I'm tired of keeping my bottle of oil and power steering fluid in the tray under the trunk of my car, because those bottles, for whatever reason, always leak no matter HOW TIGHTLY you reseal them. I've tried looking online but couldn't find any. Is there such thing as a retailer that sells different size containers for keeping automotive fluids in that are easy to pour when necessary but DON'T LEAK?
Automotive fluid containers
Best thing you could probably do (if you're concerned about the grade of the container being used, especially if it's plastic) is to grab a really small plastic fuel can and use that.
On another note... how do you use enough oil/ps fluid that you need to keep the containers on you?
On another note... how do you use enough oil/ps fluid that you need to keep the containers on you?
Are you really storing them standing? The only leak I get from mine are the few drops that loop the edge when ending a pour (these few drops can fill the whole surface of the bottle and the carpet in the trunk too) If you want to store them lying, you need rubber gasket on hte cap, and a rubber that is resistant to hydraulic oils.
I would suggest you store them in a square plastic bucket (or a cut up old plastic jeep-can) And keep a pair of rubber gloves there so they can be as messy they like.
I would suggest you store them in a square plastic bucket (or a cut up old plastic jeep-can) And keep a pair of rubber gloves there so they can be as messy they like.
Well, I like to keep oil and power steering fluid with me at all times. The steering rack had a leak on one side. It eventually fixed itself by getting gummed up enough to stop the leak, but I still need to top the fluid off every week or so. As for engine oil, anyone owning a 96-00 Subaru will tell you they are prone to oil leaks from many different seals. This engine has 206,000 miles, so whenever I bring it in they are like OMG WTF HAXXXORS YOU ARE LEAKING OIL EVERYWHERE DON'T DRIVE IT MIGHT EXPLODE WILL COST 234372723 DOLLARS TO FIX AND MUST BE DONE!!!
Thing is, it doesn't really leak all that quickly. What happens is I check the oil every day before I drive and it's ALWAYS full - for like a month. Then one day it just is completely empty. No explanation. Point is I keep one of those big jugs of oil with me at all times, but when it falls over (go around a turn) it slowly oozes out of the cap onto the carpet. The power steering fluid bottle is laying sideways in a little plastic tray under the floor in the trunk. I was hoping there were small plastic containers designed for stuff like that that I could put the fluid in that didn't leak.
Thing is, it doesn't really leak all that quickly. What happens is I check the oil every day before I drive and it's ALWAYS full - for like a month. Then one day it just is completely empty. No explanation. Point is I keep one of those big jugs of oil with me at all times, but when it falls over (go around a turn) it slowly oozes out of the cap onto the carpet. The power steering fluid bottle is laying sideways in a little plastic tray under the floor in the trunk. I was hoping there were small plastic containers designed for stuff like that that I could put the fluid in that didn't leak.
This.
Maybe you should start buying good quality oil? I have never had any bottles leak on me.
[edit: also a quick bit of Google found [url=http://www.forfluids.com/]this and [url=http://www.ccw-tools.com/product.asp?P_ID=353]this[/url] and I bet if I bothered to open more than two links I could find more.]
I'd seriously look at getting your motor fixed. It'll be far cheaper than filling it with oil on a weekly basis in the long run anyway. When I was in the US we saw a car pull up with smoke pouring out the bonnet when we pointed it out to the owner, who was walking away completely unbothered he said it had an oil leak and he couldn't see any reason to fix it. Several minutes later it still had smoke pouring out of it and clearly had a slow fire that wasn't going to put itself out, we stopped a park ranger (this burning car was parked in the middle of a forest) and as we drove down the road passed a couple of fire engines
Any car enthusiast should know fact that one drop of oil can spoil really lot of drinking water and everyone knows how rain water gets filtered by ground and if there is oil on ground that water will spoil underground water reservoir.
I have old cars but I like to keep oil where it belongs so my vehicles are not leaking stuff.
Properly installed gaskets with proper gasket glue are stopping any leak for years.
I have old cars but I like to keep oil where it belongs so my vehicles are not leaking stuff.
Properly installed gaskets with proper gasket glue are stopping any leak for years.
Well I've tried both Castrol and Synetec and both bottles have leaked. Getting the engine repaired would mean a complete rebuild seeing as it's literally every oil seal that supposedly needs to be fixed. And I only need to fill it once a month not once a week. Also, taking the engine apart is out of the question, as the head gasket issue will likely appear again once the whole thing is opened up. The car itself is not even worth the cost of fixing, and even if it was, there were other things I'd likely put the money towards on the car. I would be first in line to fix my engine JUST for the sake of the environment had I the money to do so, but I plainly don't and right now I'm trying to not do repairs and put money towards a new car that will be even BETTER for the environment.
I was just curious if anyone knew of the equivalent of a Tupperware container lineup but for different automotive fluids. I guess not.
I was just curious if anyone knew of the equivalent of a Tupperware container lineup but for different automotive fluids. I guess not.
There is really not much of good containers for oils, Valvoline ATF did not leak, but Neste ATF-X or something does leak from my experience.
Of course you don't have same oils there.
