Bought a 95 saturn that has no oil in it?

Question

So i brought this car from a guy who said he kept up on everything including changing and adding oil. Well i trusted the guy and bought the car. next day i saw the oil light on..check the oil and there was no oil in it. Does this mean the engine is going to blow?

Answer 1

As long as you didn't continue to drive it, it should be alright.Make sure you fill it up and that it isn't leaking.As long as it didn't get too hot it should be fine. DON'T EVEN START IT UNTIL YOU FILL IT WITH OIL THOUGH.

Answer 2

No, it doesn't mean the engine will blow. Just fill 'er up with oil and you should be fine, as the oil light is a warning that it is low, not empty. If you leave it and keep driving it, eventually, you will damage the engine. Now there may be other issues, so once you fill it up, keep an eye on the level (check it daily or every few days), but most importantly, check underneath the engine (on the ground) for any oil spots or puddles after it is parked for at least an hour or overnight, and this will tell you if you have a leak or not. If the ground is dry, you should be fine, if you have puddles of oil or drops of oil, then there's leak somewhere. I'm guessing it's either a leak, or they guy just wasn't keeping up the maintenance like he said. Good Luck and let us know how it goes.
You may want to take it to a shop to have it looked at once you fill it up with oil, just to be safe.

Answer 3

Saturns are good cars. Put oil in it right now. If you have driven it after the light came on it may be too late. After adding oil I would check for any serious leaks.
In the future you might want to pay a local mechanic for a complete diagnostic scan. This will cost you a few bucks but it will also give you a better idea of what you are getting yourself into.

The lemon laws vary in different states (see link). I am not sure what recourse you have when buying from an individual. Do you have anything in writing proving the purchase?

If you have a problem with a head gasket and are burning oil your exhaust will be white or have a blue-ish color to it. Black exhaust is a rich mixture and a totally different issue. (see link 2 & 3)

Answer 4

If the guy said he kept up on "adding oil", then the engine consumes more oil than it should. This could be as simple as a leaky gasket, or as bad as a worn out engine. You should put oil in it RIGHT NOW. I'd use what the owners manual recommends. If no manual, then use Castrol 10w30. The oil pressure light is set to light up when pressure drops below 5-10 PSI. This provides some warning before engine damage occurs. From now on, check the oil EVERY time you put gas in it. Be looking for leaks under the car, or for blue smoke from the tailpipe.

Answer 5

NO, it just means you can't drive it without oil or it will lock up on you. Put oil in and then check it often and check to make sure you don't have any leaks. You may be fine after you ad the oil. So, fill oil, check oil often and look under cars when you park to see if you have a leak. Your car should take about 5 quarts of oil.

Answer 6

Crystal check the dip stick for burnt oil residue.
Go get an oil filter and at least 5 quartes of oil.
Remove the old filter and pull the drain plug from
the motor oil pan.
Once that done, replace the new filter. (hand tight)
and pour in the new oil. Pour three and check the
level. Usually four will fill. Buy a cheap brand and
run it for a few days then repeat the process with
a much better oil and filter.

Answer 7

Watch out. Some Saturn engines in 95's and 96's had a problem with the head seal that costs a fortune to fix. Have a mechanic check it out and see if the car has that problem (you will also have black exhaust coming out). If that is okay, then see how much it is down. If it is not showing up on the dipstick, then it might be only down 2 litres. I've had the check oil light come on in my 96 saturn, put some oil in it, and it was fine.

Answer 8

It is possible that you have locked the motor up, but the oil light coming on with the fact that you didn't NEED oil makes me question it. In some cases, the manufacturer has put in "safegaurds" for the programming in the computer to "limp" home, such as only allowing certain time periods of operation with a major problem. It could be that you have a false low oil reading so the computer will not allow the engine to run anymore. You also could have additional problems. To try and "unstick' a motor, pull the spark plugs and spray a good bit of WD 40 into the cylinders. Let is sit overnight and try again. Ensure that the battery is sufficiently charged as well. It may be something as simple as your starter is failing.

Answer 9

I have a 97 saturn, and it burns oil.. I get the oil changed regularly, but inbetween, I need to add a quart now and then.

it may have just been low, or burned thru some.

add oil, I use 20/50 as it is thicker and burns less.

if it is run without oil, or was run without oil for some time, it may need serious work

maybe take it in for the equivalent of a 60k mile servicing where they look at it a bit closer

Answer 10

buyer be aware ! this guy knew , add the oil in your driveway, let engine run , look under the car and watch & wait, if its going to leak it will happen now . if no leak , smell the tail pipe, it may burn the oil , if it burns the oil , the guy never changed the oil much , so your have to clean it out ,witch means oil changes very often , untill the burning stops , i had a ford , same thing, lots of oil changes , no more burning. got all the dirt and grit out. hope he didn"t ruin the motor,

Answer 11

no, it will not blow, but first thing you need to do is to put some engine oil in it, and take it to any auto service store.

and get everything checked

in-fact, you should have checked everything before buying. but do u know the lemom law, if it is not 33days u can still return the vehicle with a full refund.