

 

[ADA]

Ratchet & 8mm socket...

Was dropping someone off at the airport in Boston and the add oil notification came on. When I got to the airport and saw off my brother in law, I popped the hood and got a quart of oil from the trunk before leaving. Filled it up, then I went to grab the oil cap and I knocked it down into the engine bay near the radiator on the passenger side. Reached down inside to get it and it fell further, after finding a way to get almost my whole arm down there while tolerating the heat from hoses and area, I could barely touch it with my fingers. Managed to get it between 2 fingers and then it dropped and fell even further all the way down to the shielding underneath. I always carry a tool set, grabbed it and took out the bolt/screws from the small shielding piece on the passenger corner of the bumper, you cant remove this piece without taking off the main shield but was able to push it up and reach my arm into the main shielding and grab the oil cap.

All this while sitting in the passenger dropoff at the airport. I was sure a cop would come by as this whole fiasco took 20 mins or so, and they are always chasing people out of the dropoff/pickup areas. But no one surprisingly bothered me.

So carry a ratchet and 8mm socket in case you ever drop your oil cap into the engine bay and need to remove shielding underneath!

I cant be the first person to drop the oil cap down there as we are constantly filling up our oil level?

Or you could just be like me and never drop the oil cap.

 

[ACG]

I thought you were going to say a gun :hihi:

 

[Skills]

I thought he was going to say a "jimmy hat". (Google it if you don't know)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do200ZXb-1s... pay attention to the lyrics... funny as hell.

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[Braheem24]

Thanks for representing...

 

[Skills]

I think I'm going to be sick... I definitely was not prepared for that.

 

[SuckaGDog]

Had this happen to me on an F01 7 series, what a pain in the *** that was!!


I always put the oil cap towards the front near the hood latch tray panel area so if it does fall its towards the front of the car, not into the engine bay area.

 

[Killer-Bimmer]

Thanks for representing...

Hey WTF you doing taking photos of me....

 

[Javacore99]

This will sound weird but how about taking care when taking out the oil cap so you DON'T drop it in the engine bay in first place :confused2
The picture of the guy with the a** crack is just ridiculous :7:

 

[Tortuga]

HAHA

Hey WTF you doing taking photos of me....

Now where the hell is the damned OBD port in this thing??

 

[AWOL]

Ratchet & 8mm socket...

Was dropping someone off at the airport in Boston and the add oil notification came on. When I got to the airport and saw off my brother in law, I popped the hood and got a quart of oil from the trunk before leaving. Filled it up, then I went to grab the oil cap and I knocked it down into the engine bay near the radiator on the passenger side. Reached down inside to get it and it fell further, after finding a way to get almost my whole arm down there while tolerating the heat from hoses and area, I could barely touch it with my fingers. Managed to get it between 2 fingers and then it dropped and fell even further all the way down to the shielding underneath. I always carry a tool set, grabbed it and took out the bolt/screws from the small shielding piece on the passenger corner of the bumper, you cant remove this piece without taking off the main shield but was able to push it up and reach my arm into the main shielding and grab the oil cap.

All this while sitting in the passenger dropoff at the airport. I was sure a cop would come by as this whole fiasco took 20 mins or so, and they are always chasing people out of the dropoff/pickup areas. But no one surprisingly bothered me.

So carry a ratchet and 8mm socket in case you ever drop your oil cap into the engine bay and need to remove shielding underneath!

I cant be the first person to drop the oil cap down there as we are constantly filling up our oil level?

Hey OP,

Great advice! I've dropped all sorts of things down into the engine compartment including those stupid air filter box clips, and a really nice Surefire flashlight (which came to rest completely out of my reach on top the plastic shielding for about two weeks before I could get around to getting my car in for scheduled service appointment. I just asked the tech(s) to kindly remove it for me and they did.

I carry the BMW OEM oil setup in my trunk with the good 'ol 10W-60, carrying case, paper filters, plastic gloves, and paper towels...now I will add a small toolkit to my list just in case. I wonder if there is a cool ///M travel-type toolkit just for us? We're special, and we deserve a ///M toolkit!

Thanks for sharing. I thought for sure the cops would bust you for (A) parking in a that loading/unloading zone, or (B) inquire as to what you were doing, thinking you may be attempting to steal the cats off the car for their precious metals hiha

Take care, and thanks again for the post. :checkeredflag:

Best,

 

[ADA]

Hey WTF you doing taking photos of me....

Sick "M5" bro.

 

[C7mb]

I think Logan is cursed. I was picking up a friend on the 10th and my oil light came on as well :1zhelp:

 

[StevieP]

So this morning on the way to work I notice my oil reading was showing "--". WTF? I hadn't driven her in a couple days so I was freaking out thinking I was out of oil. Pull over and pop the hood to check the dip stick... um, yeah, no dipstick. Lol. I'm such a noob. But hey, I learned a valuable lesson and this thread reinforced it. Be prepared! Thanks!

 

[Tortuga]

This being my 3rd BMW with the underbelly parts and tool trap, (and having chased all kinds of crap around in the dungeon), I ALWAYS make double goddamned sure that i have a grip on anything i am doing in the engine bay...The ONLY thing i would go after by popping the belly tray off in public would be the oil cap, but i always remove it with two hands and set it on a rag in EXACTLY the same spot each time, keeps the rad cover clean and there's a big rag there to remind me to put the goddamned oil cap on!!

The odds of getting that thing off and back on not on a jack, in the dark (it would have to be dark), correctly, would be oooo well about zero i would guess.

 

[ghost31711]

I thought your were going to say a AAA card...or duct tape.

Kidding aside, I've dropped stuff down there as well. In my case, I was able to retrieve the offending object by using a wad of duct/duck tape double stuck to the end of a very long screw driver.

If you can't duck it fcuk it! I always carry a roll of duct tape in our cars.

then you can just tape the oil filler hole and find help, lol

 

[Dacan23]

I think Logan is cursed. I was picking up a friend on the 10th and my oil light came on as well :1zhelp:

LMAO

Yeah I usually very careful not to drop anything down into the BMW dungeons, but mistakes happen, I cant even remember where I placed the cap and how the hell it dropped its just a blur in my mind. Funny thing is that every time I added oil before this I thought how F'ed it would be to drop the cap.

If I couldnt retrieve it I would of had AAA tow me home, no way I'd try to cover it with tape/rag/etc.

Interesting thing someome told me is oil caps are pretty standard, so getting a temp from auto parts store or another car is option.

 

[SuckaGDog]

Years back I remember on E46Fanatics someone dropped their oil cap while filling up along the road somewhere so they used a sock to cover the oil cap hole and it got sucked into the engine while driving lol. I forgot the remainder of the story but you would be surprised some of the things people do.