But what you could try is to clean thread with clothe and get some thick paper, cut perfectly matching circle from it and place to cap of bottle, now when you screw it shut it should help it seal better. You can do it from gasket paper too, it would be perfect then
I have cardboard box in trunk for liquids where bottles stay in upright position in addition of such tricks
Of course you don't have same oils there.
But what you could try is to clean thread with clothe and get some thick paper, cut perfectly matching circle from it and place to cap of bottle, now when you screw it shut it should help it seal better. You can do it from gasket paper too, it would be perfect then
I have cardboard box in trunk for liquids where bottles stay in upright position in addition of such tricks
If it needs a rebuild it needs a rebuild there's no getting away from that fact. It would be far less costly doing something than regularly topping up oil and better for the environment to fix the problem before it gets worse than just buy a new car.
But you're spending all your money adding oil and power steering fluid on a monthly basis!
Please explain how YOU would justify a $1500 rebuild on a car worth not much more than $2000... as opposed to maybe $50 worth of oil every year.
...by all means, I am more than willing to be swayed by your argument.
What the hell are you filling it up with? Your either not using the correct stuff (which would only add to your issue) or you must measure your dipstick oil level with a micrometer, you should be spending that much on oil a year anyway, but I guess you don't bother with oil changes either.
Do you really have a need to carry these fluids around with you if you're just topping it up every so often that might be ok if you feel that it's ever likely to dump its contents on the floor then that's not ok. I can think of countless reasons why one shouldn't carry needless liquids around in containers that are designed for vertical storage on a shelf if you really must carry spare oil around (which you should never have a need for) you could only do it safely and cleanly in a proper mounted oil tank like you'll find in dry sumped cars.
I did pay from my car 850 euros, I have spent around 3000 euros for all kind of things.
You can't really think of what worth car is, if you have plans to keep it in good condition it will cost certain amount, no matter what is worth of car. Then you could of course use car until it dies without any repairs and such, but that is not cheap either as you need to get new car every now and then.
Of course you could get newer car, which has seen less mileage, but that is not any cheaper.
So it is cheap only some of time, in long run it will cost loat or ton, no matter what you choose.
1500 rebuild is not so bad as then I guess it would be good for at least 100k miles?
I hardly call $5/month for oil spending ALL my money.
I'm filling it up with Castrol High Mileage GTX motor oil. I have no idea how much it costs, that was a complete random guess as to how much it costs. I might go through two or three of those things a year. It's not as much as I made it sound like - it's SUBARU that insists that it leaks GALLONS a day.
I have to carry this stuff with me because I live on campus and am required to park my car a good 15 minute walk from my dorm, so it only makes sense to keep it in the car.
What you say is true, and yes I could CONTINUE to pour money into this car as we;ve been doing for the last two years, were I intending to keep it. The point is, I do NOT intend to keep it, and there's a point at which I need to STOP paying for repairs and duke it out until I can save up enough for a newer car. Sure the rebuild would last another 100k miles, but I really do not plan on bringing this car up to 300k miles for many reasons, not the least of which would be the price of a new transmission, universal joint, center clutch pack, shocks, etc...
My mom has a 97? Outback (may be a 96) that has the same oil problem. It would cost to much to fix the leak as the car is a POS anyway. It will probably end up as my first car so I am contemplating my options with the leak. I don't think it will be worth it to rebuild half the engine just to fix a small steady leak as it already has 150k miles on it.
Also, almost every Subaru built with this same power plant has the head gasket leak problem after about 100k miles for those who didn't know. The newer models '00 and on are perfectly fine, just these are plagued with the engine rebuild to replace the leaking seals.
Oil leaks
I don't know, maybe not 1500 to fix those, but who knows if it leaks from some elsewhere too?
Well, you know how to fix it if you find interested, money and time, also you got tips how to seal oil can too, I guess all is fine?
I don't know, maybe not 1500 to fix those, but who knows if it leaks from some elsewhere too?
Well, you know how to fix it if you find interested, money and time, also you got tips how to seal oil can too, I guess all is fine?
And I have given you two links to two solutions.
The fact that you're making the roads a hazard to other users. If you can't afford the fix then take the car off the road.
In here and I guess also in UK if car leaks oil it fails mot, but I guess they don't have mot in US?
Well, I wouldn't go so far as to call the car a POS, but I guess that depends on whether or not it's the Legacy or the Outback and what features it has. One of these things with no options is not a nice place to be, but when it's fully loaded, it really is a nice car.
Unless you meant POS mechanically, in which case I wonder how well you've been maintaining it. At 150,000 miles, our car was in pretty decent shape.
The issue is that fooling with the engine is dangerous due to the head gasket issue. Every time you open it and close it, you are taking a risk that the gaskets will leak again, and if it does, you're screwed. So far, our rebuild has been holding together pretty well. And I know it would cost over $1000 to fix the leaks because that was Subaru's estimate. We had a friend mechanic who did the head gasket job for us, but the thing is, when we brought it back to Subaru later, they told us the guy used the wrong kind of sealant for an aluminum block engine - though it's fine so far.
