Chevy S-10 oil gauge

LLE6207

MEMBER
1999 CHEVROLET S-10
AWD
AUTOMATIC

My husband is pulled over on the side of the road in our 1999 Chevy s10. He says the oil gauge has gone all the way down to zero so he pulled over. He checked the oil and it was empty, waited a few minutes checked it again and there was some oil (above the low line). Now the truck won't go over 35 mph and is making a strange noise. Just wondering if it is safe for him to drive home (40 miles) and what it might be.

Friday, June 24th, 2011 AT 6:31 PM

2 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
34,065 POSTS

If he's hearing a banging sound when the engine is running, the bearings have likely been damaged from running low on oil. The oil level will go up a little after the engine has been off a few minutes as oil runs down from the passages.

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Friday, June 24th, 2011 AT 6:55 PM

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
34,065 POSTS

Forgot to include that if the bearings are damaged, it won't make it 40 miles. Before that happens though, the hydraulic lifters will rattle very badly, like a busy typewriter. If that's all that is making noise, adding oil may be all that's necessary to get home, but then it should be inspected immediately to see where the oil went.

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Friday, June 24th, 2011 AT 6:58 PM