'When Somebody Gets Their Certification Off Youtube:' Mechanic Makes Mistake During Oil Change. Now Oil's On the Ceiling. Why?

"Someone is really gonna have fun cleaning that one up."

Photo by: AdobeStock

By: Mustafa Gatollari

Aug 15, 2025 at 9:00am ET

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A Spokane, Washington, auto shop showed the chaotic aftermath of a botched oil change that many are chalking up to a simple mistake. Diesel Power Products (@dieselpowerproducts) commented on a video highlighting the oily havoc in a Facebook reel.

“Oil change gone wrong. Someone is really gonna have fun cleaning that one up,” a tech for the shop says to viewers while showing off the mess purportedly caused by the botched fluid swap. The camera’s lens pans around the car shop in the video, taking stock of the sprayed oil, which coats portions of the shop’s wall, ceiling, and floor. Furthermore, another car in the shop appears to be bathed with the black substance, staining its white exterior.

“Wow,” the social media user says, seemingly in shock.

Commenters Sound Off

Folks who responded to Diesel Power Product’s clip chimed in with their own oil change horror stories. One person posted an image of their co-worker who was left covered in motor oil after attempting to conduct an oil change themselves. They were coated in the inky substance and sent a picture to their friend with a caption that read, “Oil change gone terribly wrong.” Another Facebook user speculated as to why the car re-enacted a scene from "The Exorcist." According to them, this kind of massive mess can occur if “someone forgot to close the valve before emptying the catch can.”

Another user on the app echoed this remark, writing, “so common, lol.” However, others didn’t think that this particular mistake could result in that much oil shooting out of the engine. One believed that a car’s “line blew at about 75 psi.” The pressure that built up in one of the punctured or disengaged lines caused oil to spew everywhere, creating an oil shower.

Someone else chimed in, and they seemed to believe it had everything to do with improper valve opening and closing protocol. “Not opening the valve does just that. Happened twice at the shop I used to work at, and both times the tech had to clean 3 bays and the cars in them. It can be way worse than this video,” they said.

What Causes Engine Oil Geysers?

According to Four Wheel Trends, there are a few reasons why oil would shoot out of a car during or after an oil change. A “blown or leaking gasket” is usually the culprit, the outlet writes.

“The primary cause for oil leaking or spraying all over the engine is when it overheats because of a blown head gasket,” the website reads. Furthermore, the same article indicates, “This causes oil to spray out from the exhaust manifold.” Consequently, the oil emitted from a vehicle will often be very hot, which could potentially harm whoever is working on the car.

Additionally, the website also mentions that damaged oil filters can contribute to this issue and potentially ruin a vehicle’s oil pan. “Missing, loose, or damaged oil cap[s]” can also result in oil messes, and broken oil coolers can also inhibit proper oil dissemination throughout a vehicle, contributing to spills and sprays “all over the engine and leaking below the car,” Four Wheel Trends says.

Furthermore, the site relates that “bust oil pipe[s]” can contribute to oil line clogs or malfunctions. “The reason for this is that the oil pump in the engine sends oil to various parts of the engine, but it can’t send it to the leaking pipe,” the article states.

Other Oil Spray Issues

The amount of oil placed in a vehicle is also integral to maintaining proper oil flow, according to automotive coupon site Car Service Land. In a blog post about oil spray issues, the business advises against overfilling a vehicle. That’s because this can increase pressure buildup inside a vehicle’s oil distribution system. Then, when an oil cap is removed, this pressurized environment instantly has an outlet for release, spraying the overfilled oil all over the place.

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Additionally, the same company referenced loose oil caps and blown gaskets as contributing to severe oil sprays. As for leaks, “loose drain plugs” are oftentimes the reason for this occurrence, Car Service Land mentions. Monitoring your vehicle’s oil levels and ensuring that all caps, including the oil dipstick, are securely fixed in place will help prevent the kinds of sticky situations showcased in Diesel Power Products’ video.

Motor1 has reached out to Diesel Power Products via Facebook direct message for further comment.