The point is, any repairs at all on this car are a waste of money. I don't know what kinds of cars you guys drive over in Britain, but it's a LOT more expensive to fix up a Subaru than a Peugeot 206. You guys can just swap parts out really easily, but this car is massive, has a lot of parts and is just a much more complicated beast (AWD, for example.) It's not as easy as just spending a few 1000 to fix it up to good shape.
Easy for you to say. I live in rural Blacksburg which is about as far from civilization as anything. You cannot get around easily without a car. You have to remember that this is America. Public transportation is not easily accessible in any areas other than major cities. A car is pretty much a necessity. It also comes in handy when transporting a car-full of gear 450 miles North to my parent's house during breaks.
Beats me. As far as I know, the only thing they really care about here is emissions. As long as you're not belching smoke from the tailpipes, you'll pass.
Unless you meant POS mechanically, in which case I wonder how well you've been maintaining it. At 150,000 miles, our car was in pretty decent shape.
The issue is that fooling with the engine is dangerous due to the head gasket issue. Every time you open it and close it, you are taking a risk that the gaskets will leak again, and if it does, you're screwed. So far, our rebuild has been holding together pretty well. And I know it would cost over $1000 to fix the leaks because that was Subaru's estimate. We had a friend mechanic who did the head gasket job for us, but the thing is, when we brought it back to Subaru later, they told us the guy used the wrong kind of sealant for an aluminum block engine - though it's fine so far.
The point is, any repairs at all on this car are a waste of money. I don't know what kinds of cars you guys drive over in Britain, but it's a LOT more expensive to fix up a Subaru than a Peugeot 206. You guys can just swap parts out really easily, but this car is massive, has a lot of parts and is just a much more complicated beast (AWD, for example.) It's not as easy as just spending a few 1000 to fix it up to good shape.
Easy for you to say. I live in rural Blacksburg which is about as far from civilization as anything. You cannot get around easily without a car. You have to remember that this is America. Public transportation is not easily accessible in any areas other than major cities. A car is pretty much a necessity. It also comes in handy when transporting a car-full of gear 450 miles North to my parent's house during breaks.
Beats me. As far as I know, the only thing they really care about here is emissions. As long as you're not belching smoke from the tailpipes, you'll pass.
Engine is an engine, no matter what connects to it, just good old labelling and marking will solve most of difficulties.
I would not trust too much what Subaru tells you, at least in here official service is most expensive and worst that you can get.
Few enthusiasts can change engine over in weekend, I'm pretty sure of
Example engine for my other car costs 50 euros, we can get it changed in a day with lads, that costs around case of beer, but if I take it to Volvo to cylinder head replacement (which it does not need) it will cost something like 3000 euros, so that would be not very smart thing to do.
With proper methods of work there should not be major issues with head gasket, not with any engine, but if job is done without all needed steps there will be problems.
I would not trust too much what Subaru tells you, at least in here official service is most expensive and worst that you can get.
Few enthusiasts can change engine over in weekend, I'm pretty sure of
Example engine for my other car costs 50 euros, we can get it changed in a day with lads, that costs around case of beer, but if I take it to Volvo to cylinder head replacement (which it does not need) it will cost something like 3000 euros, so that would be not very smart thing to do.
With proper methods of work there should not be major issues with head gasket, not with any engine, but if job is done without all needed steps there will be problems.
I think you fail to realize that this engine is DEFECTIVE. Proper work methods do NOTHING to ensure a good seal in the gasket. It's all up to chance - that's something that anyone who knows these engines will tell you - the gasket either holds or it doesn't.
If you can find me a 2.5L Subaru engine for this car for that kind of price, I'd be more than happy to buy it and replace it - I'm not keeping this engine to PURPOSELY destroy the environment. But I really don't think I can find anything like that around here - maybe a junkyard? Either way, I don't know anyone who could change it for me for cheap.
You're joking right? Subbies were sold along side farming equipment for long enough, they cost your change to get fixed. The only thing you have to look at for is computers as they just get annoying.
The fact you let it get this far is your own fault really, the sooner you fix a problem the less it costs. Once I notice an oil leak I'll get it fixed, I wont just top it up and keep on going. More so after my parents tried that, what would have been a relatively cheap fix ended up costing an arm and a leg because they did what you are doing.
But main dealers have a habit of lying anyway, get a second opinion from a different (reputable) garage.
Uhmmm... WERE sold along farm equipment. I know that - as does any Subaru enthusiast. But, uh, times have changed, and so have the cars. I think you're stuck in the EARLY 90's. A Subaru does NOT "cost your change" to get fixed - at all. Have you ever worked on one newer than 95? I've talked with MANY mechanics, all of which have told me how much of a hassle today's Subarus can be because of their complexity. You have to be realistic - a Subaru is going to be a lot more complicated to work on than a small, cheap two-door hatchback.
Not really, Subbies are still more aimed at using design over computers.
The only car I know that will cost you a mortgage to fix a subbie is when you're dealing with the high end cars. One of my college teachers would only buy their low to mid range cars because it cost him peanuts to get it fixed.
Automotive fluid containers
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