Oil Light Never Came On Dude

Asked by Neet212 Aug 20, 2013 at 03:54 PM about the 2004 Saturn ION

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

2004 Saturn ION 4 door. I think I may have made a big mistake and tears are about to form. I needed an oil change and I usually am good about getting them. This one time I've gone approximately 9,000 since my last oil change. Car has 229,000 miles on it. Noticed it seem to be ticking loud this morning which always use to indicate, you're low on oil. I'm a female and I haven't checked because 1) I figured at the most my oil has turned to syrup by now 2) My oil light hasn't come on so I should be good. Well my car wont crank. It will be towed tomorrow. I really don't want to be lied to by somebody saying I need a new engine. My car never ran hot.. I put 3 quarts of oil in it and it's sitting now. What are the possibilities? a) blown head casket b) blown engine? Please help

DavidH25 answered 11 years ago

Hindsight, especially on my end is too easy, granted 9000 miles is too long on conventional oil but not so much to cause major a problem. It has not 'turned to syrup.' That actually would be good, because at least there is oil there The problem my be in: if you drove it that 9000 miles and never checked it, on a 229,000 mile car, it could have gotten so low as to seize the engine from lack of lubrication. Unfortunately. Pull the dipstick, and if it shows no oil after you put those 3 quarts in, then it had nearly none when you last shut it off and the crankshaft bearings seized, or pistons froze in their sleeves, something like that, and that means new engine. Now if you pull the dipstick and by chance the oil is near what it should be, then the problem could be unrelated to oil and is a battery problem, just so happens it went at that time. Before you put out a ton of money for an engine, make them prove to you that is what happened with the oil, but they have to take it apart to get proof positive of that. Best of luck Neet.

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