If your engine is damaged from no oil, you’ll notice a lit-up oil pressure warning dash light, a burning oil smell, grinding noises, a smoking or overheating engine, and overall weaker engine performance.

Engine oil is the lifeblood of your car—it lubricates, cools, and cleans your engine which keeps it running optimally. While it's vital to keep your engine oil clean and topped off, it’s easy to forget about maintaining your car’s engine oil—even when your car gives you a heads-up that it’s time for an oil change.

Putting off oil changes for too long can have devastating effects on your engine and may even cause irreversible damage. So, how can you tell if your car engine is damaged from no oil, and what can you do about it?

Jerry

, the

car insurance

expert and

trusted comparison tool

, is here to answer all of your questions about engine damage from no or low oil. We’ll cover the effects of no engine oil, the causes of low engine oil levels, how to tell if your engine is damaged, and what you can do to get your engine running optimally again.

Let’s dive in!

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How to tell if your engine is damaged from low or no oil

Your engine may not show obvious signs of damage from low or no engine oil, but nine times out of ten, you’ll likely notice a combination of the following signs:

Lit-up oil pressure dash light

: This is the clearest way to tell that your engine is suffering or will soon get damaged from low oil levels. This light comes on when your car’s computer system senses your engine oil levels are too low. Bring your car to an auto shop immediately if you see this dash light come on.

Burning oil smell: If you notice that acrid burning oil smell inside your cabin while you’re driving, you could be dealing with dangerously low oil levels. The smell could indicate a leak, or it could be a sign that you’ve been driving too long without topping up on your oil. If you notice this, pull over as soon as possible to prevent further engine damage and call a tow truck.

Grinding, clunking, or knocking sounds: Your engine oil lubricates the many different parts of your engine to keep it running smoothly. If you notice strange grinding, clunking, or knocking coming from underneath your hood, your engine could be seriously damaged from low oil. Bring your car to a trusted auto shop as soon as you hear strange noises from your engine to prevent further damage.

Inefficient engine performance: If you notice your engine has to work harder and you’re spending more on gas, your oil levels could be low enough to damage your engine. Check your levels or

bring your vehicle in for an oil change

Overheating engine: If a red engine light appears on your dash or your hood starts to smoke, this could be a sign that your engine is overheating from low oil levels, causing serious damage to its parts. Call a tow truck immediately and bring your car to an auto shop.

MORE:

Does car insurance cover engine fires?

What causes low engine oil?

All cars need regular maintenance to keep them running smoothly, and routine oil changes are no exception. Your car may have low oil pressure because you’ve skipped one too many routine oil changes. If you suddenly have low oil pressure despite keeping up with regular maintenance, the following causes could be to blame:

Oil pump failure: Oil pumps make sure your engine oil flows through your system efficiently, so when the pump fails, your oil pressure lowers and oil can’t move through all the parts of your engine like it used to. This can severely damage your engine.

Wrong oil: Oil viscosity varies depending on the make and model it’s intended for. If you fill your car with the wrong oil type, your oil pressure will be negatively impacted and your engine could be damaged in the process.

Oil leak: If part of your engine is cracked or broken, oil may leak and lower your car’s pressure. Look for pools of oil on the pavement when your car is parked to see if your engine is leaking oil.

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What to do if your engine has low or no oil

If your car’s oil pressure is low or you’re completely out of oil, bring it to an auto shop immediately to get an oil change. The mechanics will flush your car of any old oil and add the correct type of oil to your engine to ensure your car runs efficiently.

If your engine has persistent problems even after getting an oil change, assess whether your engine was damaged from low oil pressure, if there’s a leak, or if you need a new oil pump or filter.

In extreme cases, your engine may not be salvageable from low oil pressure damage. That’s why it’s crucial to keep up with routine oil changes and to bring your car in for maintenance as soon as you suspect there’s a problem!

MORE:

How to test an oil pump

How long can my engine run without oil?

Engine oil is essential to your engine’s functionality. If you let your engine run without any oil, your engine will become damaged in just 5 to 10 minutes. Your engine will likely seize and stop running completely before 30 minutes is up.

This is why it’s so important to keep an eye on your engine oil levels and ensure that your engine has clean, topped-off oil levels.

If your car uses conventional oil, aim for an oil change every 3,500 to 5,000 miles. If your car uses synthetic oil, get an oil change every 7,500 to 10,000 miles.

How to save money on car insurance

Depending on the kind of oil your car needs, each oil change can cost between $50-$100, sometimes even more. Considering that oil changes are a routine maintenance task, oil change costs can add up quickly, especially if you’re a frequent driver.

Looking to cut car-related costs? Finding a more affordable insurance policy that checks all of your boxes with

Jerry

, the

expert comparison app

for

car insurance

, is the easiest way to save.

It’s this simple: download the Jerry app or go to getjerry.com. In less than 45 seconds, Jerry collects all of your information from your existing insurer. Choose from competitive quotes from top insurance companies and Jerry takes care of the rest—securing your new policy and helping you cancel your old one upon request.

The best part? The average Jerry user saves around $800 annually on insurance costs! That’s enough to cover your oil change costs for a year or more!

“After signing up with
Jerry
, I went from $199/month to $97/month for my car insurance. My 2019 Subaru Forester now has full coverage for a great price!” —Rhonda H.

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How do I know if my engine is damaged?

For the average driver, there’s no definitive way to tell whether your engine is damaged and how extensive the damage is. If you notice smoke coming from the hood, strange noises, a burning oil smell, or any worrying dash lights, chances are your engine has sustained some type of damage from low oil pressure. Bring it to an auto shop to fully understand the damage and whether it can be fixed.

Will driving with low engine oil damage my engine?

Probably, especially if you leave it for too long. Stay on top of routine oil changes to keep your engine oil levels where they should be and to prevent engine damage.

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