Lost some oil.....

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07-06-2005, 04:31 PM

d00df00d

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Lost some oil.....

Just changed my oil today.... and only 1.25 quarts came out into the pan. Pretty shocking. I thought I had been checking frequently enough, and apparently I hadn't been. Anyway, just before I changed the oil I noticed (obviously) that my engine was slightly rougher than normal for the high humidity, and it almost sounded like my valvetrain was making some clicking noises that it wasn't making before. It seems mostly fine now... it's still pretty humid so I can't make any definite conclusions, but it doesn't feel sick or anything.

I plan to do my next oil change earlier than normal. Are there any other precautions I should take or things I should check to make sure my engine isn't damaged? It feels fine for now but I don't know how long I was driving on 1/4 the normal oil volume...

07-06-2005, 04:35 PM

THT

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Any obvious leaks? Or is the engine just burning oil?

07-06-2005, 04:39 PM

Chickan

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can you smell it? with that much gone you should be able to.

07-06-2005, 04:40 PM

Bobo

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If there are any leaks, is it coming from the oil pressure sending unit. I had to replace mine about 3 months ago - cheap and easy. Apparently AutoRX is effective in stopping leaks as it rejuvenates the seals. It is only sold through their website and is explained fully on bobistheoilguy.com

07-06-2005, 04:52 PM

d00df00d

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I definitely don't think I'm burning oil. I did occasionally catch a whiff of something burning but it definitely didn't smell like oil.

There was definitely a layer of engine oil on many of the surfaces around the oil pan (including the pan itself). Can't really tell what it was coming from. It could have been the seal on the last filter leaking... I just put a new one in so I'll find out about that soon enough.

Where is the oil pressure sending unit?

07-06-2005, 05:01 PM

Bobo

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The oil pressure sending unit is shown in section 2C-6, diagram 2.2b, in the Haynes manual. It is a small part located at the end (dead centre of the end) of the oil pan closest to the rear of the car. It's only about 2 inches long and is a common part that fails on 4th Gens from what I gather.