Short Version:
- 91 NSX, CTSC low boost
- Car driven hard at autoslalom by an instructor
- At the end of the day, oil light starts flashing
- Checked oil, bone dry on the dipstick
- Temporarily added 1.5 litres of oil (not the right weight - but was advised this was fine temporarily)
- Started driving home on the highway, noticed oil pressure lower than normal
- After a while, heard very loud clanking mechanical sound from engine, pulled over and turned off car
- Spun bearing?
Long Version:
So yesterday I went to a charity autoslalom event. Basically exotic car owners were running their cars on a slalom giving rides to the public to raise money for neuroblastoma (a type of brain cancer that largely affects children).
I arrived late to the event as I had just come back from out of town in the NSX (about 1000 km's round trip) and wasn't allowed to run the course because I didn't know the layout. The head instructor said that if I wanted to volunteer my car, he would take people out on it so I went ahead with that.
He ran it hard for maybe 8-9 runs, and then advised me that he thought my oil might be low because he was hearing a tapping indicative of low oil. My oil was due for a change (6000 km's), and I had actually meant to change it prior to my trip but wasn't able to get an appointment.
When I went to go start the car, noticed that the oil light was flashing. Checked oil on the dipstick and it was completely dry. One of the other guys had oil for his Porsche which was the wrong weight, but I was advised by some other people there including the head instructor that it was fine to put this in temporarily and then get the oil changed properly as soon as possible. So we put in 1.5 litres of oil, and it was showing up fine on the dipstick so I decided to drive it home.
Now, while the car had been running the slalom the exhaust seemed to have shifted and was touching the rear valence and was making a rattling sound. So when I started to drive back, I could hear the rattling noise coming from the back but just ignored it thinking I would adjust the hanger afterwards.
I got on the highway and after a bit of driving noticed that the oil pressure was showing lower than normal. All this while, my windows were rolled down and I could faintly hear the rattling from the back. Then I noticed that the rattling seemed to be louder but I figured it was just the exhaust. Ignored it for a bit, but then when I rolled up my window I heard loud mechanical clanking noises coming from the engine. I immediately pulled over and turned off the car, but I have no idea how long I had been driving with that clanking in the engine.
I was advised that I had probably lost all my oil and spun a bearing. At this point I'm assuming the worst. I had it towed to the dealership near my house but I'm going to have it taken to another dealership where they have more competent NSX techs. I'll post up more once the dealership has had a chance to examine the engine. I suppose if there's sufficient damage in this type of situation, the entire engine will have to be replaced?
- 91 NSX, CTSC low boost
- Car driven hard at autoslalom by an instructor
- At the end of the day, oil light starts flashing
- Checked oil, bone dry on the dipstick
- Temporarily added 1.5 litres of oil (not the right weight - but was advised this was fine temporarily)
- Started driving home on the highway, noticed oil pressure lower than normal
- After a while, heard very loud clanking mechanical sound from engine, pulled over and turned off car
- Spun bearing?
Long Version:
So yesterday I went to a charity autoslalom event. Basically exotic car owners were running their cars on a slalom giving rides to the public to raise money for neuroblastoma (a type of brain cancer that largely affects children).
I arrived late to the event as I had just come back from out of town in the NSX (about 1000 km's round trip) and wasn't allowed to run the course because I didn't know the layout. The head instructor said that if I wanted to volunteer my car, he would take people out on it so I went ahead with that.
He ran it hard for maybe 8-9 runs, and then advised me that he thought my oil might be low because he was hearing a tapping indicative of low oil. My oil was due for a change (6000 km's), and I had actually meant to change it prior to my trip but wasn't able to get an appointment.
When I went to go start the car, noticed that the oil light was flashing. Checked oil on the dipstick and it was completely dry. One of the other guys had oil for his Porsche which was the wrong weight, but I was advised by some other people there including the head instructor that it was fine to put this in temporarily and then get the oil changed properly as soon as possible. So we put in 1.5 litres of oil, and it was showing up fine on the dipstick so I decided to drive it home.
Now, while the car had been running the slalom the exhaust seemed to have shifted and was touching the rear valence and was making a rattling sound. So when I started to drive back, I could hear the rattling noise coming from the back but just ignored it thinking I would adjust the hanger afterwards.
I got on the highway and after a bit of driving noticed that the oil pressure was showing lower than normal. All this while, my windows were rolled down and I could faintly hear the rattling from the back. Then I noticed that the rattling seemed to be louder but I figured it was just the exhaust. Ignored it for a bit, but then when I rolled up my window I heard loud mechanical clanking noises coming from the engine. I immediately pulled over and turned off the car, but I have no idea how long I had been driving with that clanking in the engine.
I was advised that I had probably lost all my oil and spun a bearing. At this point I'm assuming the worst. I had it towed to the dealership near my house but I'm going to have it taken to another dealership where they have more competent NSX techs. I'll post up more once the dealership has had a chance to examine the engine. I suppose if there's sufficient damage in this type of situation, the entire engine will have to be replaced?