Oil is the lifeblood for your engine, and what if we get low on oil? Our motor runs without oil, just like blood leaving your body’s heart; you are removing vital fluid. Without this necessary lubrication, you are risking premature wear, overheating, and possibly total failure.
Recognizing the symptoms of a low level of oil in your engine is something all car owners should be able to do. If you are experiencing a low oil situation, it may already be too late so hopefully it is only proper lubrication you are risking.
Why Engine Oil Matters
There’s good reason why “running like a well-oiled machine” is a phrase. Proper lubrication is a vital part of any vehicle that has an internal combustion engine (ICE).
You may not think about it too often, but motor oil is one of the most essential parts of your vehicle.
Think about it like this: the engine is the heart, and oil is the blood pumping through and around the heart.
Without sufficient lubrication, the engine would undergo premature damage from friction and high temperatures between metal-on-metal movement of engine components, resulting in one of two downsides: large repair bills or needing a complete engine replacement.
But oil does more than simply lubricate an engine, it can actually help best fuel economy. Sufficient engine oil means less friction and resistance between parts that may, in turn, reduce unwarranted fuel consumption.
An analogy that has been drawn for some of us would be that of a person’s joints. Just as the joints in a human body require lubrication to reduce friction and wear, a car’s engine requires engine oil to help the engine run efficiently.
Signs of Low Engine Oil
There are a few primary signs that your vehicle is running with insufficient oil in the engine, or possibly no oil at all.
While some problems may be ignored until you can deal with them, a low oil level must be handled immediately.
#1. Oil Pressure Warning Light.
The most straightforward sign of a low oil level in the engine is when the oil pressure warning light illuminates on the dashboard display. A sensor will detect that the engine oil pressure is too low. The oil pressure sensor is wired to the oil pressure warning light on the dashboard.
When the oil pressure sensor detects low oil pressure, it triggers the oil pressure warning light to illuminate. If this happens, your oil level must be topped off, and you should take your vehicle to your service center or dealer if the oil level is dropping again.
They will need to discover at what point the oil is leaking from. The oil pressure warning light may be stored with a P06DD – Oil Pressure Control code.
#2. Blue Smoke.
Another sign of having a low oil level in the engine is the appearance of blue smoke in the exhaust or coming from the engine itself if the oil is leaking on hot metal components. Blue smoke occurs when oil is burning in your engine.
If you’re driving along and see blue smoke, it’s a good idea to pull over and find a safe spot to check your oil level. So now you can understand if you’re ever running errands and from the next lane over, another car is blowing blue smoke.
#3. Burning Oil Smell.
This symptom usually goes along with the previous. If you have blue smoke coming out of your tailpipe, you have burned oil, and if you’ve burned oil, you will probably smell it.
If the inside of your car is starting to smell of burning. And I mean it smells like burning oil, you will want to pull off the road immediately and shut the engine off. You may have an oil leak onto hot engine parts, which is causing the oil to burn and smell in your car.
If you have a dipstick (some newer cars are ditching the dipstick), check your oil level. If it is lower than the minimum level, you need to top off the oil with fresh motor oil. Ignoring this may lead to expensive repairs, and you could even catch on fire!
Once you top off to the recommended level, make sure to keep an eye on your oil levels. If you still see a slow decline while topping off your oil, have a mechanic check your oil leak. It could be as simple as a leaking valve cover gasket or as severe as a leaking rear main seal.
#4. Loss of Engine Performance.
While there are dozens of known issues that could limit the performance of your engine, low oil or no oil could be one of the causes. You may find you lose power, reduce your fuel economy, and even stall out in some cases.
All of these symptoms can be caused by a lack of lubrication inside the engine, causing undue friction on the moving components. If you notice any of the three things as you’re driving, keep an eye on the other symptoms to help identify your issue.
#5. Knocking Sound.
This is typically the only symptom that you will hear if you just ignored or failed to consider the previous burning smell, low oil level, and warning light symptoms.
If you are driving on any kind of oil, whatever low is left on the dipstick, you will eventually end up hearing a knocking sound before your engine either completely seizes, or worse, you now have spun bearings, resulting in a catastrophic engine failure.
The engine is less lubricated than previous ones, so needless to say, there is more friction building up, causing loosening of the Rods and breaking down. The rods hold the compression pistons of the vehicle in place.
If these rods become too loose and continue to break down, you will be “throwing a rod”. While this is occurring and you are hearing the noise, the rods are being thrown. Then, after a couple of hundred yards, your engine stops and the suspected rod(s) are thrown.
Never forget that engine oil is not just a lubricant for the moving parts of your engine; it cleans and cools the engine.
Signs That You Have No Oil in Your Car
If you have found yourself in a situation where you have no oil in your car at all, it is important to know the signs before your engine is damaged beyond repair. The following symptoms typically will not present if you just have low oil.
#1. Clicking and Clunking.
This may sound somewhat similar to metal grinding on metal. Oil lubricates every moving part in your engine, and you need it for things to operate smoothly and without issues. If there is no oil, it can trigger increased friction and wear between parts.
Essentially, you are going to do some damage at some point, and these sounds will be how you know, even though there may be some damage by that time.
#2. Engine Overheating.
A perfectly functioning cooling system is, of course, what you need to keep the engine temperature normal. But don’t forget that the engine oil also contributes to keeping heat regulated and cooling areas that the coolant cannot reach.
Without any oil, the increased friction of metal parts coming into contact in your engine will lead to overheating, in addition to the effect of the cooling system not working properly.
#3. Loud Grinding or Clunking.
If there is no lubricating oil in your engine, anything that is vital for the function of your engine is going to create loud grinding or clunking that you do not want to hear. It is also a dangerous situation, and it is very unsafe to attempt to start your car with low oil at the very least.
If you are driving a car with zero oil, it is highly problematic and could result in complete engine failure. If you are faced with the situation of having no oil in your engine, you probably have a very serious leak or a long-term small leak that has led to the level of oil being where it is.
Causes of Low Engine Oil
Oil Leaks
There are several elements in your engine where leaks can occur, such as the oil pan, valve cover gasket, and oil cooler lines. If you find spots of oil on the ground under your vehicle or see evidence of oil on engine elements, it is a sign that there is an oil leak that needs your attention.
Infrequent Oil Changes
Another cause of low oil levels is not changing your engine oil, per the recommendations of your vehicle manufacturer. Motor oil, especially when it is not changed in regular intervals, will break down and lose its ability to lubricate the engine and become contaminated with dirt and debris.
Motor oil can even go bad if it is not changed on time. The combination of all of these circumstances can increase engine wear and eventually deplete your supply of oil.
Worn-Out Oil Pump
A bad oil pump can result in low oil pressure and poor oil circulation in the engine. The oil pump is responsible for pumping oil to all of the appropriate locations. If you have a failing oil pump, your engine may not be receiving the proper lubrication.
Watch for the signs of a failing oil pump, and replace the oil pump, if needed, before your oil issues become worse.
Clogged Oil Filter
An oil filter is designed to filter out contaminants and impurities from the oil in order to provide optimum engine performance. As the oil filter grows older, it has the potential to become clogged with debris that may restrict the flow of oil, causing you to have low oil levels.
Always replace your oil filter, as required in your vehicle’s recommended maintenance. To make it easy, simply change your oil filter at the same time you change your oil. You are changing your oil regularly, right?