Knowingly running engine low on oil

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Nov 23, 2020
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Ok I decided to post this I humor because it's prob not worthy of posting in the actual useful info

Names and faced have been changed to keep from throwing a friend under the bus

1998 4.3 GMC

Checked the oil not showing on the stick had been driving for a few days like that put two quarts of GTX 5w30 just like the cap says ....... Still not showing on stick friend had no more oil ....... No prob I have bunches of top off bottles various brands but for some reason no 5w30 of any brand

Mystik 15w40
Orielly 20w50
Bag and box Amalie/STP 0w20 Castrol 4T 10w40
Amalie/STP Euro 5w40
Amalie/STP HD30. Offered up any of those oils to top off to get him back to full this is where it gets comical ..... He refused any oils I had be cause a everything I had was either to thick or thin for his truck that it would be worse to use the wrong weight than to run it so low it's not visible on the stick

I shrugged my shoulders so hard it hurt and kindly told him I live for I told you so's and that get to the store and get some 5w30 then like right now ....... He said oh no it just blows it right out the tail pipe and leaks it if filled up

Fast forward two more days and who knows how many miles I grabbed a bag and box of Amalie/STP 5w30 for the oil collective I keep saw the guy again and said I got 30 quarts of this for a steal at AZ please for the sake of engines top that thing off it's the "correct" weight .......

He says I can't use STP I give bro I give
 
Had an operator bring a forklift to the shop in reverse as it would no longer go forward. I heard it coming several hundred feet from the shop through closed doors, sounded like a machine gun. They wanted to know if I could make it go forward again and when asked about the knocking he said it’s been doing it for several weeks. 3 quarts low on 4 quart engine. Needless to say it’s a parts machine now. Has 30k plus hours on it, no way we’re putting an engine and transmission in it.
 
I don't know why you are losing sleep over this. I would not waste the time helping someone who is unwilling to help themselves.
 
I recently looked at a coworker of my young sisters CRV. Her engine had a bad valve train rattle. I checked the oil and there was none on the dipstick. The CRV has 240k miles on it. Put 3.5 quarts in it to get it at the full mark. That was was in early December and she is still driving the vehicle.
 
I recently looked at a coworker of my young sisters CRV. Her engine had a bad valve train rattle. I checked the oil and there was none on the dipstick. The CRV has 240k miles on it. Put 3.5 quarts in it to get it at the full mark. That was was in early December and she is still driving the vehicle.

My father in law had an Astro van with around 240k on it. Riding with him one day I noticed it knocking and oil pressure dropping to 0 at idle, sometimes while under power. I noticed from the passenger seat. He was driving and completely aloof to what was happening.

I practically begged him to stop for some oil, any oil, but he wouldn't until it was convenient for him (hours later).

He sold the van for pennies to a shop probably a year later, and that 4.3 was still going.
 
1) SIL's '95 Saturn had a 4 qt. capacity. It needed 3 when I looked at it. She has NO mechanical inclination. She didn't know.
2) Changed Dad's oil during Thanksgiving break. About 12 oz. drained. My stellar maintenance had lulled him.
3) Offered to check a lady's oil in a parking lot as her ticking was LOUD. The dipstick's handle came off in my hand. The stick had rusted solidly in place. I closed the hood and urged her to have an oil change done ASAP.

Always someone beatin' a dog somewhere. You can't let it eat at you.

OMG I just realized the thread title starts with, "Knowingly". Please skip this post.
 
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MANY years ago I was talking to my neighbor while he was changing the oil in his old F-150 PU . As he was refilling the oil he told me that an old mechanic had told him to always run a Ford a quart low .. He said the old boy had been working on vehicles for 50 yrs and knew his business ... Whatever , it's your truck .
 
MANY years ago I was talking to my neighbor while he was changing the oil in his old F-150 PU . As he was refilling the oil he told me that an old mechanic had told him to always run a Ford a quart low .. He said the old boy had been working on vehicles for 50 yrs and knew his business ... Whatever , it's your truck .
Probably wouldn't hurt being down a quart on a six quart truck but would not be good with a smaller engine.
 
