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by HasntBeen on October 10th, 2009
On the list of very, very, very bad things that can happen to an engine, "running without oil" is pretty much at the top. Without oil, the moving parts (and there are a lot of them) get extremely hot very quickly from friction, and warp and morph like the teenager's faces in the horror movies.
An engine rebuild is highly likely to be the diagnosis.
by Mink90 on October 10th, 2009
Here is a list of things that can get damaged by engine oil starvation:
Piston Rings
Pistons
Wristpins
Connecting Rods
Crankshaft
Con-Rod Bearings
Main Bearings
Camshaft(s)
Plus More
Replacing any of these will require tons of money. Basically every moving part of your engine needs lubrication to work. $10 worth of oil could save you thousands in engine work so don't hesitate to check it often and top it off.
It sounds like you could have potentially dodged a bullet. The engine may have temporarily cut out due to the excess heat and friction. I would recommend changing the oil and filter (you mentioned you refilled it but the old cooked oil and possibly metal remain inside the engine). Over the next few trips be aware of the sounds the engine makes. If it starts making knocking noises then you need it rebuilt or replaced.
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You're reading Apparently the oil in my car pretty much was gone. The steering went out and then the car shut off (like i ran out of gas). I added oil, the car started up again (made some noise but it stopped) and ran ok. What kind of damage am I looking at if any?
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Comments
That's what I'm afraid of... if it makes any difference there was less than 15 seconds from the steering starting to slow down to me turning the car off...
by StupidCar on October 10th, 2009
So the car runs now? Without unusual noises? You may have dodged a bullet. If that's the case, keep the oil level up, and be alert to the possibility that you're burning oil -- it may be blowing past the piston rings and gumming up the combustion chambers. Get an emission check and a compression check from a mechanic.
by HasntBeen on October 10th, 2009
Yea it runs...I drove it a total of probably .2 miles from the place that I parked it to my house. It started fine, but made a few revving noises (rrr rrr rrr) lol but those stopped when I accelerated a bit and didn't come back. Mind you, it was a 45sec trip and I never went over 10mph but it did start, it ran, and the noises seemed to go away. I'm taking it to the mechanic for an oil change at least tomorrow.
Thank you so much for responding!
Side note question... I am clearly not knowledgeable about cars.. I am also a 22 year old girl who let the oil get so low on the car that it stopped working. In other words, I am a good target for a mechanic to overcharge or completely take for a ride. I'm thinking of going in and asking for the oil change and not mentioning the other problems so that they don't just automatically say "yea you're engine is gone". Will they find the problem anyway (if there is one) while they're poking around or do i need to bring it to their attention?
by StupidCar on October 10th, 2009
If they don't compression test the engine, which they normally don't unless you ask, and if there's no major engine noise then there is virtually no way to tell if an engine is gone unless they take it apart. However they may notice metal shavings in the oil which usually are pieces of your bearings (these along with oil pressure make the engine spin freely and safely while running). But these shavings don't necessarily indicate engine death. You don't have to tell them if you don't want. If they notice anything out of the ordinary the should and usually will let you know about it.
by Mink90 on October 10th, 2009
lamegan, I agree with Mink's technical comments, but I think your strategy is mistaken -- you don't want to keep secrets from your mechanic any more than you do from your doctor. If you don't know anybody who can recommend a mechanic, do a search of your area and then just drive by each one and look in their shops. The kind of shops I prefer are family-owned and have been in business a long time... the place looks a bit tired but generally clean. Often they have lousy locations -- i.e. buried in an industrial park instead of out on Main St. with a shiny sign... anybody who stays in business for 20 years with a lousy location is doing something right :)
by HasntBeen on October 11th, 2009