nickoz

So im driving, and this light comes on. i got my oil change before snow came... (canada,windsor ,ontario) and it came on. first thing i checked was for leaks..didnt see to find any.. and my dip stick... stick looked empty... or close anyways... so i added syntetic oil 1L and light went off. Any clue why this light would come on? should i be worried? or mabe just burnt oil cuz winter time? due to heavy starting n the coldness out here.

i Would love to get help. i parked car till i find out. Thanks!

its 1996 honda accord 2.2l . VTEC. 4cyl

TheMuffinMan

iTrader: (1)

Is your oil level normal now?

Obviously it came on for low oil if you had to add a whole liter of it. I would verify you're not leaking anything now. You probably wouldn't see a leak if it was running around dry. If the block is clean it's possible the nut on the oil pan is not seating properly.

P_Adams

At first glance, there was insufficient oil to keep the oil pump pickup covered while the engine was running.

It (engine oil) can only disappear two (2) ways:
You consume it (burn it in the combustion chambers)
or
You leak it.

I would suggest you redouble your efforts to locate that oil leak, because the alternative could be "involved" (none of them good)

How many 'miles ago' did you have the oil changes?

P

nickoz

well i did the oil changee.... mabe about 5000 km ago. i havent had this happen before...mabe lil more then 5... but not crazy overdue....

Targa250R

The only way you could leak the amount of oil necessary for the pressure light to come on would be with a MAJOR leak such as a balanace shaft seal blowout or an oil filter base gasket failure. With either of these problems, you would notice a LARGE amount of oil puddling on the ground. If you haven't noticed any massive oil puddles under the car, then the oil is not missing due to a leak.

It's more than likely that the engine is just burning that oil. That's the most probable explanation for missing 3+ quarts of oil over a 3000 mile interval; these engines are notorious for it. The lower the oil level gets, the faster it will burn off. Once the oil level is low enough that it sets off the low oil pressure light (at just a hair less than 5psi), you're already damaging the bearings and moving parts.

Since you're due for an oil change anyway, change the oil and filter. You are going to need to check your oil regularly from now on; it is extremely important for you to do so, otherwise you're going to blow up the engine and be out the cost of installing another one ($1500+ USD including the cost of a used engine). Reset your trip odometer and check your oil level every 500 miles. Add oil as necessary and reset the odometer again. Keep the oil level around the the top hole on the dipstick, not above or below. The amount from the bottom hole to the top hole is approximately 1 quart.

And by the way, you didn't add enough oil. 1 liter will not take the oil level from below the dipstick all the way to the top hole. It should have taken at least 2 quarts, and probably closer to 3 or 3.5 since the pressure light was on. The entire capacity of the sump is around 4.25-4.5 quarts if the filter is changed.

TheMuffinMan

iTrader: (1)

^ I didn't think of that but that actually happened to me.

Balance shaft seal blew out while on the highway. Heard a "poof" but sounded like I had run over a coke bottle or something and paid no attention. Got home and noticed oil everywhere.

P_Adams

Windsor, Canada has been averaging what tempuratures lately? Really cold ah?
What kind of driving does your normal routine involve, a lot of short trips?
If you can remenber back to when you checked the level, was the oil's colour black, and did it seem thinner then you remembered?
Does it start right off, or does it take a few moments to clear out?
Are you seeing any smoke from the exhaust while decellerating?

There are several conditions which can contribute to unexplained oil loss and I'm trying to elicit a few more hints.

P

Targa250R

10 bucks says the oil wasn't checked in that entire 5000km.

One more thing I forgot to add: you may want to switch to a 10W-40 in the warmer months to curb oil consumption; stick with 5W-30 for cold temps. And switch from synthetic to natural oil. Synthetic tends to burn off more easily, and it's also wasteful to spend $6/quart on oil when you're burning it.

nickoz

ok well here is story... I had a few axle problems...(cvboot slice) so i replaced both sides... etc...whole front suspension got replaced recently... EVERYTHING. as for oil.. i did full synthtic 4L when i did oil change. I have checked OIL since that.. so that cud be problem... n just burning real quick like someone said. my fault. its just when i check the oil im not sure do to it when car on...off... or wait a bit so oil gets to settle down then check it... everytime i clean dip then stick it in its seeems to have oil on it so i dont think of anything.

thats only thing i havent checked... but tomrorow im going to get oil change. Should i run normal oil so it dont burn fast? or full synthtic? i notice car usally runs better on full S.

any info i should kno wud be great. so i know for future. thanks.

in does everyone think its just burning oil cuz the oil i put... n havent checked it since 5000km? orr... there could be piston rings or something gone? thats another thing i got told... i dont wanna drive car if it will **** up on me or damage engine...

