VW Golf mk4 oil pan busted. Is there anything wrong with my car?
March 19, 2011 11:16 PM   Subscribe

I was driving up a mountain road today in my 2000 VW Golf GLS, when I ran over a rock that was about the size of a football and broke open my oil pan. I drove a little further down the road before my "check oil" light lit up and my engine started getting louder. When I had a chance to pull over and have a look under the car, I saw that the oil pan was busted and the remaining amount of my cars oil spewing out. (read on)

So to make a long story short, I was driving my car as the oil pressure was dropping and would like to know if it is likely that I damaged my engine. I didn't hear any engine "knocking", just the engine getting a little louder and rougher. Also, my cars transmission is right next to my oil pan and upon my own visual inspection I could see no leaks or anything visibly wrong with it or anything else under the car. I would also like to point out that the car has R32 springs and is lowered about 2.5 inches. Is there anything that I should look or listen for when I get the car running again? Is it also possible that the rock may have damaged something that isn't necessarily visible, like the struts, exhaust, etc? I inspected the undercarriage pretty thoroughly and couldn't find anything else that seemed out of the ordinary.

Also, my friend told me that if there was something wrong with the struts or transmission that I would be able to tell right away, is that true? It didn't seem like the rock even hit anything else under the car including the transmission, I just thought I would ask.
posted by mtomanelli to Travel & Transportation (21 answers total)
 
How much further did you drive without oil?

It's hard to tell from your question if you continued on or not without oil. If you drove without oil, you can seize the engine, then the entire engine is gone, over, dead, done. Even driving with low oil is bad because it grinds parts meant to be continually lubricated.

I'm thinking a mechanic can diagnose any other damage (if there is any) but really, don't drive your car without oil in it, or even on low oil.

Sorry if you know this already.

PS. This is why a $50 AAA membership is so awesome. Free towing!
posted by jbenben at 11:27 PM on March 19, 2011


To echo jbenben, if you killed the engine immediately upon seeing the oil light and coasted to the side of the road, you're in better shape than if you drove another five miles to the nearest 7-11. Some synthetic oils claim to provide a protective film which sticks around even in situations like you describe, but I don't really buy it.

I'd replace the pan, fill the engine will oil, and see if you get full oil pressure back. I'd also do a compression check. It's possible you didn't do any or much damage, but it's also possible you did.
posted by maxwelton at 11:38 PM on March 19, 2011 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: @jbenben: by the time I stopped the car there was still oil gushing out of the car, so I would assume that it was still somewhat lubricated.

@maxwelton: I had to drive a a couple hundred yards down the road to get to a safe place to stop and there was still oil GUSHING by the time I stopped. I was told that if the engine was "knocking" that I was in trouble; however it wasn't making any different sounds other than sounding somewhat rougher while revving. How would I go about getting those things you mentioned checked out?
posted by mtomanelli at 11:54 PM on March 19, 2011


I would take it to a mechanic and have it checked out. You do this by picking a mechanic you trust and either having it towed (safer option) or replacing the pan, replacing oil, and driving it to the shop.
posted by elpea at 11:58 PM on March 19, 2011


Also, I would ask them about getting a protective shield installed on the underside of the car. I used to drive a Beetle, which is similarly low to the ground, and having this saved my ass a few times. My dad used to be a mechanic for VW and installed it. I don't know if it's a VW part or just something my dad rigged, though.
posted by elpea at 11:59 PM on March 19, 2011


Go on Yelp for your zip code and research mechanics. Pick one. Have the car towed there.

Don't drive it. Don't even turn the engine on. Tow only.

Check with your car insurance because it might include free towing.
posted by jbenben at 12:09 AM on March 20, 2011


Response by poster: @elpea: my friends father is a very experienced mechanic and will be installing the pan. will it be oblivious to him if there is something wrong with the car? if I start the car and it drives like before and he tells me it's ok, would it be safe to assume it is? as far as I know he can check the compression on the engine (not sure about the oil pressure). I'm definitely going to invest in one of those dieselgeek skid plates to make sure this doesn't happen again!
posted by mtomanelli at 12:11 AM on March 20, 2011


If you've ruined your engine it will be pretty obvious after you fix 'er up. Your mechanic friend will likely see any and all damage when he is fixing the oil problem. I'd trust him to catch all problems. It should be pretty obvious when looking to trace the path of the rock and see what it hit. Any damage will be visible because when you run over rocks it leaves a mark, and a mechanic will be able to tell instantly if it's bad damage or just a scrape.

The only thing that's iffy is the engine. You may have messed it up, or maybe it's still ok. When you get it fixed, if it runs, then go with it. There's a chance you damaged it, meaning it will die sooner, have less horse power, stuff like that. But if it runs, it runs. It's not going to work and then suddenly die an instant death later because of the damage. It's more like if you lug your engine all the time. Not good for the engine, but you can still drive it with the damage until it dies. Hopefully you stopped soon and it will still have a lot of life left in it.
posted by brenton at 12:21 AM on March 20, 2011


Response by poster: @brenton: I drove it carefully for a few hundred yards or so. I didn't hear the engine knocking or anything like that, it just sounded like it was revving a little louder than it was supposed to. I just bought this car last Sunday and the previous owner had the engine rebuilt 28k miles or so. If there was damage done to the engine, would I be able to tell by how the car drives?
posted by mtomanelli at 12:48 AM on March 20, 2011


If there was damage done to the engine, would I be able to tell by how the car drives?

