Stupid Car Question?
I'm basically car engine illiterate, so I apologize if this is a stupid question. I drive a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. A few days ago I spilled a little bit of oil as I was adding some. It resulted in a small fire as the engine was hot. Instinctively, I threw flour on the fire to smother the flames. It worked, but I ended up with flour residue burnt to some of the pipes of the engine...made it smell like flour was burning when I drove it. I bought some engine degreaser, sprayed it on, let it set, and rinsed it off. Then I started the car about 30-45 minutes later and there was a bit of smoke coming out, of the engine compartment, and it smelled like the degreaser and there was a sizzling sound, which i'm assuming was because the pipes were still wet. I'm assuming this is normal and that it is safe to drive. Is this a safe assumption or is this something i should be concerned about? Thanks!
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Tags: car engine, engine compartment, few days, flames, flour, little bit, pipes, pontiac, pontiac grand prix, safe assumption, stupid question
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
no its not a stupid question,but i do suggest you have a mechanic take a look at it,just to make sure nothing is hurt on it,it would be better to be safe than sorry on this one,good luck with it.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
No question is a stupid. However I woudl recommend seeing the nearest mechanic.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
rinse out engine compartment again and check and see if anything (wires, hoses,sensors) were burnt during your fire. if so you will need to replace them
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I would imagine the de greaser was acetone based. If so thats normal. The second you notice any abnormalities of the car, take it to the mechanic.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Stay cool, spills happen.
You did the right thing, and yes there is a slight oil in the degreaser, so you will get some smoke and a smell for a little while.
I hope you check the oil or get it changed every 3,000-4000 miles.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Congratulations on your quick thinking. Your car could have been a smouldering wreck.
Your residue is on the exhaust manifold, which is extremely hot. Do not worry. Within a few miles the residue will have burned off.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Most of what you describe is ‘normal’ (at least in a relative sense).
You should smell a bit of the degreaser and there will be a very small amount of smoke, but not for long, and not very strong.
I would suggest:
First: Get a real fire extengisher for oil and gas, and keep it in your car (they make them just for that), if not for any worries now, then in the future.
Second: Just keep your eye and nose on the motor area, if the degreaser smell is strong, then rinse it again (just don’t spray water directly in electronics, air intakes, etc). Extra rinse water will not hurt.
Third: There is only ONE stupid question (Really) — It is the one you don’t ask.
Good luck & Take care
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
It should be safe to drive even after you rinse off degreaser you can still smell it for a few minutes after the car warms up. The best way to find out is let the car run until it warms up to operating temperature. After that the smell and sizzling should go away
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Trying to make gravy???
Flour burns.
Next time use baking soda.
De-greaser is good but give it time to dry.
Engines run so hot practically anything spilled on them will smoke for a little while.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
DO NOT WORRY!!!!! last saturday I spilled oil on my exhaust after I changed it and after about 5 miles it was all burnt off. but why flour? i have never heard of that!!!!!!!
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Great reaction with the flour, shows you’re a quick thinker.
Depending on how much, and exactly where the degreaser got on your engine, it might take it a few days to stop smoking a little and smelling…That is very common and won’t cause your car any harm.
You need to examine very thoroughly or have someone more mechanically inclined check to make sure there are no bare wires, since you did have an engine fire. Bare wires can short out and cause tons of trouble.
Always check your oil when the engine is cold, that way all the oil is in the oilpan and not distributed throughout the crankcase. It’s the only way to get a true reading of oil level and much safer.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
First off, don’t worry. The degreaser or flour is still on the engine heads or exhaust manifold (headers). This part of the engine gets very hot very quickly and it’s just burning it off. Keep driving the car and it will be fine. It will all burn off in no time and no worries!
October 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
First thing, Car oil will not start a fire.
Second, the smoke is normal, all the stuff you put on the engine is vaporizing. It’s safe to drive the car. Now about the oil catching on fire I dunno, I don’t think it was oil you were putting in it