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Running out of Oil -- non-Prius -- any thoughts?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Stevewoods, Jul 12, 2015.

  1. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    I work with a group of mostly college girls (a couple of guys) ranging from around 18-25 years old each summer. Our company tries to provide internships when possible to help out the local university students.

    One girl came in late on Thursday. Her car was "stuck" about 40 minutes away. She went to get into the car and "a bunch of lights" came on "inside the dashboard."

    I did not have much success in getting her to describe said lights, so I told her to check the oil before doing anything else -- and of course got the "what oil," "how do I open the hood" reaction. I took her out and showed her the basics.

    Of course, she went back and got the car that evening and never checked anything. So, I went out and checked her oil. Nothing showing on the dipstick of this 2007 Honda Civic with about 164K on the odometer.

    After three quarts, almost to the full mark. What's the odds of her having ruined the engine?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    pretty good, but not 100%. different cars low oil come on at different times.
     
  3. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    164K miles, 3 qts low, lights on, stuck (car not running?), doesn't know how to open the hood or check the oil? It will have to be checked first, but odds would favor needing a replacement engine or car soon...and someone please teach this young lady basic car care.
     
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  4. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    Car did start. She went and got it with all the lights on -- ignoring my advice to check the oil -- and then drove it some 40 or so miles home on Thursday night and then drove a few miles to work on Friday, where I found out she had not checked the oil.

    After work on Friday afternoon, I had her check the oil (with my coaching) and then discovered nothing on dipstick. I drove her to NAPA on Friday evening, bought three quarts of oil and dumped it in -- bringing it to nearly full....Started it and no lights on at all except "check engine," which I told her might clear in a day or three.

    Then told her to check oil each day, etc. and get it to a shop for a look-see.

    I have just been feeling guilty over the weekend.

    Why, I don't know.

    I would like to go over her place and at least discover where the oil is coming from (the whole underside of the car was coated in oil along the driver's side).

    But, she's a 20-something cute college girl and I'm a 55-year-old married guy and while I have NO designs on her or any of the other interns, I could hear the talk from the old crones in the office if I did try to help her out.

    BTW, she had the oil changed at JiffyLube about 300 miles ago, so I am suspecting loose filter or drainplug...
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    send your wife over.
     
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  6. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    In my experience those engines are pretty tough to kill with oil starvation. I did manage to do it though :(

    Spend $20 ($40?) to analyze the current engine oil (before replacing it as you must). It will be very high in metals if damage has been done.
     
  7. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Knew a guy trying to kill a Jeep Cherokee(late '80s or early '90s) by oil starvation. He drove it drained until it stopped, and thought the deed was done. The shop put oil in it and it started right up. Turns out the ECM has failsafes to shut the engine off before actual seizing.

    Modern engines are pretty tough, and many of the things that send a car to the junk yard don't involve it.
     
  8. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Do exactly what you would do if the intern wasn't 20, female, single and cute.
    Good advice from Bisco on sending your wife.

    If she asks for help, get a battle buddy, investigate for leaks, top her off and let her dad or somebody from the football team do the long term training on preventative maintenance.
    FWIW, if it was a fast leak then the motor might not be that trashed.

    She's going to have to monitor for oil consumption rates once this mini-drama is over with to determine if a motorectomy is warranted.
    If she doesn't learn from this and she's cute?

    ...she'll get a ride when she breaks down.
     
  9. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    I gave my in-laws my old '91 Toyota truck with the 22RE engine. With 125k miles on it at the time, it was burning a little oil so I cautioned them to stay on top of it. Months later on a mothers day visit, I took it for an oil change and the tech showed me a dry dipstick. That was about 10 years ago and it's still running (and still burns oil). :)
     
  10. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    OP Again:

    An update of sorts. I have treated this as an "don't ask, don't tell" sort of deal, but the woman brought it up yesterday.

    Said she took the car to Jiffy Lube :rolleyes: and they told her she had a horrible oil leak:sleep:...and it was so seriously bad that the only place she could go was the Honda dealer o_O...that even the Jiffy Lube pros could not help.:ROFLMAO:

    They also told her the only way the leak could have happened was if she "ran over something big." :whistle: She, had no other details, other than Jiffy Lube estimated $500 or so to fix. She also claims she has not run over anything.

    Remember, Jiffy Lube changed the oil for her around 300 miles ago...
     
  11. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Yet another reason to change my own oil.
    The other recent one is that my dealer overfilled the Sonic by over a quart.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the dealer will be able to confirm if jl caused the damage. they have been known to pay for more than a few rebuilt engines.