How Long Can A Car Run Without Oil? Timing and Critical Consequences

Motor oil is vital for an engine's operation. It lubricates the engine parts, cools the engine, and helps keep the engine's internals clean.

Without oil, a car will not run for very long. Instead, it will start and run for a short while before the engine completely quits and catastrophic engine damage occurs. If you're lucky, a car may run for a few minutes, but it'll likely fail in under 60 seconds.

Below we go over the importance of engine oil and why you should never run your car without it.

Why Do Cars Need Oil?

Cars primarily need motor oil to lubricate their engine's moving internal metal parts. It reduces friction to keep components from wearing out. It also aids the cooling system by transferring the heat from the engine to the oil pan for dissipation. The additives in motor oil prevent deposits and clean your engine, so it operates smoothly.

Engine oil also picks up the debits lining it for removal.

Here's how it does it:

Lubricates Moving Parts

The main purpose of motor oil is to lubricate the engine.

For example, the piston rings slide up and down along the cylinder bore, sometimes up to 1000 times a minute!

The engine oil provides lubrication to minimize the wear between the rings and cylinder bores.

It also acts as a protective layer over the engine components to prevent corrosion.

Keeps The Engine Cool

Oil is also needed for cooling the engine.

While the cooling system provides most of the cooling your engine needs, oil provides supplemental cooling to areas where the coolant can't reach.

As the oil circulates throughout the engine, it absorbs heat from the components it comes in contact with.

It brings the heat to the oil pan, from where it is dissipated.

Reduces Buildup

Motor oils contain additives like viscosity improvers, cleaners and detergents, and friction modifiers that prevent buildup in your engine.

When it operates, a car engine produces carbon byproducts such as sludge, varnish, and tar. As a result, they start depositing inside the rings, cylinder walls, and bearings and grind against each other.

The additives in the oil bond with these carbon substances and prevent them from depositing inside the engine.

Cleans The Engine

Besides preventing deposits, oil is also helpful in cleaning the engine.

It circulates throughout the engine, capturing debris like metal fillings and other harmful deposits so they cannot harm the engine's inner workings.

The oil filter removes the debris as the engine oil is pumped through.

What Happens To A Car Running Without Oil?

A car running without oil will quickly fail. When there is no oil to dissipate heat and prevent metal-on-metal contact, the engine parts rub against each other, causing extreme wear. Ultimately, the engine fails. Sometimes explosively.

Here's what will happen:

• Also known as main bearings, engine bearings support the crankshaft as it rotates. If they do not receive proper lubrication, your car may succumb to the most catastrophic engine problems - seized bearings.

• The camshaft is responsible for controlling the valves, by way of lobes, that let the air and fuel into the combustion chamber and let the exhaust out. The lobes need a steady flow of oil or will prematurely wear.

• The cylinder bores are where the piston moves up and down to compress the air-fuel mixture for combustion. The piston's rings slide against the cylinder bore and, combined with engine oil, create a seal to prevent combustion gasses from escaping alongside the piston. With insufficient oil, these rings will wear against the cylinder bore walls, and the cylinder bore walls themselves will wear prematurely.

What Are Signs Of Low Engine Oil?

If your car is running low on engine oil:

1. your car may emit loud noises
2. the oil pressure light will turn on
3. the temperature gauge will rise
4. the fuel economy will drop
5. a burning smell
6. run or idle roughly

A car engine relies on a closed-loop lubrication system to supply motor oil to its vital components. It travels from the oil pan through the inlet circuit, oil pump, pressure relief valve, oil filter, and oil galleys before draining back into the oil sump.

When the motor oil level in your car falls lower than the oil pump, it won't be able to supply the lubricant to the other parts of the engine. This condition is called oil starvation.

If an engine suffers from oil starvation, even momentarily, it will have catastrophic consequences.

Here are some signs to help you avoid these disastrous consequences:

Strange Noises

Any strange noises coming from under your hood can be a sign of low engine oil. Here are some sounds that should worry you if you haven't recently checked the oil level in your car:

• Clicking - A clicking noise heard from the top of the engine is made by the engine's valves when the oil volume or pressure is low.
• Tapping - The oil pressure also drops when the oil level is low. This may cause the hydraulic tappets to emit a tapping noise.
• Knocking - The next noise you should be wary about is the knocking sound heard towards the bottom of the engine. It may be because the connecting rod bearing has run dry of lubrication.
• Rumbling - A rumbling or thumping sound may be heard when the crankshaft rubs against the bearing surfaces. You should immediately cut the engine and call for a tow when this sound is heard.
• Clattering - You may hear a clattering or slapping noise from a cylinder bore.

All of these sounds are a cause for concern. If you hear any of them while driving, stop immediately and seek assistance.

Burning Smell

Your car's low engine oil level could be because of a leak. Oil leaks from the engine that land on a hot surface will give off a bad smell.

High-Temperature Alert

When the temperature gauge needle starts rising, you know something is wrong with your car.

If there is little oil, the metal parts won't be lubricated. The friction between them raises the temperature inside the engine.

Oil also helps dissipate heat by absorbing it from the engine components. When insufficient oil is circulating in the engine, the heat won't be adequately removed.

Low Oil Pressure Light

The low oil pressure light is the most obvious sign of your car's low engine oil level. If the warning light on your dashboard comes on, you should immediately pull over and check the dipstick.

If it is low, pour in new oil as soon as possible.

If the low oil pressure light is on and your oil pressure light is on, it is best to turn off the motor, call a tow truck, and get the vehicle into a mechanic's shop.

Running an engine with low oil pressure can lead to catastrophic engine damage and an expensive repair bill.

Conclusion

You should never try to run a car without oil. Without the oil to provide lubrication and dissipate heat, the metal-on-metal contact will take seconds to start causing severe damage to the motor and destroying it within minutes.

If your car is running low on oil, stop immediately, and add oil, or if a large leak causes the low oil level, you should call for a tow to a mechanic.