In a year's time it never occurred to you to check the oil and a baby caused it?
2000 Excursion V10 I ran oil low
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
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2000 Excursion V10 I ran oil low
2000 Ex with 122,000 miles on it. I've had it for about a year and 9000 miles and 10 of those months involving a new baby. So I've been forgetting to check the oil level. Yesterday the oil gauge/idiot light started to fluctuate. So I go out and change the sender made a bit of a difference. Anyway, long story short I'm low on oil - apparently 4.5 quarts low. Figured this out by adding oil until it could once again be seen on the dipstick. I also changed the PCV. I changed the oil about 5000 miles ago.
What kinda damage could I have done?
What kinda damage could I have done?
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: May 2006
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From: North Dakota
Well changing oil sooner than 5000 miles might be a good idea.
Did the engine make any noise?
I'm sure nothing is damaged. Might have took a couple thousand miles off the life of the engine is all.
When I first bought mine, it was a couple qts low on oil.... I found out the guy ran conventional oil instead of a blend. I switched it to a synthetic blend, and change it 3000-4000 miles, and the consumption has dropped dramatically.
Did the engine make any noise?
I'm sure nothing is damaged. Might have took a couple thousand miles off the life of the engine is all.
When I first bought mine, it was a couple qts low on oil.... I found out the guy ran conventional oil instead of a blend. I switched it to a synthetic blend, and change it 3000-4000 miles, and the consumption has dropped dramatically.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
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Engine didn't make any noise. No valve clatter or knocking for sure. I thought it had gotten a little louder over the last week or so on startup. It just really freaked me out I'd never had a vehicle oil level drop that low.
I'll be changing the oil tomorrow so I can start keeping tabs on it especially with that new PCV valve.
I'll be changing the oil tomorrow so I can start keeping tabs on it especially with that new PCV valve.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,101
Likes: 40
From: Pa
You probably lost oil pressure intermittently. I think the gauge will show under 20psi as "normal" so you probably had no oil pressure off and on.
As far as damage who knows. It does not take much time with no or low oil pressure to damage bearing journals. The camshafts ride on machined aluminum journals built into the head with no bearings. So not a lot of lubricity there without oil.
About all you can do is change the oil regularly and check the level often. In my experience synthetic oils usually have higher consumption rates so maybe stick with a blend oil. Maybe add a real oil pressure gauge to monitor oil pressure. If your oil pressure is low chances are damaged has occurred and the clearances have opened up causing the oil pressure loss. You can safely run 6.5 quarts without any problems. The extra .5 quarts will help offset consumption.
As far as damage who knows. It does not take much time with no or low oil pressure to damage bearing journals. The camshafts ride on machined aluminum journals built into the head with no bearings. So not a lot of lubricity there without oil.
About all you can do is change the oil regularly and check the level often. In my experience synthetic oils usually have higher consumption rates so maybe stick with a blend oil. Maybe add a real oil pressure gauge to monitor oil pressure. If your oil pressure is low chances are damaged has occurred and the clearances have opened up causing the oil pressure loss. You can safely run 6.5 quarts without any problems. The extra .5 quarts will help offset consumption.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
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No changed oil earlier this spring. And i was trying to illustrate that with a baby so many things you once kept up with get overlooked.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,790
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From: Mount Royal, NJ
Aww, what the heck. Not everybody is a motorhead and they actually think about something aside from cars and trucks. Sometimes some of us forget that on the forum. 
I remember my dad, a Mechanical and Industrial Engineer with loads of hands-on background came to me twice during his life to fix engines that were seized from lack of oil. He just didn't think. He had bigger fish to fry. (making propellers for Navy nuclear submarines via computer operated machinery ate up all his time)
Just be dang glad you caught it in time. The filter you have on there now is probably already clogged and on bypass.
I strongly suggest a flush out with Amsoil engine oil flush. Follow their procedures about filters when doing it. It really does get rid of a lot of the crap that gets flashed on things like the pistons.
I like to change the oil and filter to some inexpensive types and then run the engine for 100 to 200 miles. After that run the flush according to instructions, and then put in some inexpensive oil and filter again. Then change to good stuff about 500 miles later.
Sludge and the dreaded carbon buildup are the enemies here.
I remember my dad, a Mechanical and Industrial Engineer with loads of hands-on background came to me twice during his life to fix engines that were seized from lack of oil. He just didn't think. He had bigger fish to fry. (making propellers for Navy nuclear submarines via computer operated machinery ate up all his time)
Just be dang glad you caught it in time. The filter you have on there now is probably already clogged and on bypass.
I strongly suggest a flush out with Amsoil engine oil flush. Follow their procedures about filters when doing it. It really does get rid of a lot of the crap that gets flashed on things like the pistons.
I like to change the oil and filter to some inexpensive types and then run the engine for 100 to 200 miles. After that run the flush according to instructions, and then put in some inexpensive oil and filter again. Then change to good stuff about 500 miles later.
Sludge and the dreaded carbon buildup are the enemies here.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2012
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From: Ontario, Canada
Engines can take a lot of abuse. My sister in law once came to my house to go away for the weekend with my wife. They took our car and she left me the keys to her van when I started it to put it in the driveway it was making horrible noises and the oil light was on. I added 4.5 L of oil (old oil from my last oil change it was all I had and figured it was better than nothing) and about 6 L of coolant, She had just driven over two hours to our house. When I asked her about it she told me she just had the oil changed last year. I told her to have the oil changes asap I doubt she ever did, I now check it every time she is here or I go there, and add my old oil to top it off. She's been driving it 4 years since then with no problems
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I know it’s been a while, any updates?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 947
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From: Columbus Ohio
I know the feeling. My brother used to have a Lumina Z34, and I noticed it sounded bad. I checked the oil and noticed it wasn't touching the dipstick. So.I added oil toll it touched, that was 4.5 quarts later. I think it only held 6 quarts when doing a oil change and filter. So, it was about 5 quarts low... I asked him if he heard the engine knocking, he said the stereo was to loud all the time and never heard it!
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