When i was checking my engine bay oil, coolent etc, i took off the oil filler cap and put it on the top off the air filter box. I was distracted when the pretty girl who lives in the flat next to mine came over to talk to me. To cut a long story short i closed the bonnet and drove off without the oil filter in place. I went on a short drive (15 miles round trip) and thought i could smell oil so i parked up and lifted the bonnet and sure enough the oil filler cap was missing and probably dropped off somewhere on the road. There was no oil spilling out or anything and i have ordered another on from the dealer but i just wondered if it would have done any damage to the engine.

not unless it ran out of oil really(which it wont have)

Wot custard said

Thanks guys thats put my mind at rest, i just thought i may have effected the oil pressure but there was no warning light i could just detect that oil smell, not even any oil forced out!

The same thing happened to me in my Punto Sporting...The service Guy must have been in a rush ! No damage though.

My old Rangie had a poorly fitting oil filler cap. It fell off into the valley between the two banks of cylinders. Don't think I noticed for a few weeks. No harm done. If any rubbish gets in through the hole, the oil filter should pick it up within reason.

sharpyboy said:

Thanks guys thats put my mind at rest, i just thought i may have effected the oil pressure but there was no warning light i could just detect that oil smell, not even any oil forced out!

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theres no pressure under the oil cap
the rocker cover is just that really
a cover to stop oil spraying everywhere
in theory you could run without that cover however the oil spray and crap getting in your engine would make it a short lived theory