fml, no oil.
fml, no oil. At the end of my 400+ trip the low oil light came on. Pulled the dipstick has maybe less than a quart worth of oil :/ refilled it with about 4 quarts and the dipstick was then really dark and past the full/ 5 quart mark. I'm really hoping the loss of oil is from a small seep from the crank sensor or the spot from the drain plug. Goin to replace both tonight hopefully. Don't think that's nearly enough for that much loss. Also my coolant was low again. Found no external leaks so I'm thinking head gasket for sure. If it doesn't over heat & completely go can I keep driving it? I have no other car and small amount of cash 
my next step might be buying a compression test tool.
my next step might be buying a compression test tool. When's the last time you changed your oil? To instantly lose 4 quarts of oil you're talking about a massive leak.
Do a coolant pressure test if you suspect a blown head gasket.
Do a coolant pressure test if you suspect a blown head gasket.
Maybe 2000-2500 miles ago. Was going to do it Soon, like tonight to see if it was a milkshake or coolant in there but now there's semi new oil in there so the change tonight won't help. I'll re rent a pressure tester an see what happens the 3rd time around. Maybe the small leak or w/e is wrong got worse with the really long haul ? Also smoked again for 10 seconds on start up. A gasket would be constant wouldn't it? maybe another failure somewhere ?
Yeah, we understand that you put 4 quarts of fresh oil in your engine, but there's still a used filter in place, that had used oil in it, plus the quart or so of "dirty" oil you still had in the engine......
Just curious, do you know how to read a dipstick?
"pulled the dipstick has less then maybe a quart worth of oil"
There is nothing that says you have 1 quart, and nothing that says your down 4 quarts. Throwing 4 quarts in is probably why your past the full mark aswell. The way you worded that is really playing with my head. Everything ive been taught has told me a dipstick shows at max 2 quarts of oil. the low area shows 1 quart, and the low to full area shows 1 quart. Im just confused on how pulling the dipstick showed you have 1 quart of oil in the engine. Not trying to bash you or anything, just trying to figure out the story!
My guess from the story is that you were really only down 2 quarts at most.
10 second smoke on start up sounds like valve seals, givin the coolant loss, and lack of knowledge about your oil level, id say this car hasnt been cared for that much mechanically lol. Its possible both valve seals and headgasket are bad. Not trying to bash on you, just saying what ive noticed from what was said.
"When's the last time you changed your oil? To instantly lose 4 quarts of oil you're talking about a massive leak."
Shouldve noticed a 1-2 quart loss first if the oil level was checked in those 2000-2500 miles.
Your best bet is to monitor everything daily, and start looking for oil leaks with cardboard under the car. You should probably do a filter change (they are cheap) and let it go for a month. New vs old oil wont matter when coolant gets into it. If its there, youll know it.
"pulled the dipstick has less then maybe a quart worth of oil"
There is nothing that says you have 1 quart, and nothing that says your down 4 quarts. Throwing 4 quarts in is probably why your past the full mark aswell. The way you worded that is really playing with my head. Everything ive been taught has told me a dipstick shows at max 2 quarts of oil. the low area shows 1 quart, and the low to full area shows 1 quart. Im just confused on how pulling the dipstick showed you have 1 quart of oil in the engine. Not trying to bash you or anything, just trying to figure out the story!
My guess from the story is that you were really only down 2 quarts at most.
10 second smoke on start up sounds like valve seals, givin the coolant loss, and lack of knowledge about your oil level, id say this car hasnt been cared for that much mechanically lol. Its possible both valve seals and headgasket are bad. Not trying to bash on you, just saying what ive noticed from what was said.
"When's the last time you changed your oil? To instantly lose 4 quarts of oil you're talking about a massive leak."
Shouldve noticed a 1-2 quart loss first if the oil level was checked in those 2000-2500 miles.
Your best bet is to monitor everything daily, and start looking for oil leaks with cardboard under the car. You should probably do a filter change (they are cheap) and let it go for a month. New vs old oil wont matter when coolant gets into it. If its there, youll know it.
Last edited by trilkb; Sep 17, 2011 at 07:41 AM.
I had always thought that the bottom of the hash marks on the dipstick was a quart low (four quarts in motor), and the top was your full (five quarts in motor). I say you take the hit on the oil you just put in, and do an oil and filter change, that way you know all the oil in new, and how much is in the motor.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
So what's the oil level suppose to be to trip the low oil light? Oil was barely anything at all on the dipstick. Not just the bottom notch..... Oil change Is coming tonight after work & I'm replacing the crank sensor o ring & drain plug since they both seem to be seeping. I'll be placing cardboard under the car now though since my garage is stained. Thanks for the tip.
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Reno,NV
Umm, this sounds really familiar to me I had a car that had these exact symptoms once...oil goes low, coolant goes low. You say your oil looks very filthy...like how? I experienced what you are once and my car had a crack somewhere on the motor and coolant was going into the oil. Not really saying that is your case though. How long has this been going on? I would lean toward TRILKB's speculation you more than a little likely are cross contaminating oil to water and vise versa. Fix it fast it is destroying your engine, before it's too late.
So what's the oil level suppose to be to trip the low oil light? Oil was barely anything at all on the dipstick. Not just the bottom notch..... Oil change Is coming tonight after work & I'm replacing the crank sensor o ring & drain plug since they both seem to be seeping. I'll be placing cardboard under the car now though since my garage is stained. Thanks for the tip.
thats what i meant in my post, the low to full hash marks in 1 quart, below that, from the very tip to the low hash mark is another quart....
Basically, if there was oil on the dipstick, the most you were low was probably 1 to 1.5 quarts. no oil on the dipstick the first add id make is 2quarts, and go from there after reading the dipstick again.
Basically, if there was oil on the dipstick, the most you were low was probably 1 to 1.5 quarts. no oil on the dipstick the first add id make is 2quarts, and go from there after reading the dipstick again.
Well the way I see it I did over fill my oil and it leaks it should be self fixed right about now. 
Kiddinngggggg. Still need to drop the oil, havent driven it much. Maybe tonight.
Kiddinngggggg. Still need to drop the oil, havent driven it much. Maybe tonight.
are you ******* dumb , you were just seeing oil on your dipstick , so you added 4 and your still driving it , dont drive it , change the ******* oil asap , my brother had to replace a friends engine because the kid overfilled it and it blew up .
