Low on Oil

Christiank22 · February 18, 2014

Looking for some advice here, got my oil changed from a local dealership about 1000 miles ago. Went home this weekend and about 70 miles down the road started hearing terrible knocking, so I pulled off on an exit ramp and checked the dipstick and not a single drop of oil on it. I was basically driving the last 1000 miles on the minimal oil that wouldn't drain when they changed my oil. I had no oil leaks, and I have a hard time believing I burned through 6 quarts of oil in 1000 miles. Should I even try and prove the dealership didn't fill my truck with oil or just let it go and see how much damage was done? I don't think I can truly prove they didn't fill it with oil, and I do take large credit because I should have checked my oil, but I just get in the habit of "only drove 1000 miles, I'm fine with oil"...

Hootbro · February 18, 2014

My advice is to talk to the Service Manager at the dealership and let them know your concerns. While your entitled to be hot under the collar, I would talk the service manger in a calm voice expressing your concerns and see where that goes from there. If you go in guns a blazing and demanding a new engine or "this or that", they will go on the defensive and will have an "out" with 1K miles having elapsed since your oil change visit.

Right now, with both time and mileage elapsed plus I assume you have topped the oil level off, it will be just a finger pointing game with you have no way of proving it. By going in and expressing your concern in a civil manner, you may garner some "goodwill" trust by the service manager and they may offer to look into finding some remedy to address your future concerns.

Z45 · February 18, 2014

After 1,000 miles I cannot see them taking the blame for this and you really cannot accuse them of anything becaue you cannot prove it. I would not say a thing because if the engine goes bad they will only blame you for not checking the oil because you admitted that to them.

Christiank22 · February 18, 2014

Yeah that's exactly what I was thinking. It would have been totally different if I wouldn't have gone 1000 miles. We have a good relationship with the dealership so I think I will just go talk to them in a respectful manner and see what happens. At this point I'm not expecting them to pay for any damage, or reimburse me for anything at all. Just would rather have an apology and them saying they may have been wrong. Hopefully the damage isn't too extensive.

j-ten-ner · February 18, 2014

I have a hard time to believe that you drove the engine 1000mls w/o oil.

There must be something else wrong.

If I was the dealer I wouldn't denial that maybe the mechanic has made a mistake.

But I certainly wouldn't buy it when you try to tell me that you drove that far.

No message in the DIC? Oil pressure gauge ok?

No lifter noise for 1000mls w/o oil?

so long

j-ten-ner

Christiank22 · February 18, 2014

I dropped my truck off with my sister and she swapped me vehicles so I could get to school and she has a different vehicle to drive. I had 2 extra quarts in my box and put that in last night. My dad just called and this morning he drove to check out the truck and he added 2.5 quarts of oil and the dipstick just then showed full. It was running off of 1.5 quarts of oil. I actually drove more than 1000 miles like that, I was at 98.5k and now I'm just over 100k. The oil pressure was fine, but just yesterday I starting hearing the lifters, it wasn't a knocking so thanks for clearing that up for me. He said there's no sound anymore, so that's good to hear. I don't know where the oil would be going since there are no leaks as far as I can see and no blue smoke from the exhaust. Anyone have any other ideas? I had a hard time believing the dealership didn't add oil either but at this point I don't know how else 4.5 quarts disappears.

kstruckcountry · February 18, 2014

I'd talk to the dealer. I'm sure they'll work with you. You need to get a record of it, that way if something fails in the future you will have proof that you talked to them about it and left the blame with them. I'd want to leave my phone on voice record in my shirt pocket when I went to talk to them so there would be a verbal record.

BLEAPHAR09 · February 18, 2014

Same thing happened to my truck this past december with the oil. Then I ran into the lifter problems. Im not sure how to direct you to the post I made about this, but search the forum "HELP, Bad AFM lifters".

I was as baffled about the whole situation as well, granted I was due for an oil change at the time (but not overdue). I was driving along, good oil pressure, no low oil light, no check engine light, etc. Then I noticed the ticking/knocking so I pull up to work and check my dipstick and no oil was registering at all, ZIP. I had someone take me and got 4 qts from the gas station, put it in the truck, called the dealership immediately and drove it directly there 10 miles down the road.

j-ten-ner · February 18, 2014

Are you guy's pulling a hoax here?

lol

so long

j-ten-ner

Christiank22 · February 19, 2014

Same thing happened to my truck this past december with the oil. Then I ran into the lifter problems. Im not sure how to direct you to the post I made about this, but search the forum "HELP, Bad AFM lifters".

I was as baffled about the whole situation as well, granted I was due for an oil change at the time (but not overdue). I was driving along, good oil pressure, no low oil light, no check engine light, etc. Then I noticed the ticking/knocking so I pull up to work and check my dipstick and no oil was registering at all, ZIP. I had someone take me and got 4 qts from the gas station, put it in the truck, called the dealership immediately and drove it directly there 10 miles down the road.

