Oil Oil Who’s Got the Oil
Dec 7th, 2007 by Alex
The oil pressure warning light on my car has been flickering lately. After a day or two it began to bother me. I’ve had lots of tech support moments where people complain about something but then can’t describe the circumstances, so I began to pay attention to when it was happening so that I could give my mechanics a better list of symptoms rather than “it just comes on here and there.” After braking hard, it comes on for a second or so then goes other. When I roll into a hard right turn it comes on until I level off. It seemed logical that the oil level was low and there wasn’t enough sloshing around to keep the pressure switches activated all the time. After a while without finding time to get scheduled for a car appointment I headed to to the store. I figured it would just need to get topped off.
I am ashamed to admit that I went to Wal-Mart. In Laurel. Probably the only thing worse than going to Wal-Mart is going to the Wal-Mart in Laurel, followed by going to the Wal-Mart in Glen Burnie. Rationalizing, it was the first time I’ve been in there since I picked up a Wii for some friends last January and it was out of necessity. Last night, that is… not back in January, although I’m sure my friends would argue that point. I mean really, where else are you going to buy a few quarts of 5W-30 and an oil filter at 8:45 at night?
I drove home and waited a few minutes for the oil to settle and then I pulled the dip stick. Nothing. I cleaned it, re-inserted, then checked it again. Nothing. Damn. I poured in a quart and re-checked. Nothing. Damn damn. I poured in another quart and re-checked. Nothing. Shit. I’m not too knowledgeable about cars but I do know that for the engine parts to be lubricated and cooled properly that there ought to be engine oil present.
I only purchased two quarts. This will certainly be better than nothing, but I am still somewhat concerned. My car hasn’t experienced any decrease in gas mileage or exhibited any other symptoms, but I’m wondering where the oil went. It’s not on the ground outside the house and its clearly not in my car. It’s a mystery. One for my mechanics, with whom I’ll be speaking later this weekend if not today.
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Gremlins maybe?
I don’t know much about cars, but isn’t it possible that the oil will need some time to get to wherever the dipstick measures it? I mean, it makes sense that the dipstick would measure from the lowest available engine cavity, so that would seem to indicate it might have some, y’know, “transit” time working its way through the engine.
If the level is low enough, then braking hard or going around hard turns could definitely make the pressure sensor jumpy.
There’s a big reservoir at the bottom of the engine that holds almost all the oil when the car is sitting for a while, and the uptake to lubricate the engine goes to the bottom of that, so you can still be lubricating your engine adequately while being dangerously low on oil. Depending on your car, it might hold anywhere from 4-7 quarts, and depending on how jumpy your pressure sensor is, it might not go on until you’re REALLY low. The dipstick should have SOME oil on it even when the reservoir is close to empty, though.
On the other hand, a case of oil is a lot cheaper than a new engine.
jwer: My car holds 4.5Q, so you’d like putting 2Q in would register on the dipstick. Or does it have to transit through the entire engine before it ends up in the pan; you know, it must… duh, we fill it from the top and the pan is clearly on the bottom of the vehicle. Needless to say, an oil change and new filter are in order ASAFP.
I have to officially pick a russle with you (yes, I used the world “russle”, I don’t even think that’s a real word.) about the Walmart in Laurel.
I have to say that although I have never been to the Walmart in Laurel, but have been to the one in Glen Burnie, that by comparison - nothing comes close to walking the hall of shame than admitting to going to the Walmart in Dundalk.
I live ohhh, let’s say, two minutes away from the Walmart in Dundalk (that alone I am a little slightly embarrassed to say, I have to be honest…mostly because I just don’t fit the “stereotype” of the majority of the folk around here.) and I have only stopped at this Walmart on two occasions. One: last winter when it was ghastly cold outside and my best friend was beginning to sniffle while on the way to my house and demanded that we stop and get some Cold-eeze (because not only are they delicious, but they also help ease colds like the package promises) and we stopped in to grab some.
I have never seen my friend walk so fast in my entire life. And this is no shun or disrespect to those regular patrons of the Walmart in Dundalk (okay, maybe it is just a little) but it seemed like the criteria to shop there was to have four or more missing teeth, no shoes, and the lack of any level of personal hygiene whatsoever.
Not to mention that the first thing that my friend said to me as we walked back to our car was: “We were the only speck of color in that place.”
The second time I went, I was in a hurry and needed to grab some glow sticks (yes, okay, I love glowsticks!) and knew they’d be sinfully cheap there. I ran in, ran out - and couldn’t believe how much the inside of the Walmart held the stench of a cigarette-smoke infested bar.
So, no, I think Walmart in Dundalk is much worse… much, much worse.