Rough idle after oil change

dcat151 · 11-07-2010, 07:38 PM

I searched and didn't find anything on this, so I figured I would post something in case this happens to anyone else.

I changed the oil and filter on my car yesterday. As soon as I start it up to back it down the ramps, I noticed that it had a very rough idle. As I drove it around the block to check everything out, the SES light came on. To make a long story short, I was perplexed and checked everything I could think of. I went to an auto parts store and they pulled the P1415 code from the SES light. The car was still idling very roughly when I drove home (and actually stalled once when I first started it up).

After extensive internet search, I finally found someone who had a similar situation. It turns out that the oil cap wasn't screwed down all the way. I checked the cap and it could still be turned 1/4 a turn. After I tightened it down, the car idled normally and now the SES light has cleared. It was a bizarre situation, but I just wanted to throw this up here in case anyone else is in the same boat I was.

andrewbommer · 05-07-2011, 10:27 PM

I changed my oil and dropped my coolant at 50k miiles recently. When I restarted i had a very rough hunting idle and shortly after the service engine soon light came on. I checked the oil cap half a dozen times and never got it to turn any farther. On about the 4th restart the idle evened out. I drove the car a week waiting for the MIL to go out but it never did. Yes I had "good trips" twice a day to and from work. Finally rented the scan tool from Autozone and found P codes for both banks lean. Cleared the codes and have drove it all day today without them coming back so I have my fingers crossed.

fdriller9 · 05-07-2011, 11:08 PM

There's suppose to be a dot you line up when you screw the cap back on....

ENINTY · 05-08-2011, 06:10 AM

This was a case of a vacuum leak since the cap was not all the way tight. The "dot" dfriller discusses is not a "lineup mark" (simply becasue you could line up the marks every 360 deg of rotation of the cap). The dot is just a production mark for QA inspection purposes so that proper installation of the oil cap is verified. A lot of people get this confused. The oilfilter cap is properly installed when it is torqued down to spec.

11-07-2010, 07:38 PM	#1
dcat151 Lieutenant 21 Rep 582 Posts Drives: 2006 330i 6MT ZSP/ZPP/ZCW Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Gainesville, GA iTrader: (1)	Rough idle after oil change I searched and didn't find anything on this, so I figured I would post something in case this happens to anyone else. I changed the oil and filter on my car yesterday. As soon as I start it up to back it down the ramps, I noticed that it had a very rough idle. As I drove it around the block to check everything out, the SES light came on. To make a long story short, I was perplexed and checked everything I could think of. I went to an auto parts store and they pulled the P1415 code from the SES light. The car was still idling very roughly when I drove home (and actually stalled once when I first started it up). After extensive internet search, I finally found someone who had a similar situation. It turns out that the oil cap wasn't screwed down all the way. I checked the cap and it could still be turned 1/4 a turn. After I tightened it down, the car idled normally and now the SES light has cleared. It was a bizarre situation, but I just wanted to throw this up here in case anyone else is in the same boat I was.
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05-07-2011, 10:27 PM	#2
andrewbommer New Member 0 Rep 16 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Coupe Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Michigan iTrader: (0)	Rough idle after oil change I changed my oil and dropped my coolant at 50k miiles recently. When I restarted i had a very rough hunting idle and shortly after the service engine soon light came on. I checked the oil cap half a dozen times and never got it to turn any farther. On about the 4th restart the idle evened out. I drove the car a week waiting for the MIL to go out but it never did. Yes I had "good trips" twice a day to and from work. Finally rented the scan tool from Autozone and found P codes for both banks lean. Cleared the codes and have drove it all day today without them coming back so I have my fingers crossed.
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05-07-2011, 11:08 PM	#3
fdriller9 Banned 252 Rep 7,089 Posts Drives: '06 AW 330xi Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North Jersey/Philly/NYC iTrader: (4) Garage List 2006 330xi [6.44]	There's suppose to be a dot you line up when you screw the cap back on....
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05-08-2011, 06:10 AM	#4
ENINTY Banned 172 Rep 3,415 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Sport Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	This was a case of a vacuum leak since the cap was not all the way tight. The "dot" dfriller discusses is not a "lineup mark" (simply becasue you could line up the marks every 360 deg of rotation of the cap). The dot is just a production mark for QA inspection purposes so that proper installation of the oil cap is verified. A lot of people get this confused. The oilfilter cap is properly installed when it is torqued down to spec.
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