Just got out of class and saw your post. I'll look for the thread, what did the problem end up being!? And no, no hoax!

amc31b · February 19, 2014

After 1,000 miles I cannot see them taking the blame for this and you really cannot accuse them of anything becaue you cannot prove it. I would not say a thing because if the engine goes bad they will only blame you for not checking the oil because you admitted that to them.

BINGO. Refill the oil, check it frequently and then report back to the dealership later if you have problems. If the dealership asks you about the oil level and maintaince, just tell them THEY, the dealership always did the maintainence and you never noticed anything out of the ordinary. You will have a lot better chances of getting your truck fixed if you go that route. Playing it cool and not giving the dealership any leads as to where the problem came from almost always works out better for you.

j-ten-ner · February 19, 2014

BINGO. Refill the oil, check it frequently and then report back to the dealership later if you have problems. If the dealership asks you about the oil level and maintaince, just tell them THEY, the dealership always did the maintainence and you never noticed anything out of the ordinary. You will have a lot better chances of getting your truck fixed if you go that route. Playing it cool and not giving the dealership any leads as to where the problem came from almost always works out better for you.

It seems that they're almost asking to get screwed sometimes.

But I still have trouble to believe that he's got pressure w/o oil.

And no "low oil level" message or unusual engine noise for 1000 (one thousand) miles.

That's why I don't think that the dealer is at fault.

so long

j-ten-ner

Christiank22 · February 19, 2014

BINGO. Refill the oil, check it frequently and then report back to the dealership later if you have problems. If the dealership asks you about the oil level and maintaince, just tell them THEY, the dealership always did the maintainence and you never noticed anything out of the ordinary. You will have a lot better chances of getting your truck fixed if you go that route. Playing it cool and not giving the dealership any leads as to where the problem came from almost always works out better for you.

It seems that they're almost asking to get screwed sometimes.

But I still have trouble to believe that he's got pressure w/o oil.

And no "low oil level" message or unusual engine noise for 1000 (one thousand) miles.

That's why I don't think that the dealer is at fault.

so long

j-ten-ner

What do you think the problem is then? Is my truck going through oil like gas or what??

Duelin · February 19, 2014

I can't believe no one checks their oil. I think if it was my vehicle and I had someone else change the oil and filter the first thing I would do is check the oil and see what kind of filter they installed.

Another thing I don't understand is. You discovered you had no oil at about 70 miles into your trip. Now you decide to drive 1000 miles without oil. Is that because there was no place to buy oil in that 1000 miles. Or because you thought it was ok to drive it with out oil.

We had a priest that we serviced his car. And one day you could hear him coming down the street. You could hear the engine knocking 2 blocks away. He came in and said the the oil light was on. And he said that he had checked the oil and it was fine so he continued to drive the car (I guess those red lights don't mean anything). Well about $5000 and a new engine later he was back on the road. There are certain thing that you have to do when you become a driver of a vehicle (unless you like to spend money un-necessarly). And most of those are just common sense. I can't see having to install a new engine just for the price of a quart of oil. Or in the case of the priest. The price of a new oil pump. I don't know maybe I am just old fashion.

Christiank22 · February 19, 2014

I can't believe no one checks their oil. I think if it was my vehicle and I had someone else change the oil and filter the first thing I would do is check the oil and see what kind of filter they installed.

Another thing I don't understand is. You discovered you had no oil at about 70 miles into your trip. Now you decide to drive 1000 miles without oil. Is that because there was no place to buy oil in that 1000 miles. Or because you thought it was ok to drive it with out oil.

We had a priest that we serviced his car. And one day you could hear him coming down the street. You could hear the engine knocking 2 blocks away. He came in and said the the oil light was on. And he said that he had checked the oil and it was fine so he continued to drive the car (I guess those red lights don't mean anything). Well about $5000 and a new engine later he was back on the road. There are certain thing that you have to do when you become a driver of a vehicle (unless you like to spend money un-necessarly). And most of those are just common sense. I can't see having to install a new engine just for the price of a quart of oil. Or in the case of the priest. The price of a new oil pump. I don't know maybe I am just old fashion.

Hahahaha you definitely misread the post or just skimmed. 1000 miles ago I had a dealership change my oil. I never let a dealership change my oil but since I'm in college now I don't really have the ability to do it myself anymore. Anyway, I drove home this weekend (700 miles after the oil change), and on my way back I was about 70 miles down the road (1000 miles after the oil change) when I started hearing noises. I then immediately stopped the truck and did not start it again until oil was added. The first thing I did after stopping my truck was check the dipstick which was showing no oil. I then grabbed 2 extra quarts of oil from my box and added it. Like I said I take some responsibility for not actively checking my oil, but I feel like too many of us are in the habit of only checking it when it's getting close to changing time. I absolutely did NOT run it knowing the oil was low.