Mystery engine death...

[BrianWC]

Okay, got a puzzler for y'all. I have a wonderful co-worker who's 18-19ish son just had his engine go on his Colorado Z71. I haven't had the pleasure of examining it myself but here are the particulars:

-engine has 75k miles (5 cyl)
-2006 model, IIRC
-always used M1 5W30 changed at 3-5k despite oil life monitor
-oil was changed 1 month before engine went
-kid's dad changed oil
-dad is pretty mechanical and doubts he forgot to add oil
-no visible leaks
-no smoke
-dipstick shows no oil on it
-engine began "making loud noise" and oil light came on
-dad says it's not making any pressure now

This is a suprising turn of events for me b/c I have this same engine in my Colorado work truck. It's ben great and the oil looks brand new any time I've looked at the dipstick. All I could think of was perhaps maybe the old oil filter gasket got stuck on and caused a leak under pressure or maybe the PCV? But I would think if the oil was burning that much oil that quick that someone would have noticed....

Now, I don't have some special charge to help out but I am just curious as to what in the world could have happened here.

 

[aaxb970]

Any type of oil cooler line on this truck? Possible one blew and [censored] out the oil? Filter still on ?

 

[Nyquist]

If the oil change was a month ago, I doubt he forgot to add oil. Have you looked underneath to see if oil has splattered on the undercarriage from something like the drain plug popping out?

 

[paulo57509]

Q:

1. How does Dad know there's no oil pressure?

2. If the engine runs, how does it idle?

3. You'll probably never get a straight answer to this question, but how was the truck being driven just before the noise and loss of oil pressure?

If I were to guess at a cause, I would say oil pump failure that lead to a hole in the oil pan (or similar).

 

[punisher]

Originally Posted By: BrianWC
18-19ish son


Pretty much sums up the cause of a lot of engine problems. I was no exception when I was younger, except I was rebuilding them myself at that age.

 

[Rickey]

Originally Posted By: punisher
Originally Posted By: BrianWC
18-19ish son


Pretty much sums up the cause of a lot of engine problems. I was no exception when I was younger, except I was rebuilding them myself at that age.


X2

Of course there are other possibilities.....but this was this was the first thing that came to my mind as well.


Rickey

 

[jazztrumpet216]

Originally Posted By: paulo57509

If I were to guess at a cause, I would say oil pump failure that lead to a hole in the oil pan (or similar).


That was my thought too.

Was the truck his, or did his parents buy it for him. If the latter... I'm sure the 18-19 year old son thing probably had something to do with it too.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: Nyquist
If the oil change was a month ago, I doubt he forgot to add oil. Have you looked underneath to see if oil has splattered on the undercarriage from something like the drain plug popping out?


The dad said there was no oil underneath and drainplug was in.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: paulo57509
Q:

1. How does Dad know there's no oil pressure?


I don't know how he checked. At the very least the oil light is still on after adding oil.

Quote:
2. If the engine runs, how does it idle?


From what I understand, the engine runs but is knocking.

Quote:
3. You'll probably never get a straight answer to this question, but how was the truck being driven just before the noise and loss of oil pressure?


I was in my office next door to the kid's mom when he called. He was driving down the interstate mid-morning on his way to class about 30 minutes from his home. He said the car started making a loud noise and the oil light came on. He then pulled over and killed the engine (no pun intended) and called his mother. I don't think the kid is wild or anything. He's actually kind-of a momma's boy from what I can gather.

Quote:
If I were to guess at a cause, I would say oil pump failure that lead to a hole in the oil pan (or similar).


That's the thing, they can't seem to find any leaks anywhere... That's why I was wondering if maybe if the oil filter got double-gasketed, if maybe it would only spray out under pressure. But you'd still expect to see a coat of oil on the undercarriage...



[/quote]

 

[01rangerxl]

IIRC, these engines are known for overheating and having head problems. Is there any possibility of this? That would be more of a temp issue than an oil issue though.

 

[drivewaytech]

If the dad put the proper amount of oil in the motor, there was no sign of oil coating the under carriage or engine bay, and there was no oil on the dip stick; where did the oil go? How unobservant can a driver be? If the truck was burning that much oil, it would have been emitting quite a smoke screen going down the road. I think the dad remembers putting in the 1st or 2nd quart of oil, but forgot about being distracted and not putting in the other three quarts. There is also the possibility that the head gasket blew allowing the coolant to turn the oil to sludge over a month's time.

 

[Rickey]

Straight or auto?

Rev limiter doesn't cover everything that can happen with a stick.

In the case of a slow leak or underfill the low oil light "should" have came on quite awhile before there was engine damage.
In the case of sudden catastrophic oil loss there "should" be evidence of same.

Something missing here.


Rickey.

 

[daves66nova]

OIL THIEVES!!!!

 

[drivewaytech]

Originally Posted By: daves66nova
OIL THIEVES!!!!

I think you may have the answer!

 

[eljefino]

I presume he added oil until it showed on the stick before trying to restart it? If there's a hidden leak under pressure you'd need oil in it to find it...

 

[GMFan]

I know a guy who had a Ford Focus and he drove his car off the road into a ditch. He got out of it and all seemed fine. This was in Arizona. He got back to NY and on the highway the engine failed. The dealership inspected the car and found out that the oil filter was punctured. His oil was spread across country.

I would inspect that oil filter. You mentioned that there was no oil spread under the vehicle, but doesn't mean that it can be ruled out.

If the drain plug was intact I doubt that caused it. Drain plugs either hold all the oil or let it all out. They generally only drip leak. It wouldn't leak enough to drain all the oil out in a month.

The oil had to go somewhere!! Also not unheard of for people with a grudge to drain the oil out of people's engines... It happens.

 

[steve20]

Also not unheard of for people with a grudge to drain the oil out of people's engines... It happens.


maybe in NY.........................


Steve

 

[GMFan]

Originally Posted By: steve20
Also not unheard of for people with a grudge to drain the oil out of people's engines... It happens.


maybe in NY.........................


Steve


Well, I'm from upstate NY... .a different world than the city you are used to. But google "vandalism drain motor oil." Happens more than you think.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: drivewaytech
There is also the possibility that the head gasket blew allowing the coolant to turn the oil to sludge over a month's time.


This is another possibility that I was thinking of. I dunno. I don't know if the filter was kept or not. As I am about to be leaving my job for a cushy promotion w/ another element of the beaurocracy, I told my co-worker that her husband should sneak into our parking lot and swap the engine out of my truck for the dead one.

 

[Eddie]

The oil light came on THEN the engine started naking noise. He did do the recomended oil level check at each fuel stop-- right?