Running Low

[APugsLife]

How far can you drive with your oil light on in your car?

[andy-hughes]

As short a distance as possible!

The light usually indicates that your oil level is low, or even empty, and continued driving will write off your engine.

Get some oil in today.

[ummmm]

Try it and see.

My car appears to run with no petrol :-)

[1ozzy]

Until it stops permanently.
Do it a favour and give it a

[1ozzy]

Drink

[ummmm]

I'm a useless girl but the one thing my father taught me is oil and water. Never really got my head round the petrol thing...

Put oil in your car. It takes 1 minute.

[Linotype]

Hi there: Do not proceed, don't even run the engine – or else! The oil light could be faulty (highly unlikely), the chances are you are out of oil in the sump or it's extremely low. Top it up after ascertaining there's not a horrid leak (obviously a puddle of oil on the ground), when did you have the vehicle serviced last? You gotta investigate before you start that motor, pal!

[Baldric]

For your edification
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil#Use

[APugsLife]

But I need to get to the shops to get the new oil, so I was just wondering how far I could drive it?

[ummmm]

Walk?

[jackthehat]

If the shops are a long way away, or there is some other reason you can't get there......ring a taxi company and ask them to drop you off a can of oil......it'll be more expensive, but not as much as getting a seized engine would cost you.

[woofgang]

The other thing which no one has mentioned is that oil doesn't just disappear. Do you know why your oil has vanished. Has it leaked out or been burned?

[Baldric]

///so I was just wondering how far I could drive it?///
You can't, unless you want to risk serious/expensive damage.

[shoota]

If it's just a tad low on oil you may be ble to drive it for 1,000.
If it's a major fault you probably wouldn't make 1 mile......

Can you check the oil level? If oil is present on the dipstick you may be able to make it to a garage or the shops but see to it asap.

[Prudie]

I ran a car with the oil light on for about 3 months because the garage told me the light was faulty. Then the engine blew up because I'd run out of oil....

[APugsLife]

The engine has a slow oil leak which I've known about, but not got around to getting fixed yet. Should probably do it before the car blows up.

[andy-hughes]

This is a classic case of human nature in action - intellectually you know that all the answers are correct - you should NOT drive your car ...

but you still want to limp it to the shops to get some oil.

As jack has advised, a cab drop-off of some oil may be a bit pricey, but better than getting your car towed to a scrap yard!

[APugsLife]

So true andy-hughes. I guess they must build in some sort of limit, as otherwise it wouldn't be so much as a warning light, more of a evacuate the car before it explodes light... Maybe I should just walk to the shops to get oil as I've already done 10 miles with the light on.

[johnk]

Don't drive get the bus. If it's an old car it might not be worth getting the leak fixed, cheaper to just put oil in. Also get the right type of oil.

[woofgang]

I really hate to hear people say they won't get an oil leak fixed. You are drizzling oil wherever you drive and park which is unpleasant and dangerous. If the oil is leaking onto hot metal, it burns off which smells.

[APugsLife]

I don't think its that big a leak, it's not showing a mark when I park. I don't think burning a bit of oil is any different from all the petrol I burn every week! I will get it fixed, but I need to top up first....