Can you help me determine a car engine issue??

Question

I have a 2001 Chevy Cavalier (2.2L). For a while I had been experiencing the oil light coming on if I was coming to a stop at a red light/stop sign. As soon as I would press the gas the light would go out and stay out until I came to a stop again.I changed my oil last weekend and the light came on fewer times in the last week than ever before.When I came home from work yesterday I noticed a knocking from the engine compartment that worsened if I pressed the gas.I called around for advice and was told to change my oil back to 10W-30 from the 5W-30 I had put in last weekend. I did..No change.I called around again for advice and was told these things 1)Main bearings are worn and needs replacement,2)Rocker Arm issue,3)Keep driving it should "work itself out". What could the problem be based on what I have said and how much could I expect to pay for a repair? Feel free to verify information or ask additional questions to clarify if need.Thanks in advance!!

It has a little over 131,00 miles on it.I replaced the 5W oil with 10W oil and also used an oil additive yesterday in hopes of correcting the problem.As of last night it still makes a knocking noise if you give it some gas.The noise is like a knocking that starts off as a fast knock-knock-knock then slows in speed,then goes away for good.At idle the car sounds normal and makes no real sounds out of the ordinary,

I wonder sometimes if the "top contributors" don't have anything else to do but be on yahoo answers all day and night being a complete d1ckhead to people.

I had PLENTY of oil....4 quarts....in my car.I am on here asking for advice not D1CKETRY from ba$tards with nothing else to do....

Answer 1

How many miles are on it? Is there any big oil leaks anywhere? Did you change the filter along with the oil? Is it a knocking sound or a tapping/ticking sound? Knocking may be unrelated and come from cheap gas. Ticking/Tapping may be from bearings and/or lifters.

Your oil pump may be getting ready to fail, in which case I would not drive it until getting it fixed. Or, you may have loose wires on the oil pressure sensor.

In any case, I wouldn't hope "it works itself out." Your car is trying to tell you something and ignoring it won't make it better.

Answer 2

well my guess would be you didn't fill it enough. but you could have a oil pump going out if it keeps showing low oil pressure. the knocking could be the main bearings which would be a major fix. but if its the rocker arms it will be more of a loud clicking sound in the top of the motor. if the knock isn't that bad yet you could try to add some lucas oil stabilizer to the oil and it may quiet it up a bit. if it is the rocker arms, then they can be tightened down but if its the main bearings then they will slowly get worse till you have to get it fixed. also i would recomend using the 10w-30 or 10w-40 and not the 5w-30. my car used to have a knock and cylinder leakage but i always fill it with 20w-50 and it runs great, but don't try this in your car, mine is a 92' and i just do that to squeeze a little more life outta it. do you have an oil pressure gauge or is it just a lite? cause a lite could just mean low oil or it could mean low oil pressure. i would get it checked out though

Answer 3

A brand new crate motor should be what your looking for. You did not state how many miles the old engine has. That 2.2 is a very simple engine not much can go wrong, however unfrequent oil changed dirty air filters things wear out. Knocking alone is bad enough but combine that with low oil pressure.. AS FOR ADVICE. Put a Bottle Lucas oil thickener in that engine park right next to the car lot let the car cool down trade it in the next morning.

Answer 4

You've run the engine low on oil for too long. That was the original reason the light was coming on when stopping. Starving the oil pump and bearing of oil for as long as you did has led to a much worse problem. You are most likely looking at rebuilding/replacing the engine. Dropping the oil pan and replacing the rod and main bearings may get you another year or two of engine life but unless you do it yourself, will be expensive. Lights on the dash are warning lights.

Answer 5

sounds like youve got a clearance problem somewhere... when metal heats it expands and leaves less clearance, so when cold itll make more noise than when warm. usually the valvetrane is what makes a noise that will go away. your lifters may be going bad (theyre about 150 dollars for the lifters and gaskets needed to replace them, and probably 600 for labor... but if youre having oil pressure issues like that id say its time for a full rebuild or an engine swap.