Almost ran it out of oil... what should I look/listen for

[Thirdyfivepickup]

I don't know what happened.... The wife has been driving it and said the Expedition has a "miss" and when driving occasionally it will "buck" or hesitate. I took it for a drive and upon startup I heard a slight rattle but it went away.

Sure enough while maintaining a certain speed I'll get a miss or hesitation. Its way more than a spark miss. Turned right around and started looking it over.

No oil on the dipstick... I added 4 quarts total to get it to proper level. I don't know where it went. Where she normally parks there is no drips at all. I haven't been checked her oil since we got it... approx. 8 months ago. The wife said she got an oil change but confessed she didn't. Last oil change was in May.

I'm guessing maybe 100 miles on the engine while it was in its "bucking/hesitation" phase. Mostly highway miles.

Did we kill it? Currently doesn't sound like anything is hurt. It just turned over 100k miles. 2005 with a 5.4. Well maintained (before we got it) Anything I should look out for?

 

[stamp11127]

You are very lucky it didn't seize. Bottom line is it has a shorter life span now - plan on a rebuild or replacement engine in the future.
The first thing to go with oil starvation is the upper end.

 

[Thirdyfivepickup]

lovely.....

Anyone know the reason it wanted to buck or hesitate?

 

[Flexpedition]

Please tell me you've changed the oil & oil filter since topping it off?

I'll assume if the oil hasn't been changed then the air filter hasn't been either, which could be the cause of bucking. Plugs came due at 100K as well.

 

[Thirdyfivepickup]

no, I haven't changed the oil/filter... but will be doing that this weekend. Runs perfect right now. No noises or misses.

 

[stamp11127]

If it isn't hesitating now it was the low oil pressure to the cam phasers.

 

[17LimitedExpy]

no, I haven't changed the oil/filter... but will be doing that this weekend. Runs perfect right now. No noises or misses.

Definitely change the oil and filter as soon as possible (and have the wife pay for it ), then change the spark plugs as well. If you keep up on the maintenance from here on out, your Expy will probably last you another 50K miles easy.

 

[Hamfisted]

I would also keep an eye on the oil pressure gauge from here on out. You might end up going to a slightly heavier weight oil. Is it burning it? Or leaking it? May have marred the bearings as well. If it's leaking it, fix it ASAP. But there's probably already internal damage that you don't see right now. These engines don't burn much oil when they are in good shape....


-Mike

 

[Adieu]

Change it in a week (or 2, if she barely drives it) and see how much comes out

 

[Thirdyfivepickup]

ok thanks for the info. I don't believe its leaking oil. It gets parked in the grass and there are no visible signs of leakage.

Wish me luck. I'll change the oil next weekend and see where we are at.