If the engine was seriously damaged then you're likely to know it fairly quickly. Different kinds of damage have different symptoms -- noise, low power, burning oil, etc.

Given how quickly you stopped, I would bet your engine is okay. Some parts probably suffered a disproportionate amount of wear during those 30 seconds or so, but I wouldn't sweat too much over it.

Several years ago a VW dealer mechanic forgot to tighten the oil drain plug on my wife's Jetta after an oil change, and it fell out at 50mph. I noticed an odd increase in engine noise, but the light didn't come on until I pulled over a couple of miles later, at which point I saw just what you describe -- oil pouring out of the engine. We drove that car another ~40K miles or so before we sold it, and never had a problem with the engine. Plenty of other unrelated problems, though...
posted by jon1270 at 3:55 AM on March 20, 2011


Please, please, please don't start the car. Pay the money and have it towed. Have the mechanic fix it. A good mechanic will be able to listen to the engine and tell if anything continues to be wrong with it. (Hell, he probably has a special stethoscope-looking thing he can use to listen to different areas of the engine--I kid you not.) After the car is fixed, if you're concerned about oil pressure, you can check the oil level when you fuel up, or each morning, to see if it remains the same.

You did the right thing: You pulled over when it was safe (your life is worth more than a car), and, thankfully, when you stopped the car and the engine, oil was still gushing out.
posted by SillyShepherd at 6:56 AM on March 20, 2011


I had a very similar situation happen to me about 10 years ago with a chevrolet cavalier, except instead of a football sized rock, it was about the size of a large watermelon. It was dark and I thought it was just a bag or something. Anyway, it destroyed my oil pan and actually crushed my oil pump as well. I noticed and immediate clunking and a steady stream of oil behind my car. I was unfortunately on an off-ramp so I drove it about 1/2 mile and conveniently pulled into a mechanic's parking lot. While I was kind of over a barrel as far where to get it fixed, it WAS fixable. Ran about 600 dollars for everything, but the car for another 3 years or so with no problems.

Whatever you do, DO NOT TURN IT ON until that pan is replaced. If it's just the pan, great. I noticed a very distinct and loud clunking and it was very obvious that something was seriously wrong. Definitely pay for the tow. Let me tell you, paying for a new oil pan is a HELL of a lot cheaper than paying for a new engine. And both are worth the tow.
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 7:57 AM on March 20, 2011


Fwiw; never hurts to begin checking ebay (plenty) etc. for a used or rebuilt motor now; instead of (if) you get the bad news and then it becomes a timely type of issue.
posted by buzzman at 9:01 AM on March 20, 2011


Response by poster: @everyone: BTW, I did have the car towed on a flatbed all the way back to my house and haven't started the engine since I stopped it up in the mountains. How would I go about checking the oil pressure in my car?
posted by mtomanelli at 11:29 AM on March 20, 2011


You can't check the oil pressure in your car now. DO NOT start it until a mechanic has fixed it. You will be lucky if you the engine isn't damaged. Do not press this luck.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 11:35 AM on March 20, 2011


Response by poster: @PareidoliaticBoy: Ok, after I get the car fixed, how do I check the oil pressure?
posted by mtomanelli at 11:46 AM on March 20, 2011


With an oil pressure tester. Basic rundown here. The mechanic should do this is part of of the process though.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:05 PM on March 20, 2011 [1 favorite]


You don't need an oil pressure tester. And (as others have said), do not attempt to start the car, or you WILL need a new engine!

You are getting the car fixed by a machanic, right? (hopefully, your mechanic, or one you have dealt with previously).

The mechanic will fix the oil pan, fill the car with oil, and run it. He will be able tell if there is immediate terminal damage to the engine, from the noises it makes. He will tell you. Only if he tells you it is dead do you need to really worry about what to do.

He may say that there is damage, the engine will not last long, and you need to start thinking about replacing/fixing the engine some time in the future, but for now you can still drive it. He will be talking about how the bearings have suffered some damage, and depending on how bad (how loud the knocking sound is) they are, it might last a long time with the right treatment (careful selection of engine oil mainly, and generally respecting its damaged condition eg not running the engine to the redline every gearchange). Ask him about what oils to use, and how to prolong the life of the engine.

He may also say that he doesn't think there is a long term problem, and you have had a lucky escape. In this case, he might be right, but just to be sure, sell it as quickly as you can, and let any problem be someone elses.
posted by GeeEmm at 4:12 PM on March 20, 2011


I agree with almost everything GeeEmm said, the mechanic will be able to determine the extent of any damage, and will own a much better oil-pressure gauge anyway. I was, merely answering the specific question for interest sake.

What I disagree with very strongly is the suggestion that if you discover that you've damaged the engine through your negligence, that you then pass this problem along to some other unsuspecting soul. At that point, the honorable and mature thing to do is look at an engine swap-out. Think how you would feel if you saved up your money to buy a used car and discovered that the engine needed replacing a couple of months later.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 6:42 PM on March 20, 2011


No PareidoliaticBoy, you misquote and misunderstand what I wrote. Please re-read my last paragraph more carefully - I was talking about the situation where the engine appears undamaged by this incident.
posted by GeeEmm at 5:21 AM on March 21, 2011


FYI, GeeEmm, I read "sell it as quickly as you can, and let any problem be someone elses" exactly as PareidoliaticBoy did, and I share his reaction to it.
posted by jon1270 at 7:58 AM on March 21, 2011


« Older Help me remember the title of a movie   |   I appreciate the irony of not being able to... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.