Chazmo

A couple of things on that, Silver...

When oil runs low, there's no outward sign. The oil pressure gauge is just that -- it measures pressure, not reservoir contents. Given the S2000's appetite for oil, I think a float gauge (like your fuel tank) would be helpful, but we don't have it.

It's possible that your oil was completely full at the 3K checkup. Most of us find that the engine burns oil (more) as you spend time in VTEC. That's not absolute, but it's a rule of thumb. So, it's possible that you knocked off 3-4 quarts since the 3K checkup. That's definitely more than I saw on my engine, but it's possible. Of course, it's also possible that they didn't even check the levels at 3K.

Finally, with regard to temp... I'm afraid that once the oil was mostly gone, I suspect that the damage was caused very quickly with no time for you to react. I do find it surprising that you never saw the engine oil lamp, but probably the piston rings melted down very fast at that last time you ran the car. In any case, you wouldn't see hotter than normal temps on the temp gauge since the damage probably all happened at once.

That's my guess(es). Again, best of luck.

silverbeauty

But heres the wried thing. We had not driven the car in about 30 days prior to this happening. We took the car around the block 3 weeks to this event because we were having work done on our driveway and wouldn't be able to take the car out before leaving on vacation. Everything ran fine at this point. When my husband returned to the garage after going around the block the check engine light came( NOT THE OIL LIGHT) He called the dealership and they told him that it was just because he was coming up on the required oil change at 7500. Then after returning from vacation we decide to take the car for a short drive. 15 minutes up the freeway, As we go to get on the freeway my husband decides to run through the gears since it hadn't been driven in so long. He reachs 5th gear and 80-85 mph when we get to the freeway, off the offramp and the ticking/taping starts. It sound like it was coming from the drivers side or maybe even the exhaust, when we get to our destination I call the dealership and they were closing in 15 minutes, so we baby the car home, and decide to take in the morning. It starts in the morning still with the tapping, drive to Lexus to pick up my everyday car, go to get in the S2k and it won't start. Nothing, it's dead

Does this sound familar?

hondaS2001

was it the check engine light or the maintenance required light? the maintenance required light will come on and off and then finally stay on based on mileage, regardless of what maintenance you have done until you reset it. The thing with the low oil level light is, once it comes on, its already too late. The low oil level light will come on only when there is ZERO oil pressure. But just because you didnt reach zero oil pressure doesnt mean you didnt harm the engine. When was the last time you could recall using the VTEC on the car before this happened? because if vtec engaged then there would be sufficient oil, if not, then the vtec will not come on..... sometimes, if people have too low of oil and they dont know it, and they dont vtec for a while they will continue to lose oil and never know about it........ also.... do you think when your husband took it around the block he tried to vtec it and it didnt work causing the check engine light to come on?

Chazmo

It's just very sad. Oil is the lifeblood of the engine, and oil starvation means engine death. I'm surprised the car even started the morning after you began hearing the noise, Silver.

Just FYI, as the previous poster says, the check engine light (a.k.a. "MIL") is not the same thing as the service req'd light. The latter is on a mileage timer, and obviously that's what the dealer thought you were talking about. Oh, and neither of those is the oil pressure light.

One other thing to check is the tightness of your spark plugs. The check engine light was a known symptom of that problem, and I suppose it's possible that you had that happen to you coincidentally with running low on oil.

Best wishes.

silverbeauty

I believe it was the service light (It just says service in red letters). And I want to say that the vtech did not ingage when he ran through the gears getting onto the freeway just before the ticking started.

Just a side note: If it ran out of oil or was low on oil why would it start, let you drive and then not start at all. The tech at Lexus actually thought it was dead battery the way it would not start.
When we meet with the rep tomorrow is there anything we should look for in particularfor cylinder failure?
Thanks

PS It was never checked @3,000 miles, When we brought the car in for what we thought was the required oil change the dealership sent us on our way and said AH does not want it changed until 7500 because of break in oil. They never touch car.

hondaS2001

ok,,,,, how did it not want to start, nothing happened when you pressed the button? or it turned over or how would you describe it? could be that there wasnt even enough oil to reach anything when you went to start it....

silverbeauty

It doesn't make any since. The vehicle started just like normal in the garage, but you still heard the taping sound. It drove to the lexus dealership, now granted it was being baby as far as driving, still hearing the taping sound. turned off normal as always. Turn the key push the styling red button and nothing. It clicked but it never turned over, never started again. And it did have oil in it, according to the dealership, just no one can tell me how much it changes depending on who you talk to at the dealership. and AH won't give you an amount because they say they are waiting on the tech report, but that's what they used to base their decision to stand behind the reps decision.
Everything just sounds screwy from the begin. Nothing adds up.
Silverbeauty

hondaS2001

well then hopefully you will get a motor replacement if they are not going to give you exact details on how much oil was in the car at the time....

airsport

Honda will use every excuse not to warranty your engine. I am certain that they want the reliability statistics to show what a great motor they manufacture and will chalk whatever happend up to poor maintinence or driver abuse.

silverbeauty

Well we had our meeting with the AH rep. After threating to sue AH and the Dealership and having all of the information from this thread, He finally decided to take the car apart under the warranty, and said if it shows that #4 cylinder failed then he'll replace the engine no questions asked. The rep however feels that it's not the #4 cylinder and also says that the low oil is what causes the #4 failure. He said if it turns out to be something like the crankshaft or a spent rod?(Not to sure what this is) then it's owner lack of maintenance that caused the problem and out of good will he'll buy the parts and we'll pay the labor. Our attorney says however that the dealership that refused to do the oil change back at 3,000 miles will then be talked to, because had they done the change when requested I for sure would not be in the position.

We removed the car from this dealership and brought it to another where we personally know the service manager and a few of the tech, Now we have to wait for the rep again because he wants to be present when the take the engine apart, I do to!

Oh by the way the last four # of the engine are 5613, I'm not quit sure what this means?

Keep you up to date as things move on. Thanks again for all your help.
Silverbeauty

ps. They still can not tell me how much oil the drained from the car. The pulled out a gallon jug and said this is the oil from your car, but still have never actually measured it to give us an exact amout! Sounds screwy!