When Tacoma for 2 minutes with no oil I am such an idiot

Many, many years ago I changed my ls1 Camaro's oil in a family member's driveway. We were talking and joking around and I really wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I had put the drain bolt back in, but didn't tighten it down.

I started the car and ran it for maybe 30 seconds before I realized the engine was rather noisy and immediately shut the car off. The drain bolt had completely blew out along with all 6 quarts of oil all over the driveway.

The drain bolt was put back in and tightened down and more fresh oil was added. I never did get the oil stain fully removed from their driveway, but I swear the car ran so much better after that. I think it blew out whatever sludge deposits had accumulated after 40,000 miles.

Long story short, the car was just fine and I eventually traded it in several years later. I wish I still had that car. I really miss the torque from the ls1/t56 drivetrain.

 

I once did an oil change on my snowblower. After draining out all of the oil I poured the new oil into the gas tank instead of the engine.

Which took a 20-minute job and turned it into a 2-hour job of taking off the gas tank cleaning it out put it all back together and making sure I put the fresh oil in the engine this time.

Dumb things happen, you just try to fix them and carry on.

 

Doh!

 

Lots of stories on here with people draining their Transmission, then overfilling oil, and even some going further... Draining Trans, overfilling oil, draining oil, then filling Coolant with oil... Whether they are 100% true

 

It happens. I forgot to put the drain plug back in once and poured 4 quarts right through onto the floor.

I think your truck will likely be fine. Likely the oil still on the surfaces would be ok for the short time. Crank only rotated like 1000x at low speed and no load. You could always send the oil off after this next oil changed and see how much metal and contaminants are in the oil. If normal than probably no damage.

 

You probably took 20,000 miles off the expected life of your engine. Instead of getting 500,000 miles out of your engine it will probably die at 480,000 now.

 

Wow, sorry that happened. Might want to budget for a new motor. Main bearings, rod bearings and scored cylinders, will take the biggest hit.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/halp.33318/

 

It’s fine. Now get out there and lay that mother down!

 

First time I have heard those words in the same sentence.

 

I had a girlfriend who was bad with car maintenance as in she completely ignored it. I checked on her Hyundai Sonata's oil one day and the stick was dry. I had to add 4 quarts before it showed on the stick and another quart to fill. It must have been bone dry. This was just from divining around slowly burning oil, not a drip leaked from that car! Long story short is that car still drove with no major issues or even ticking. Aside from burning oil really badly after that it was okay for the next 10-15k miles until she sold it. I don't suggest anyone ever try this, but this is first hand experience. I'm still amazed years later.

 

It is fine. No load in it...and you caught it right away. Dealerships make these mistakes all the time. Probably once month....these things keep running. Drink a cold one and keep going bud! Not to worry.

 

Yes you caused damage. No oil pressure for two minutes is significant.

The real question is, how severe is the damage? You likely have decreased the total life of your engine, but it may not be severe enough to cause any immediate failure. The only way to tell the extent of the damage is to tear apart the engine to get a look at the cam and crank journals, cylinder walls, etc.

 

Oil problem aside, that sucks and I'm really sorry to hear that. That's really hard, and it makes sense that you're distracted.

 

+1 this, sorry to hear man.

I wouldn't sweat the oil too much. Is it good.. no, but it's likely not catastrophic. Keep an eye on the oil level more between changes incase it's burning a little now. If it's not, everything is probably fine.

 

Likely hurt nothing but your ego, amount of times ive seen cars come in clacking away and not even a drop of oil on the stick and they run and run. Amazes me the abuse some engines can take, as others have said it was under no load just idle dont sweat it.

 

for only a couple minutes you should be fine... the engine still had some oil and hopefully your old filter hadn't got changed out yet.

 

I'm sorry to hear about the job situation. Not much one can say. I've been there and done that.
It can be be tough but you can get thru it and then look back and realize you're probably better off.

I would also sign up for notifications from you local pull-a-part. Get emails when a taco of your engine type comes in and go pull the motor...just in case.

I would be changing oil filters every couple hundred miles and cut them open to see if there is any trapped metal. There are companies that make oil filter cutters to open oil filters without putting metal in them.
Checking your oil filters will give you indicators if you have done any engine damage.

Here's to fingers crossed.

 

It should be fine. It happens more that you think. I had a big block chevy with 5k miles on it ( I know different motor and looser tolerances) that had no oil pressure at idle and idled at stop lights for a minute or 2 all the time. I rebuild it after about 500 miles of that and found a little wear on the bearings (mainly rod bearings) but not anything abnormal for the mileage and abuse it saw. I wasted money rebuilding it. It would've lasted an average life span IMO. It had a stuck relief valve on the oil pump.

 

I can't tell you how many people put gas in diesel ambulance tanks. Then they drove that ambulance down to Central maintenance to get it fixed. The mechanics were less than pleased.