Could I have damaged my engine by leaving oil cap off?

I recently topped the oil in my car; however I got distracted and did not replace the cap! I drove approx 150 miles before realising my error. I topped up the oil and the car seems to be driving fine. Am I likely to have caused any long term damage to the engine?

Sean Moylan (Galway)

Aug 2013 Filed under: miscellaneous

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Expert answer

Hi Sean,

Did the oil light come on during that time? If it did not (and check that your oil light is working) then there shouldn't be anything to worry about. That light comes on if the oil pressure drops below a certain level and if an engine is run on low oil pressure for an extended amount of time then components may become damaged.

Also, if there was spillage in the engine bay it's worth getting it cleaned out professionally, as it'll never look the same again if you don't. Not that it's likely to adversely affect anything, though then again having oil spill onto hot components like the exhaust manifold is not the best idea in the world...

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser
@Shane_O_D