laserred02

So last night at the gas station I checked my oil and it was around the 'L'. I drove it a little bit, then took her home. This morning, I put in roughly 1.5 quarts of oil and I'm halfway through the x's. This hasn't been the first time I've gotten that low on oil. A few months ago, she wasn't going into VTEC and as far as I can tell it's due to low oil pressure due to...low oil. I have a month off between semesters, so I'm willing to do whatever I can to repair the car. Problem is, I have no idea what to do or how to tell if the motor is in bad shape. One other symptom is white-ish exhaust that I've had for a while, and this isn't at high rpm, I'll see it lingering in the air when I back out of the driveway. I've read recently that if the oil light comes on, you're in trouble, but I don't know, again, exactly what that implies about what's been damaged internally. I'm not sure if I've seen mine go on, other than maybe staying on a bit longer than usual when I start the car.

Thanks for reading, and I appreciate so much the help

g352s2k

Start by pulling the head and doing a compression test.

Vince1234

Sounds like your burning oil. Do a compression test, then look to start pulling the head

steven975

If you were right around the L, that means you're a quart or so low. The distance between L and H is 1 quart.

If 1 quart low is all you were...that's not going to damage anything. Not on the street anyway.

Motors get trashed when people allow the oil to drop 2-3 quarts or more. The oil light isn't going to come on at a quart low.

If you did run it low, chances are you have damaged your rod bearings. A skilled mechanic can fix this with the motor still in the car before its too late.

slalom44

You could do a Used Oil Analysis. That will tell you if you had any oil starvation.

You didn't tell us your oil consumption rate. If you're burning more than 1 quart in 1000 miles, you have an issue. Getting a compression test isn't a bad idea - it will tell you if you have any major loss in compression.

It appears that you don't check your oil very often. You should check it every time you refuel. Don't expect your oil consumption to be consistent - it will likely be greater when you VTEC a lot.

laserred02

I'll respond in reverse order: That's a good habit to start, so I'll check it in a few minutes. So will compression loss indicate that I have "spun a bearing"? I'm definitely going to get this oil checked out, that is a good idea.

PalenkosBro

When my oils low, my Timing Chain Tensioner starts going clickity-clack. $.02.

xviper

So, you know that your engine uses oil and it's not the first time it's been in this condition. Yet, you left it for months before you checked it again?
S2000 engines (both NA and supercharged that I personally know of) have been known to run for hundreds of miles (owners being clueless) with as little as 2 - 2.5 qts left in the crankcase. After topping up and NEVER letting it get that low again, these cars have run trouble free for many, many years and are still running well now. That's not saying this is the way it is in all cases but it is possible and likely. The oil light is based on "oil pressure" and so long as it doesn't come on, there is at least 12 - 15 psi of pressure. That's just enough to keep oil going to all parts of the engine. Depending on how you drive the car during this low oil period will determine if damage has been done.
"Pull the head"? Come on people! Get with the program. Just because the guy has run 2 qts low does NOT mean he should be pulling the head and checking the internals of the engine. Get other data and information first before going this far. You can do compression, leak down, inspecting plugs and looking down plug holes long before you need to tear into the thing. And no, spun bearings does not necessarily mean you will see bad compression or leak down. These are determined by the condition of the piston-ring-cylinder wall seal and by valve seating and sealing.
After more than once letting the oil get low, have you learned anything? You know it uses oil. Maybe you should consider checking the oil at a frequency that would allow you to actual see the oil on the dipstick go down over time? Then top it off BEFORE it gets low? For the time being, make sure it's topped up and just continue to drive the thing. If something is damaged, it's damaged. Waiting till you see symptoms won't make the repair any cheaper. If you're really worried about it, analyze the oil, check the easy stuff and keep your fingers crossed. 2 qts low (if that's all it was) is nothing.