A near disaster (I F'ed up) and a warning...
 

So, I went walking today... As I was getting ready to park, "Check Oil Level." OK, I'll do that when I get back to the car.

Finish walk, pull the cap off, juggle it, watch as it bounces down the sewer. In 57 years, I have never lost a part this way.

OK, 5 miles to home, 25 miles to dealer.

So, I filled the crank with oil. (I carry about 3 quarts all the time).

I start for home. About half way there, the warning light comes on again, so I pulled over and gave it another quart. By this time the entire engine bay is covered in oil - but this is the least of my problems.

Got it home and checked the stick and it indicates I am about a quart and a half down (how much I had to replace).

2 new oil caps have been ordered. Had I been on the road, I would have had to tow it to a shop and wait for a cap to come in. They are not available at local auto parts stores.

The cap that I place on the car will have double sided tape stuck to the outside with a cord strapping it to the hood or some other part.

In the old days I could have stuffed a towel in the hole and then taped it in place. But the valve chain sits directly below the cap and a towel would have been sucked/dragged in.

If you don't have one, I suggest buying a spare for your travel kit.

wtf jesus Christ dude.

:iagree:

First post nails it :bustingup

New cap came in today... All cleaned up and back in service. I expect the second cap tomorrow and it will go directly into my service kit.

No duct tape available to tape over the hole?

Or one of those hardcore rubber bands with a rag?

No. As I contemplated the hole, I could see no way to bind the tape to itself. There is no significant rise at the hole for the tape to get purchase (take a look at the valve chain cover).

My main concern was that anything I could put over the hole would come lose and be dragged by the timing chain into the case where it would become immeshed.

A dirty engine bay was a far less fearsome result.

Could have burned your X5 to the ground.

Might consider checking fluids at some reasonable frequency when you are at home. Why do you carry 3 quarts of oil?

Could have, but not likely to have. Why 3Q's of oil, same reason I carry a gallon of water, and all the other parts and tools. I probably usually carry just two, but along the way somewhere picked up another.

As for checking the oil at a reasonable frequency... the warning system works well enough.