Quick question - short drive in EA82 with low oil - damage?

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Sat May 03, 2014 2:07 pm

Car has been sitting in a shed for 12 months and most of the oil must have leaked out. I took it for a short drive (maybe 5km) stupidly without checking the oil level and when I got home and checked it, it was only visible on the end of the dipstick, just shy of the "L" (low) indicator line.

Will I have likely done any damage to the engine??

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Sat May 03, 2014 2:10 pm

I gave it a good rev up a hill in the process, too...

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Sat May 03, 2014 2:10 pm

The oil light has blown, so I have no idea if the oil light came on, either. Sigh.

Post by **TOONGA** » Sat May 03, 2014 3:27 pm

The only thing the oil light does is tell you if you have low oil or no oil .

It still runs ?

It didn't overheat?

The EA motors are rather hard to kill

Change the spark plugs, the oil and oil fliter ... coolant as well.

It should be fine

Just make sure you keep an eye on the oil level.

TOONGA

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Sat May 03, 2014 3:48 pm

Yeah I didn't notice anything odd while the engine was running, it sounded fine...it's just that when I checked the oil I realised there was none in it.

If it's just below L marker, is it still mostly full anyway?

Post by **TOONGA** » Sat May 03, 2014 4:04 pm

fishboy wrote: If it's just below L marker, is it still mostly full anyway?

No that means it is low like 1-2 litres low these engines hold 4.5 litres of oil full (including oil filter)

do as I said in my last post and your engine will run fine.

TOONGA

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat May 03, 2014 6:31 pm

Most dick sticks only show shy of about the top 1500ml of oil due to a human failing coz if we saw oil on stick that went right to the sump plug level some engines would die sooner.

You probably had 3.0 litres of oil if it was just showing.

First sign of not enough oil should be hydraulic lifters rattling their little insides out in protest. reckon you will be fine fishboy.

Most oil lights will only glow when you don't have enough oil pressure - think it is as low as 6psi on many cars !
Or, if you buy one of those twin turbo Bimmers, no dipstick at all ! The dash has an oil level indickator !

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat May 03, 2014 6:53 pm

steptoe wrote: Most oil lights will only glow when you don't have enough oil pressure - think it is as low as 6psi on many cars !

I always thought just having an oil warning light without a pressure gauge was a bit pointless, only telling you about the low oil situation when it's too late. Basically if the light comes on you have to turn the engine off immediately or cook the bearings

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Sat May 03, 2014 10:09 pm

Ok thanks all. TOONGA - I will do as you suggest!

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Tue May 06, 2014 11:33 am

steptoe wrote:First sign of not enough oil should be hydraulic lifters rattling their little insides out in protest. reckon you will be fine fishboy.

Exactly.. the EA82 will let you know if there is not enough oil.. long before the low oil pressure light will show.

If your engine ran fine and didn't sound like a Massey Ferguson diesel tractor, then I reckon you'll be ok. Just give it an 'engine oil flush' and then change filter and oil, you should be good for another 20 years