What causes in oil 'explosion' underneath the hood?

Question

I have a 07 Toyota Camry SE and when I was driving tonight I noticed that there was a clicking sound coming from the motor (sounded like a diesel) then after it stopped the oil light would come on. So I went and bought a couple of quarts of oil and when I popped the hood there was oil all over the left side of the engine. So I put in the oil and about 2 minutes later it was all over the driveway, I looked under the car and the whole front end was covered in oil.

Answer 1

sounds like it has a oil leak. thanks for the points.

Answer 2

How long ago was the vehicle serviced? 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder oil filters are very similar but not compatible. Will seal but won't last long. If all genuine parts have been used new car warranty will cover every thing.

Answer 3

with your description (or lack there of) i can not give you a point of origin for that leak. in the engine is a pump and a series of passages that oil flows through to get to all of the vital parts. anytime you have a  brake in metal (such as going from an engine block to a head) you will have a gasket or a seal in some situations. as long as these gaskets are in good condition then no oil should leak out. unfortunately a small hole in  pressurized system will make a big mess. your best bet is to tow it back to the dealer and let them look it over and hope that warranty will cover it.  

Answer 4

did you have an oil change done recently? oil filter tight? what about the oil cap? was it over filled?

but either way, if you did not neglect this vehicle. it's under warranty.

running the engine without oil is THE worst thing that you could do.