What have I done to my engine?

Clutch

Member
Jul 7, 1999
76
0
I filled up at a gas station tonight and when I started my truck back up, the "check oil" light came on. I turned the truck off and waited for a minute, and started it back up and it came on again. It stayed on all the way home, about 20 miles. I don't know why I didn't stop and buy a quart of oil. Probably because I felt like I would take care of it at home, and I didn't have any rags or a funnel with me, and it was kind of a bad neighborhood and it was cold and dark. I drove mildly all the way home. This is a 94 Ranger with a 2.3 4-cylinder with 108,000 miles. The oil pressure gauge read normal like always, so I thought it was something else, and I had just changed the oil recently a few weeks ago and everything seemed fine. I got home and found the dipstick to be almost dry except for a little bit at the bottom! It wasn't even in the crosshatching of the stick by a longshot. :( I had to put well over a quart to get the oil level back to normal, and I started it up and the light never came on again. The thing is, the truck doesn't blow smoke at all and it doesn't leak. I park it in the same spot every day and it's dry. I am really mad at myself because I got the truck with 55,000 miles and have changed the oil and filter religiously every 3,000 miles. I hope I haven't messed up my truck! I am going to keep a quart of oil in my glove box and check the oil often, but still, where is the oil going? What do you think? :(
 

a454elk

Mexicutioner
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jun 5, 2001
7,529
18
I think you changed your oil and filter, then when you filled up the oil, you checked it and it looked fine. Don't take this wrong but I think you didn't start it up after that to fill the filter and when it made its way through the filter, it will read low now. Hope that's all it is! Good luck
 

Jeff Gilbert

N. Texas SP
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Oct 20, 2000
2,963
2
If your oil pressure gauge was normal

you shouldn't have anything to worry about. As long as the gauge showed pressure there was enough oil for the pump to circulate it. If it was low enough to lose it's prime I doubt you would have made it home.

It is possible for you to burn oil when the engine is turning higher rpm's yet you may not notice it by walking behind the truck and looking at it when the engine is at idle, that's what some people call "blow by." If you will drive the truck for several miles at higher rpm's then pull over and take a look at the exhaust you may see evidence of burning oil. You may also want to take a look inside the air breather and see if there's oil in there.
 

Bman

Member
Apr 28, 2000
53
0
My friend's sister did that with her Mach 1 almost a year back. They drained what was in there, changed the filter and filled it back up. It always did burn a little bit of oil, mostly at startup, but it doesn't seem to have gotten any worse because of this incident.
 

Highbeam

~SPONSOR~
Jun 13, 2001
662
0
This is why gauges are important. An idiot light alone would have left you with the decision of getting oil or ruining your engine. You had a gauge to tell you that enough oil be getting to all important places under pressure. You should have put oil in as soon as the light went on but it appears you will get away with it this time. Sometimes the sensor that flips on the idiot light is different than the sensor that tells your gauge what to read. It may be more sensitive and tripped after sensing bubbles in the oil pressure line when there wasn't quite enough oil for the pump and it sucked a gulp of air. Your pressure gauge has a slow needle so that it doesn't always bounce around, it won't indicate a brief loss in pressure.

Don't worry about a funnel, when the light comes on next time shut it off and add engine oil if it's low. Any brand or viscosity will get you home. You can clean the outside of the engine easier than rebuilding the inside. And another note, carry a concealed pistol in rough neighborhoods:D.

I vote for the "oops" when changing oil as being the cause of the low oil level.
 

Clutch

Member
Jul 7, 1999
76
0
I think that's what happened, because during the oil change I had one of those 5 quart jugs of Mobil 10W30 and just dumped it in there and checked the level a few minutes later, I didn't start it up, wait a couple of minutes, and check it again like usual. Plus I also spilled some of the oil. Not a lot though. I'm going to check it before driving home tonight, and get a quart of oil for the glove compartment.
 

Jeff Gilbert

N. Texas SP
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Oct 20, 2000
2,963
2
Originally posted by Clutch
I didn't start it up
Any time you change the filter you have to start the vehicle to fill the oil filter. Always start and let run for a minute untill you have oil pressure or light goes out, should happen very quickly or turn it off after it sits for a minute then check the oil. Make sure the vehicle isn't parked on a slope cause it will not give an accurate reading on the dip stick.
 
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