# SMH..Started car with no oil in it, it ran for 3 - 4 seconds! Is it ok?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 5, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861 "2019-03-05T20:38:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 8:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/21 "2019-03-06T20:58:43Z")
> [@blackintegracoupe\_149051](#): > > The car wasnt at operating temp as it sat all night and i didnt start it or dirve it at all before starting my oil change. So i think that makes it even worse… I think that might work in your favor. Cold oil is thicker than hot oil, so more was left behind, clinging to metal parts. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/22 "2019-03-06T20:59:49Z")
> [@eddo](#): > > been there, done that… **GTTS?** 👕 _ **CSA** _ 🌴🕶🌴 ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/23 "2019-03-07T01:59:45Z")
When you consider that when changing the oil the engine runs more than 3 seconds before the oil pump can fill the filter and get oil pressure at the crankshaft it might be beneficial to change oil less often to avoid such wear. I will jump on board and agree with the general consensus here. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/24 "2019-03-07T02:50:32Z")
Let me share my “forgot to put oil in” story. I used to have 1996 Subaru Legacy (loved that car!). Bought that car with credit card swipe since at its 115K miles it looked to have the engine problem and I was gonna use it as a project car and tear that boxer engine heads as I thought that valves need to be fixed (low compression on one side). Anyways, somewhere in the middle of removing parts I found that whoever worked on the [spanking new] timing belt made a mistake and put it with one tooth skipped on one side. By this point engine was already drained of oil, but in rush I forgot about it… …so I corrected timing and fired it up! It went on silky smooth, I could not believe it was that small mistake on whoever did the timing belt job and got me a great car for literally bottom price… and then after running it for 30-40 seconds of so I found that oil pressure bulb is NOT getting off… Shut the engine down, put the oil in, started it off again, oil pressure was back in place, but I was in cold sweat. Anyways, I ran that car until 160 or 170 K miles before selling it private party for twice I paid for it, probably will never have such a deal in my life 🙂 Engine kept running great, no bad effects from my mishap. ---
**Author:** ![blackintegracoupe\_149051](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@blackintegracoupe\_149051](https://community.cartalk.com/u/blackintegracoupe_149051)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 3:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/25 "2019-03-07T03:00:38Z")
howd the engine not grenade running it with no oil for 30 to 40 seconds? ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 3:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/26 "2019-03-07T03:03:17Z")
@eddo shared a story above he knows from experience that 3/4 miles of DRIVING was enough to kill the engine, so running for 30-40 seconds with no load was probably much less than that I’m sure I robbed the engine of some life, but it was far from getting noticeable ---
**Author:** ![rplantz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@rplantz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rplantz)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/27 "2019-03-09T23:27:52Z")
“And evidently im an idiot!” If that makes it on your list of to 10 most idiotic things for the year, you’re leading a charmed life. I seriously doubt this will have any effect on your lifestyle – other than now having a very cool story to tell. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 12:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/28 "2019-03-10T12:39:06Z")
My late father-in-law could attest that running a car without any oil will destroy the engine in 5-7 miles. This was a Buick V8 wagon which had its oil changed by a large department store’s auto center. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/29 "2019-03-10T13:50:10Z")
2yrs old. 8k miles. you have a warranty? are you going to tell the dealer what you did? i prefer to let the dealer do oil changes during warranty period. they charge 25-30$ for my honda w/syn oil so its good. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 12:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/30 "2019-03-11T00:35:43Z")
Yeah, I also had that thought, but I didn’t want to derail the conversation. It’s pretty much wrapped up now, so we might as well discuss it. My personal policy is to get my oil changed at a dealership during the factory warranty period. It’s was only $25 when that applied to my current car. I’ve been doing my own oil changes since 2003 though, so I have no idea what it costs now. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/31 "2019-03-11T00:41:00Z")
According to OLM you should be on 2nd oil change. ---
**Author:** ![Sharin\_Bradshaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sharin\_Bradshaw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Sharin_Bradshaw)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/32 "2019-03-11T01:15:11Z")
Don’t know how old ur post is, but the way u wrote that made me bust out laughing! I think ur car will be fine too. It’would most likely be making that horrible metal against metal shriek noise. I’ll know it when ur hear it. No joke. So , still curious, uve driven it since u wrote this ? Ur car did ok? Let us know lol. Take care and don’t do that again lol. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/33 "2019-03-11T01:21:52Z")
Sharin , is it too much trouble to actually use real words ? ---
**Author:** ![blackintegracoupe\_149051](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@blackintegracoupe\_149051](https://community.cartalk.com/u/blackintegracoupe_149051)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/34 "2019-03-11T03:52:14Z")
yeah its been about 250 miles later and shes still running strong. i guess i got lucky this time! ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861/35 "2019-03-11T17:19:49Z")
> [@VOLVO\_V70](#): > > Sharin , is it too much trouble to actually use real words ? _ **…and stay off his lawn!** _ If you can read it, they are real words, just new spellings. Keep in mind all words are made up, and standard spelling conventions have only existed for a short time in historical context. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smh-started-car-with-no-oil-in-it-it-ran-for-3-4-seconds-is-it-ok/135861.md?page=1)