what harm can an engine suffer if it was run for a few weeks with low motor oil?

Question

not extremely low, but below the required markings on the dipstick maybe up to 3 cm?
synthetic motor oil
1991 honda accord with 175,000 miles

Answer 1

so long as the oil was not below the stick the you do not have anything to worry about. if you had gooten to a dangerous level you would have heard the engine start to rattle and you would start causing problems with wearing bearings and cyl walls from lack of lubrication. The oil light would have come on or the guage would have been on zero. you'd know if any damage was done.

Answer 2

The engine oil level and the gear change delay are most likely unrelated, especially if it's cold. When the temperature is cold, the transmission fluid is also cold, and may be the cause of the delay. If it shifts OK after it warms up, it's probably OK, but it wouldn't hurt to check it anyway. If the engine oil is low, you might hear a tapping sound for a few seconds after you start it up or your oil light will come on (or the pressure will be low if you have a gauge).

Answer 3

With a honda, you should be alright. What you need to realize here is the function of oil in an engine. You have thousands of moving parts, moving at a very high speed. Oil lubricates and keeps these parts from wearing against each other. If you run it without oil in it fro any period of time, you risk too many internal parts failures to list here. However, if you havent had any overheating, your car should run fine, and there might not be that much damage. Just put some oil in the damn thing!!!

Answer 4

No problem. The marks on the dipstick are:The top one...the maximum oil to put in,,,,,the lower mark - you are down a quart. Your engine holds 4 or so depending on make model and size of engine. When the red light comes on in the dash and stays on. Stop the engine and put in some oil, cause now you are too low and there is NO oil pressure.

Answer 5

BOOM and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air

seriously if you have been wasting your money with synthetic oil on a dinosaur like that you should go get some Guinness because you are BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!! and nothing will happen! That old croaker is so well broken in that it is obviously a gift from the Goddess and is bulletproof. Just don't push your luck.

A few score marks inside the cylinder walls, maybe a few thirsty main and rod bearings, if it is not knocking like it is at heaven's door your are safe. Carry an extra quart in the trunk.

Answer 6

How much did you have to add to bring it up to full? If it was only one quart, you may be OK if you did not get the engine really hot. If you added two or more, you may have caused excessive engine wear. But it's already got 175K, so what's excessive?

If the car is running OK, and is not using oil, it is probably fine. Keep an eye on the oil level.

Answer 7

Worse case is scorched cylinder walls. When you don't have enough oil the pistons don't get enough oil splashed on them. Oil is what cools the pistons. I have only seen one motor that suffered this fate, it was a diesel. I think you are probably alright though.

Answer 8

you could blow the engine or mess it up to a point,i suggest change oil regularly and keep track of the level in extreme-moderate cold temps. and hot temps.

Answer 9

Your biggest concern would most likely be the lifters because they are at the top of the engine...Overall I can't see too much harm....listen for any odd noises like ticking...most Lube shops have stuff that can help....I forget what it;s called....

Answer 10

IT PROBABLY WILL BE FINE. HOWEVER IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY MILES IT WAS DRIVEN AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS AND SPEEDS ETC. THE ENGINE LIGHT SHOULD HAVE TURNED RED OR THE ENGINE LITE SHOULD HAVE NOTIFICED YOU.