Probably wouldn't hurt being down a quart on a six quart truck but would not be good with a smaller engine.
He hauled his tractor , hay bales , etc with that truck . No way in hell would I purposely run it low .
 
Ok I decided to post this I humor because it's prob not worthy of posting in the actual useful info

Names and faced have been changed to keep from throwing a friend under the bus

1998 4.3 GMC

Checked the oil not showing on the stick had been driving for a few days like that put two quarts of GTX 5w30 just like the cap says ....... Still not showing on stick friend had no more oil ....... No prob I have bunches of top off bottles various brands but for some reason no 5w30 of any brand

Mystik 15w40
Orielly 20w50
Bag and box Amalie/STP 0w20 Castrol 4T 10w40
Amalie/STP Euro 5w40
Amalie/STP HD30. Offered up any of those oils to top off to get him back to full this is where it gets comical ..... He refused any oils I had be cause a everything I had was either to thick or thin for his truck that it would be worse to use the wrong weight than to run it so low it's not visible on the stick

I shrugged my shoulders so hard it hurt and kindly told him I live for I told you so's and that get to the store and get some 5w30 then like right now ....... He said oh no it just blows it right out the tail pipe and leaks it if filled up

Fast forward two more days and who knows how many miles I grabbed a bag and box of Amalie/STP 5w30 for the oil collective I keep saw the guy again and said I got 30 quarts of this for a steal at AZ please for the sake of engines top that thing off it's the "correct" weight .......

He says I can't use STP I give bro I give

I like 4.3s and that hurts. lol

The 5W-40 or the 30 would been my choices.
 
Some of the equipment I work on take gallons of oil. I do not have specs so I put a few gallons in..Run it,check oil pressure and continue filling.

Gets the oil filters full so I don't have to climb up on the fool thing again.
 
"I shrugged my shoulders so hard it hurt" HAHHAHAAHAAAA!

I swear some people need to get stranded in a seriously uncomfortable environment, then they will pay more attention to the reliability of their vehicle... maybe...

Was on a road trip from San Francisco to Arizona with a gal years back. We were in her zippy little Honda CRX. About halfway there we stopped for gas and I decided to check the fluids. All looked fine except the engine oil, which showed a tiny blob of black goop at the very tip of the dipstick. I approached her inside the convenience store and explained, saying she should buy 1 quart of (whatever oil grade was on the cap, I don't recall). 1 quart brought it up to just below the add mark. I told her to buy another, she did, I added, and we went on our way. I asked when she last had the oil changed, she looked at my like serpents were coming out of my eyeballs. So I strongly suggested that she get an oil and filter change when we get back. The car ran great the whole time but I can only imagine what the oil filter looks like inside.

BTW, 1 quart low is 1 quart below the "add" mark, not 1 quart below the "full" mark. At least that's how I think about it... if it's above the add mark, the level is OK.
 
"I shrugged my shoulders so hard it hurt" HAHHAHAAHAAAA!

I swear some people need to get stranded in a seriously uncomfortable environment, then they will pay more attention to the reliability of their vehicle... maybe...

Was on a road trip from San Francisco to Arizona with a gal years back. We were in her zippy little Honda CRX. About halfway there we stopped for gas and I decided to check the fluids. All looked fine except the engine oil, which showed a tiny blob of black goop at the very tip of the dipstick. I approached her inside the convenience store and explained, saying she should buy 1 quart of (whatever oil grade was on the cap, I don't recall). 1 quart brought it up to just below the add mark. I told her to buy another, she did, I added, and we went on our way. I asked when she last had the oil changed, she looked at my like serpents were coming out of my eyeballs. So I strongly suggested that she get an oil and filter change when we get back. The car ran great the whole time but I can only imagine what the oil filter looks like inside.

BTW, 1 quart low is 1 quart below the "add" mark, not 1 quart below the "full" mark. At least that's how I think about it... if it's above the add mark, the level is OK.

D15Z1?
 
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