Car Asplode...

[burningsno]

I agree, you most likely spun a bearing/destroyed your rings/ruined many internal parts due to using the idiot light as your way of telling you: "Hmm I guess I should add oil sometime this week". I am quite surprised this never happened sooner than it did. I know of a girl that had an excel and she only had to drive a couple miles with idiot light on before her engine stalled the first time due to no oil. Your pistons have more than likely welded themselves to the cylinder and you may as well throw that engine in the steel bin. As for the noises, i would say then engine was the culprit not the tranny. When I drove that excel after adding oil, it sounded like a 2stroke and had many other noises.

I don't mean any offense in anything I said, I just believe It is near common knowledge to put oil in a car immediately when that light comes on, not just when its convenient.

This is what I know from my past experiences, I hope it helps.

[GenevaDirt]

oil pump shot?

[Schildir]

why is your Festiva called Smokey?

It used to burn tons (well, not tons, but enough to make a decent cloud) of oil, and leave smoke clouds behind it under hard acceleration. And it's the same color as a cat my family used to have, who was named Smokey.

I agree, you most likely spun a bearing/destroyed your rings/ruined many internal parts due to using the idiot light as your way of telling you: "Hmm I guess I should add oil sometime this week". I am quite surprised this never happened sooner than it did. I know of a girl that had an excel and she only had to drive a couple miles with idiot light on before her engine stalled the first time due to no oil. Your pistons have more than likely welded themselves to the cylinder and you may as well throw that engine in the steel bin. As for the noises, i would say then engine was the culprit not the tranny. When I drove that excel after adding oil, it sounded like a 2stroke and had many other noises.

I don't mean any offense in anything I said, I just believe It is near common knowledge to put oil in a car immediately when that light comes on, not just when its convenient.

This is what I know from my past experiences, I hope it helps.

No offense taken - I know I should have checked it more often, and with the dipstick, I think there was just part of me that didn't care, since the engine ran like crap and leaked and burned oil anyway. The problem is, that part of me ignored the whole "if your engine blows up, you have to GET A REPLACEMENT and INSTALL IT".

oil pump shot?

I've been wondering about that... Since I always have low pressure at idle, and someone suggested in my oil leak thread that it could be my oil pump. I even bought a oil pressure gauge, but never installed it because I couldn't figure out what fitting I needed for the included sending unit.

[burningsno]

Ya it could have been a weak oil pump to begin with. Having very worn out bearings would give the same effect/results too though. They would allow too much oil to leak out of them causing oil pressure loss. By the sounds of it your engine was shot anyway and it was a "drive it till it blows up!" situation. lol but now you can possibly upgrade!

[Schildir]

lol but now you can possibly upgrade!

yeah, it's too bad it couldn't wait a couple more months to blow up... then i'd have time to fix my core support, get a 1990+ wiring harness, and get another engine that would give me more PAH!

[MTec007]

where is the sensor for the idiot light at? mine never comes on. neither does the seat belt light. i never rely on them but i dont like that they dont work

[FB71]

sorry, this is all I could think of...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMe3WDmxBEI

[FestYboy]

it ain't your trans.... can't recall how often i've said: "if the light goes on, it's too late". you siezed your engine, that's all there is to it. the white smoke was more likely your head cooking the coolent and over presurizing the system because there was no oil to keep the head cool (lots of friction). then you just cooked the bearings and that was it.

[Britstiva]

I agree with FestYboy! Time to shop for a motor!

[marinepolice03]

sounds like the engine is dead

[Papabug]

Ya it could have been a weak oil pump to begin with. Having very worn out bearings would give the same effect/results too though. They would allow too much oil to leak out of them causing oil pressure loss. By the sounds of it your engine was shot anyway and it was a "drive it till it blows up!" situation. lol but now you can possibly upgrade!

^ Bingo---

It only takes a few (very few) pounds of pressure to make the "idiot" light go out. Even as little as 3-4 pounds some models, not sure about Fesiviets.

Not a good way to maintain optimal performance.

[mechanicaldj]

where is the sensor for the idiot light at? mine never comes on. neither does the seat belt light. i never rely on them but i dont like that they dont work

the sensor is located above your oil filter

[Tim]

This is why you regularly check your fluids.

I make a point of doing so at least once a week. A large portion of car trouble can be attributed to incorrect fluid levels, and by spending 5 minutes of your time checking them, you can save $500+ in repairs.


-Tim

[Schildir]

Yep, it's seized. Oh well... Now I just have to find another automatic Festiva... No point in replacing the engine in this one, the rust has eaten too much of it.

...Or a Corvair. My dad wants me to get one, I've always sort of wanted one, and apparently people have been getting mid to high 20's driving them...

[Festiva Time]

It sounds like your car overheated ["White Smoke" steam] and the oil started to oil tried to keep the engine cool but finally the engine seized up. Wait 12hours for the engine to totally cool. Add oil if needed. Try starting it. If it cranks over really easy [engine shakes like it is out of balance]you have a blown head gasket. If it doesn't crank over, then the engine is seized.