Embarrassing Tales - God is good through it all!

My AFCOE outreach partner and I been driving his car, and he thought he smelled oil. I was navigating, and suggested a right turn, which happened more quickly than intended, resulting in a minor exchange of paint with a vehicle on our right. After dealing with that in a nearby parking lot, we finally got to check the oil. I got a quick look at the dipstick and thought it looked a bit strange, but didn't pay too much attention, just helped add the oil and we got back on the road. Unfortunately, in between adding oil and getting on the road, it's usually best to replace the oil cap. Somehow, neither of us did. This of course, caused the oil to splash, and the splashed oil started to scorch, the fumes of which caused us to pull over again to investigate.

Fortunately, the cap was still in the engine compartment. We checked the oil level again. Hearing it was low, I bought more and we added again. Replacing the cap this time, we started to head home, but noticed that there were now copious white fumes coming out of the exhaust, so we stopped again. We were getting low on fuel anyway and I was concerned the dubious jerrycan of free fuel we'd added earlier that afternoon might be a contributor. While I added some more trustworthy gas, my partner again checked the oil, resulting in a key realization - we hadn't been checking the oil at all, but the transmission fluid!

Actually checking the oil, we found that there was plenty there. No surprise, since we'd at this point added three whole quarts (Something about that really should have clued me in to a problem... Even the splashing shouldn't have lost us that much!) That explained the white smoke, but made the solution a bit unclear. My tools were in my car, being borrowed by a team without their own vehicle. And even it I'd had them, I don't carry an oil catch pan!

A couple phone calls later a large convention of AFCOE friends began to converge on the scene - bringing several sets of tools, including mine, and eventually, an oil catch pan in the possession of someone's friend who lived nearby. After draining the oil and replacing (an oil change was due anyway!), we were finally on our way. The white smoke faded away, meaning that all rings and seals should still be intact, praise God!

That is the story of the white smoke. We have much to be thankful for! It also teaches me two things. First, when something seems wrong, it's usually worth voicing: "That dipstick looks weird... There really should be a jack point that doesn't require crawling under the car to reach... Why don't we break down in that other parking spot, the one that doesn't say "5 Minute Parking Only, Fuel Tank Filling Zone" (and yes, the fuel truck came while we were there!) Second, I definitely want to continue my quest to learn more about auto mechanics, so I can be sure I know those things, rather than just having the idea but not enough certainty to cause action!