TOO MUCH TORQUE

switch to conventional oil. run 5w-30 in the winter.

does your car smoke blue in the morning or after it is fully warmed up?

to check the oil:
leave your car on a flat surface
wait aprox 15 minutes, overnight is best
pull dip stick out
wipe dip stick
stick dip stick in again
read dip stick

do you warm up your car before driving? the worst way to ruin a engine is driving it hard before letting it warm up and also lugging your engine(5 spd)

nickoz

Well i dont notice any blue smoke... i notice smoke just due to car warm n its cold outside . no color to it though. as for dipstick its best to wait over night then check it? say before i drive car right? and my car is automatic...I try to let it usallly warm up atleast few minutes because i got newborn, usallly seems hard to start in wintertime when it cold. summertime its amazing start. i replaced plugs,wires,distrubutor cap,rotor..n still hard to start... im thinkin mabe cuz its really cold... i also got a 3rd cylinder misfire... but it will be fixed today. bringing it to shop to be fixed, (CEL) and few other minor body work. n im also goin to get them to check this oil problem and see what they think just to be safe..n get oil change. instead of running full synthetic ill will put normal oil in and just watch over it. i just thought the fulll synthetic would be alot better for car with lubercation...

brages

It might be a good idea just to check the oil every time you refill the gas tank.

nickoz

yahhh for now on i will!!! I feel like a total IDIOT! lol... but yah im dumb. lol thanks everyone for posts... i droped car off.. so hopefully all goes well n doesnt ding my pocket. ill post the results n few days. thanks

nickoz

also.. mancanic thinks its just that i never checked oil n it was low.. n it burnt all away. he doesnt think there is anything wrong n that field..

TOO MUCH TORQUE

if your mechanic thinks that, you should find a new one. losing oil is not normal

Targa250R

Having worked on Hondas for years, I would say that it is.

Not all cars burn oil, but a huge percentage of them do to some degree.

Whether the car burns oil or not, you should still check it periodically. A car won't necessarily smoke if it is burning oil; it takes a LOT of oil per combustion cycle to make a noticeable amount of smoke, and at that point you'd be going through several quarts per 1000 miles.

nickoz

so ur saying there is something wrong? it wudnt be because i havent checked or added oil within 5000kms... thats when i did last ouil change... i ran full syntehtic tooo..

just wondering so i know and this guy doesnt play with me...

nickoz

Soooo Car got fixed besides oilll... Its burning oil because the rings are shot i guess. there is oil resusdue or whatever on the muffler .. so its internal mech said. thats the details... so Question is now... What am i looking to spend for engine... i need same one...for 96 honda accord ex 2.2l .vtec... (f22) or im also kinda thinkin h22...with prices n all.. if anyone ones places.. or anything to help me please feel free... im bummed cuz this lol. only good thing is that i will have a lower milage engine... instead of my 250,000kms

Targa250R

Why replace the engine if it's otherwise running fine? It's a LOT cheaper just to check your oil level every time you fill up the fuel tank and add it as needed. As long as you don't constantly run the engine low on oil, it won't seize or blow. And if it eventually does, worry about replacing it then. It's not worth putting another engine into a 155,000 mile car just because it's burning oil.

nickoz

well the orginal motor is 255,000 kms on it. the mech said there was oil or something in the exsaust.. like on the tip he ran his finger n all black... like i dont notice a different..drives like an amazing car..... but im just worried about passing my emissions in april... i did a scan on the car... no codes..but like comes on also... i dont understand that but thats what i was told.

he said its burning oill....and just to check it every gas fill like others said here.

Targa250R

A car that is burning oil won't necessarily fail an emissions sniffer test. The vast majority of cars will pass. I wouldn't worry much about it.

However, I'm not sure what the emissions test regulations are like in Windsor. I doubt they're California-strict though.

TOO MUCH TORQUE

just because the muffler tip is black doesnt necessarily mean it is burning oil. If you run rich, it will create your muffler tip to be black also. Well right now, what you need to do is find out how much youre burning per every 1 thousand miles and add oil accordingly.

starscars4

My girlfriend has a 96 accord and when she drives it for a few miles the oil light comes on. Then when i check the oil level its normal. I let it sit for a few hours and still shows normal level. Today I check it two hours after the light came on and the oil level shows to be exceptionally high...i hope its not the oil pump...whats you guys input?

starscars4

BUMP^

Targa250R

The first step is to find out if you actually have low oil pressure, or if the oil presure switch is malfunctioning.