Strange:

Get oil changed at lexus. I bring my own castrol edge 5W30.
Had a change a month or two ago.
Haven't hit 3,000km (never mind 3,000 miles).
Car sitting for 48 hours.
48 hours ago, runs great.
Now: engine sounds like broken diesel.

Checked Oil: almost none!
Checked Again: same.
... Look for leaks under car (it's in garage, clean floor): None...
Add oil.
Sounds better, not normal.
Ran a minute or two with 2.5 or so quarts added...
Stopped engine, checked for leaking...none.

Consider: tonight is cold and colder than last night (1C low).

Could it be that it had no oil and I only heard it now that it was so cold?
Could it be something else?

I've checked the threads but just about everyone has missing oil and some evidence of a leak when it's this quick...

Need input please! (Lexus opens Monday :P )

 

No oil light?

If it was that low leaving the shop, it seems like you'd have a low oil light on leaving the shop.

If not, and your oil level light works, then I'd have to say that maybe they didn't tighten the filter enough.

A tech once left my filter a little loose. It didn't leak at first, but leaked enough for my oil level light to come on during a trip later that day. Temperature dependant leak.

Needless to say, I do all my own work anymore, regardless how lazy I feel sometimes.

 

Brrr...cold and missing oil. Check the coolant reservoir for that chocolate milk color.

 

Checked coolant, seems red...not chocolaty...but didn't want to run car long enough to let them mix if it is leaking inside (gasp!)
Check oil level again: same as before (a few hours ago).
Started, runs same as a few hours ago (i.e. better but not normal like 48 hours ago).
Noticed coolant is below Low, but car is on an angle with engine down (a few degrees max)...Lexus maintains that.

Thoughts?

 

Advice.... Now that you know no oil, DO NOT drive or start vehicle.

DO NOT ADD OIL.

Have vehicle towed(do not drive) to another shop (not Lexus..).and ask indy shop to document analysis. (but make sure they don't effectuate repairs..)
Leave vehicle at indy shop..

THEN , present findings to Lexus and discuss extent of engine damage and gage their intentions..

Still unsure? ...then speak to someone who can guide you and preserve your rights.

Lexus is pretty reputable and will.want to do right by you, but to help them help you, present verifiable findings

 

ok I unfortunately started this morning before reading this post.
I added a few quarts last night as mentioned.
Car sounds same as last night POST oil (better but not right).
Didn't see leak under car.
Dip stick registered full as per before, but it seems dirty... should be cleaner...
Coolant still below low (Lexus flushed it for me a few months back).

I will take your advice tomorrow morning and tow it asap!

Thank you YODAONE!

 

The purpose of the tow was tto have an independent repair shop verify no oil in the engine....and then present those unbiased findings to Lexus.

What purpose does a tow to an independent shop serve now?...you added oil, so how do you show now they might have forgot something??

 

The purpose of the tow was to have an independent repair shop verify no oil in the engine....and then present those unbiased findings to Lexus.

What purpose does a tow to an independent shop serve now...unless you are low on oil again...you added oil, so how do you show now they might have forgot something??

Oil.just doesn't disappear...eithee it wasn't added or wwnt somewhere else...

It coukd be one tech drained oil and another forgot to add your oil.

A piece of the puzzle is missing here.

 

Agreed.

If it was burning it, I would have heard it earlier.
If it was just missing, it's still strange that no symptoms showed until Sat.
If it leaked all of a sudden, where did it go?

I have the remaining oil from what I added, Lexus loves me there, they will believe me if I tell them it was missing (or leaked?). Checking service records now.

 

Checked Service records.
Car is at ~ 223,000 km now

Serviced Sept 8, 2016 at Lexus Richmond Hill
Oil changed, Lube service, Weather stripping changed (driver's window)
~$335 CDN

Looks like I am taking to a mech and calling Lexus Monday!

 

You have not changed the oil in a year???

 

Correction it was 2017 lol

Ok I am back from Lexus.

Here's what they say:

- Car was only missing ~1L of oil (this is because the dipstick only measures the last Liter of oil...ok...so if I have 1L too little, it registers as LOW...they said yes that's the case).
- Car seemed to start ok, no symptoms at Lexus.
- Manager feels it was most likely flooded (I didn't know you can flood a fuel injected engine).
- Lexus will keep car overnight to recreate the issue (if the early morning weather was a contributing factor), and let me know but...
- They are 99% sure it was flooded.

To be fair to them I moved the car on Friday to the garage. Ran the engine for 30 seconds that night.

Manager says this happens to their cars on the lot that move around but aren't driven much......

He says not to worry, and at worst maybe a fuel injector issue sometime down the line, but no engine codes now.