URGENT!!!
 

This could not have come at a worse time. Tonight I was taking my roommate to pick up a part for his car, when suddenly my 88 951 began to make a hellish noise. It sounded like a loud grinding noise and the car began to vibrate. I pulled over immediately pulled over and opened the bonnet. I could hear a loud clanking and chattering noise coming from under the valve cover. I shut it off and had it towed to my house. At my house I checked the oil and it was almost empty. Just a day ago I checked it and it was full. I did not see any signs of oil leaking on the bottom of the car or at the place where I pulled over. The car has 177k and has burned a small amount of oil since I have had it. ANY advice at all would be much appreciated. This is my daily driver and as I said this could not have come at a worse time for me. Thank You.
Chris

Didn't happen to to notice the oil pressure did you? May be lifters since the oil was low. Could be a timing belt. Have you drained the oil to see if there are any metallic particles? You can drain it into a container and then filter it to see what you have. Of course, any big chunks on the magnet may prove the issue.
Alan

bump

I would have to agree with Alan, drain the oil and check for metal on the plug. I would also take the top half of the belt cover off to check the condition of the belts. When was the last time they were replaced?

Carmen
89-951

I would suspect that the oil loss is as a result of either a broken ring land on a piston or a blown turbo.

Ok I could not ever find the oil leak. Basicly the whole bottom of the engin was coverd. I drained the oil. I did not find anything on the magnet or in the oil . I filled it back up again and started it. Once all the oil got to the liffters, most of the sound went away, though it does sound like one of my vaulves is sticking. The next morning I atempted to drive it to a european auto repair shop just down the road. I got about half the way down my drivw way and I could hear a loud droneing/vibration nois. This was the same nois I heard that made me pull over the first time. I decided to have it towed. Today the repair guy said he could not find the oil leak, but he suspected it to be the turbo. If it was I have no idea what kind of damage this could have caused. Rebuilding the turbo is not something I mind doing, but the mechanic and I are not sure if that will be enough. I knew when I bought this car it needed to be rebuilt and that it leaked/burned a little oil. I had been hoping to have it last till this summer, when I could bring it home and do the rebuild. I am away at collage and do not have the tools/space to do the rebuild. I also needed next semester to save up the mony so I could afford the rebuild. My question now is wether or not I can bandage the car enogh that I can use it to get back and forth to class, or if I need to park it and try and find a cheap beater car till the summer. Thanks for all your help.
Chris

Update:
I tried to drive the car home from the shop tonight. While driving it I could feel the vibration that I described earlyer. The mechanic and I think it was a balance shaft damaged by the lak of oil. About half way home I was comeing to a stop when I heard a loud KATHUNK! from the engin followed by lots of banging and clattering. Once again I pulled off and had it towed for the 3rd time this week. Well I guess it will just have to be parked till I can afored the rebuild. I'm renting a car tomarrow
That's going to suck!

It is generally a bad idea to drive any vehicle with such an obvious failure condition. You have in all reality made worse an already catastrophic condition. I feel your pain. Good luck I hope its not too bad.

Great news!
All of the noises I was hear were coming from the tensioning gear for the balance shafts. It had loosend and basicly killed it self. Both of the balance shafts seem to be just fine. I still have the matter of the disapearing oil. I just spent $650 to have it towed from Tn to Va. I guess I'll visit it over the holadays and start the rebuild. (hoping Santa will bring: gaskits,bearings,pistons and head)
:p Thanks to all who replied on this post.
Chris