# Car driven without oil **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 30, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783 "2009-01-30T14:19:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![americar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/americar/32/42_2.png) [@americar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/americar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/21 "2009-01-31T01:27:24Z")
I found this oil analyzing lab on the web [http://www.blackstone-labs.com/index.html](http://www.blackstone-labs.com/index.html) Never used them, maybe someone can vouch there integrity. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/22 "2009-01-31T02:21:02Z")
The engine is damaged goods and it’s quite unlikely to ever hit the 100k miles mark without problems. If this dealer changes hands in the interim (new owner, corporate reorganization, etc) that guarantee they gave you will be worthless anyway. Out of oil and noise means crankshaft bearing problems and possible cam bushing/cam lobe problems. It only takes a few seconds of no oil and the bearing overlayment will be wiped away. This is going to lead to low oil pressure no doubt about it; the only question is how soon will it occur. Thesamemountainbike is also exactly right. There is no test or inspection for this. At a minimum it will require dropping the oil pan and removal of a number of rod and main bearing caps to inspect the bearings. With the caps off it may be seen that the crankshaft journals are damaged. At that point, you need a new engine and as far as I’m concerned they owe you one. Not reman, not used, but new. What the dealer is counting on here is that: You will get nervous and trade the car off. Move to another state. Get involved in a major wreck and total the car. ---
**Author:** ![JPT123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@JPT123](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JPT123)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/23 "2009-01-31T02:21:51Z")
Thanks Americar! ---
**Author:** ![americar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/americar/32/42_2.png) [@americar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/americar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/24 "2009-01-31T03:08:51Z")
Maybe its in Honda’s best interest to put in a new engine, and be done with it!!! ok4450 Had the cahunas to tell it like it is. ``` Good Luck, and keep us posted ``` ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/25 "2009-01-31T03:23:32Z")
Honda has no responsibility for this. This should be on the dealer’s dime. ---
**Author:** ![americar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/americar/32/42_2.png) [@americar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/americar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/26 "2009-01-31T03:40:07Z")
Honda is responsible for there dealers. Regardless of whose dime its on ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/27 "2009-01-31T03:58:14Z")
Dealer has admitted responsibility,Honda did not design a defective oil drain plug or pan. ---
**Author:** ![americar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/americar/32/42_2.png) [@americar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/americar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/28 "2009-01-31T04:36:44Z")
I am done responding to this post. My advise is cars are big investments. You could have damaged goods. This has the potential to require professional legal consoling. I would NOT communicate with the dealer by Email until you get your ducts in a row. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/29 "2009-01-31T13:47:39Z")
Was the HVAC system damaged also? ;-)) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/30 "2009-02-01T02:07:21Z")
Remember the TV infomercial for that crap you added to the oil…and some famous guy drove the Dodge Viper around the track with no oil in it? Briggs&Stratten duplicated the test with some of their engines and, sure enough, the engine easn’t damaged, and it didn’t even have that crap additive in it. What does that prove? Donno. I would threaten (meaning DO IT if they don’t respond) to sue them in small claims court if they don’t make you ‘whole’ again. And…let all the ‘consumer reporters’ in town know the story. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/31 "2009-02-01T14:17:15Z")
“…and some famous guy drove the Dodge Viper around the track with no oil in it? Briggs&Stratten duplicated the test with some of their engines and, sure enough, the engine easn’t damaged, and it didn’t even have that crap additive in it.” Someone powered a Dodge Viper with a Briggs & Stratten engine? Wow, I would like to have seen that! ;-)) ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/32 "2009-02-01T14:23:14Z")
The OP has stated he doesn’t want to play the “blame game” he doesn’t have the fight in him,he must settle for the scraps the Dealer is offering. ---
**Author:** ![JPT123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@JPT123](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JPT123)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/33 "2009-02-01T15:05:49Z")
???Not at all Oldschool.I want them to do what’s right.If that’s a new engine,that’s what I will fight for. ---
**Author:** ![RMOsborne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e56c9b/32.png) [@RMOsborne](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RMOsborne)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/34 "2009-02-02T21:47:23Z")
This problem occurs more than you think. I know at least two people that this happened to. One was driving 90 mph when it happened the other was driving about 45 mph. Of course the guy doing 90 destroyed his engine but the woman driving 45 had little to no damage. She was not offered a new engine. She got a free oil change. For some reason she accepted that and drove her car for several more years without ANY problems. It was not a Honda. I think the dealerships offer of the extended warranty is a good one. Honda makes very durable engines. Please do not worry excessively over this. Even if the engine ran for a short period of time with no oil, your Honda is most likely NOT damaged. Enjoy your car and keep good maintenance records in case something does happen down the road. Good Luck. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/35 "2009-02-02T22:32:47Z")
Agree; my father-in-law sold his 1966 Buick station wagon to an aquaintance. The poor guy had his oil changed at WOOLCO, who put the plug back in, but no new oil. The car managed 7 miles before the engine seized up (answer to an often-asked question). The new owner got a rebuilt engine out of Woolco. ---
**Author:** ![newmotobiker07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@newmotobiker07](https://community.cartalk.com/u/newmotobiker07)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/36 "2009-02-02T22:33:18Z")
I read with great interest some of the conclusions given you about your vehicle and its engine. Not to dispute anyone but I believe some of the conclusions were without merit. However judging from a recent “no oil” experience, a friend presented in court, it would be rather difficult to have any one person/thing be viewed as the “causation” of this event. However since Honda offered to assist you in being “rest assured” there is no damage. This is the route I would pusue as they are exceptional when they give you their word. Believe it or not, Honda does destructive testing on their vehicle engines, to include total oil loss. They already know the durability and recovery of their engines and related parts when run without oil. On another note, I once owned a VW Rabbit GTI modified, back-in-the-day. I ran this car hard, and on one occassion without engine oil. I mean, the dipstick was bare! Changed the filter, put in a quality oil and hoped for the best. That car operated another 100k of highway miles until it retired me! Go figure? ---
**Author:** ![RCard1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7c8e57/32.png) [@RCard1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RCard1)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/37 "2009-02-03T00:21:48Z")
I posted the same question a couple months ago about my daughters 2007 Honda fit. Exactly the same thing happened. The only thing we could get from the local Honda dealer in Monroeville Pa. was a couple free oil changes. We were very unhappy about the situation. Have other people had problems with oil plugs and Honda Fits that you know of? ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/38 "2009-02-03T00:51:39Z")
These “drain plug fell out” threads always get long. Is the OP willing to pay to get his engine torn down and inspected? if there is damage the court may award damages,inspection costs,rental car,but that is may. What if there is no damage seen upon teardown and inspection ---
**Author:** ![Legal\_limits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a183cd/32.png) [@Legal\_limits](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Legal_limits)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/39 "2009-02-03T18:03:22Z")
HAha cought that one hu? ---
**Author:** ![AcousticBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@AcousticBob](https://community.cartalk.com/u/AcousticBob)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783/40 "2009-02-03T19:33:52Z")
I think the offer is reasonable and fair, take it… [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-driven-without-oil/25783.md?page=3)