i've noticed that the car runs a bit noisier up the top end (harsher, less smooth) when the oil level is a bit low - anywhere below about the halfway mark on the dipstick, so nowhere near low enough to turn the oil level light on. if i were guessing, i'd say that the valve train noise is louder, but i really have no idea.

any reasons why this might be the case? i'd think i was imagining it, but i've noticed it on numerous occasions. oil pressure seems fine, and the car has been like this for aaaages (as long as i can remember, more or less).

 

bump for great justice.

 

It's all the metal bits grinding together and wearing each other out. Whaddaya expect? lol
Well just keep your oil levels up and don't use that pissweak waterlike M1 5w/40.

 

hum...good advice...but any theories as to why? is there something wrong or are all 951s like that?

 

any 951/944 w/ low oil will start starving the top end and the lifters will start to pump the oil out of them, creating more play in the valve train and therefore noisy. Keep oil in it and it'll be good. Keep running the car w/ the oil low and you'll have bottom end noise.

 

*knock knock*

who's there???

Rod??

Rod who??

Rod Bearing?!?!?!

OMG!!!11111


If you drive like that around Chicago you will fit right in with all the Chevy Astro's and Ford Aerostar vans puttting around idling at 400rpms with the hammer of Rod Knock when they accelerate and teh cardboard over the front grill

 

i see z rebuild in the horizon

 

LOL #2 to be exact!

 

bleh it ain't rod knock.

define low oil. is it low if it's still between the marks on the dipstick? or are they just varying degrees of 'lowness', ie below full = sub-optimal? below lower-mark = uhoh!

as i said, it starts getting noisier when the oil is about halfway between the two marks.

 

Running with oil level below the "full" mark on the dipstick is asking for a rebuild.

I saw two rod bearing failures this weekend.

One was on a newely built car with stock rod bearings runnign 5w 30. Lasted 1/2 a session before the deaded power loss and rod knock

Second was on fresh motor, but one that was consuming too much oil. Again driver felt a drag and pulled in. Oil level was at the "Low" mark on the dipstick.

 

Sorry I was being flippant but why have your oil down that low anyway? Is your car using a lot of oil? What sort of oil are you using?

 

at the mark is full. I run slightly above the full mark. If its at the bottom mark that means you are one quart low. Check your oil more and run at least 15w40 shell rotella in there. My 89 had an oil consumption problem and ended up spinning a rod bearing at the track after the oil got really low. Cost me $2k and that was with me doing the rebuild. We put a motor in my brother in "law's" car because the same reason. Check your oil.

 

Is there a joke to this thread or is the answer just too obvious to not make a thread about it??

My new thread, "My brake pedal goes to floor with no brake fluid".

 

+1 valve clatter

 

thanks guys. and no, it's not a joke, it's a serious question - i suppose the title isn't really appropriate. i'm not driving it around with the warning light on - i was just curious as to the reason, given what it says in the owner's manual. it says that if the level is between low and high on the stick then u are ok, at least it seems to imply that. so i guess the manual is a bit misleading.

i'm not running down that low on purpose, i just hadn't checked it in a couple of weeks, but i've covered a lot of kms. i'm running delvac 1 5w40 based on doug hilary's posts. though i know a few people have disagreed with him in the past.