I think my rods broke.. or something.

[Onimacus]

So today I was driving down the road when I started hearing a knocking in my engine.

So I pulled off to a gas station and checked my oil and it was REALLY low...

I added two quarts and the knocking is still there once the car gets about 3500 RPM's.

The oil pump is new so I don't think that could be it... Maybe my car just ran out of oil and broke?

Is there anything that can fix this or is my car un-drivable until i can save up to buy new stuff....

[TheSilentChamber]

I would adjust the valves first. Alot of times you an mistake a lifter for a rod. if it will start and go down the road its driveable, cant garentee for how long though. May have broke a bearing. Alot of things accually, hard to tell without being able to phisicly hear it.

[1990civicdxhb]

rod knocking is a big problem,
I've drove my car with low oil until the oil light came on & put some in it & never heard no knockin,so if your oil light didnt come on,it shouldnt of been a very big problem,unless you've let the oil get low many times,

if it was me,I would listen real close to the motor & let some one bring the rpms to when it starts knockin & find out where its coming from,
I would check the valve clearance,its easy to do & if one came loose or broke,it can start knockin,but if its coming from the lower part of the engine(block) you may have a rod knockin & too much hard drivin on it will make it brake & I've heard some storys about rods ripping through the block out the side of the car!

[Onimacus]

Its very quiet right now. I try to shift before it starts though... Its a really rapid knocking sound, but ya, I guess you would have to hear it...

Today is the first day its ever givin' me any problems like this.

[turtlecrxsi]

Yeah, listen to the engine closely to see where the knock sound is coming from. You don't need another person to rev your car for you to do this. Just blip the throttle easy and steady until you start to hear the sound, then release (a lot easier than having to tell somebody to stop meanwhile your engine fucks up). Don't be afraid to get to close either. I've practically put my ear right above the fuel rail before to listen (but I'm really hard of hearing). GL

[91civicDXdude]

IMO, you ran the car low on oil, now it knocks, its probably a rod bearing.

If the oil light comes on, you have next to 0 oil pressure, so usually by the time it comes on,your engine is already 9/10's of the way to blown, but in your case, im assuming it was more than 2 quarts low, and i assume you like to drive it like you stole it.

engine + rpms - oil = fucked bearings

[Onimacus]

I'll check on that this weekend... until then I think i will just take my car to school and back and then let it sit otherwise..

[91civichatch2571]

How low was the oil? Did you see any on your dipstick? If you still saw some on your dipstick, you were probly only about a quart low. But if you really were low on oil and its still knocking, im gonna have to agree with 91civicdxdude, its a rod bearing. Thats the most likely culprit.

[Onimacus]

I still saw some on the dipstick when i went to put more in, i checked it before adding of course.

It knocks really bad when I start the car for like one second, then it only knocks quietly at about 3000 RPMs.. I havn't taken it past 3000 since it started knocking

[91civichatch2571]

Either your new oil pump is bad, or you spun a bearing when the last one went.

[YZ125rider21]

dude sounds like you spun a bearing...what i did couple months ago....i would park that thing and get it checked out or I DRAIN THE OIL AND LOOK FOR BIG CHUNKS OF METAL SHAVINGS....IF THER EIS MINE AS WELL KISS IT GOODBYE

[civickiller]

pull the pan and look for metal shavings or chunks

[Onimacus]

There are tiny specs on the dip stick already.... Does that mean its the rods? I will empty the oil pan today when i get home from the beach.

[jeef]

yeah, you spun a rod bearing... you need to stop running it... you have a few options now, either pull the crank get it turned and get new bearings and all that, and problably a new rod, or get a new engine...