engine sounds like sewing machine...

[gothguydante]

okay so my oil is empty...so yeah when my engine started making the noise i tried not to drive it well i decided to go to the movies today so i drove it and it sounded really bad so i checked the oil and it was empty what could be causing this problem...

[scottxd45]

okay so my oil is empty...so yeah when my engine started making the noise i tried not to drive it well i decided to go to the movies today so i drove it and it sounded really bad so i checked the oil and it was empty what could be causing this problem...

A leak or it's burning it.

It might not be empty. Nothing usually shows on the stick at about 1 quart low or so. Fill it up and then check it often. Is there smoke from the exhaust or any visible leaks?

[gothguydante]

yes smoke from the exhaust but it's not all the time just some times.. could it really be burning it that bad.. plus the smoke is only on start ups..

[scottxd45]

If it's only on start ups it could be valve seals leaking into the cylinder while it is sitting. Then when you start it up it burns of and quits smoking.

Edit: Ok so I just read back through and noticed a couple things you said. You recently did a oil change. Any chance maybe you didn't get enough oil in it then? Also Somebody put oil in the radiator? and it blew the radiator? did it happen to overheat at that time? Maybe it could be a head gasket or warped/cracked head causing a leak into the cylinder. I would thing you would have other symptoms too if this was the case but just an idea.

[gothguydante]

yes but like you said it's leeking cause it only smokes if it sits over 2 hours without being started.. you should come down and check it out... j/k i went up to terre haute last year it's nice my girlfriend wanted to move up there...but yes the car.. i don't know what to do.

[scottxd45]

I really would come down a take a look but I'm working EVERDAY right now and have no time to even work on my own I'm at work right now actually.

[GenevaDirt]

give it to me and start over.....lol

[scottxd45]

What to do depends on how much time/money you want to put into it. If you think it's valve seals or something leaking into the cylinder you need to replace the seals and maybe the valves. Also if you pull the head to do that have the head checked out at a machine shop to make sure it's good before reinstalling it.

Does the noise go away after topping off the oil?

[gothguydante]

yes and no i think it comes and goes... aim? if so my s/n is in54n3monk3ys

[scottxd45]

No aim at work sorry.

[gothguydante]

dang... but yes could a seal somewhere be letting it leak? i mean by that is there a more common seal to leak the others.

[scottxd45]

If it's leaking into the cylinders they only seals I can think of would be the valve seal or the head gasket (maybe someone else can confirm this). And like I said if the head gasket was bad I would thing you would also be getting other symptoms like maybe overheating or vacuum problems so I would put my money on valve seals.

[gothguydante]

so how hard is it to change them?

[scottxd45]

I'm not sure. I've never replaced them on a festiva but I think you can maybe do it without removing the head. I'm not sure but someone on here will know.

[gothguydante]

Okay i will give it a day before posting a help forum.. hopefully someone will see this and offer to help... also we need a Indiana meet... Ohio gets them all the time we should start them also.