used wrong engine oil... engine misfiring and hissing!!!!

[Jack_]

hi guys...

as i pulled up to work today, as i was breaking to stop, the oil indicator came up on the dash (for a few secs) and beeped at the same time. This was the second time this came up within 3 days (i hadnt had time to attend to it)..

so during my lunch hour i decided to top up the oil just a little(enough to get me home) and i would do a full oil change later in evenning. I remembered i had purchased a new 5L Castrol 10/30w engine oil to do my girlfriends car and the bottle was sitting in my boot. I added about one litre of it.

I drove the car around for aprrox 50km after that and it seemed to be ok. THEN i got a beeping and flashing Check Engine in the display!! almost immidiately after the car got the hick-ups.. began idle'ing lower and was misfiring as if one piston wasnt firing...

i drove it for a further 5 mins then pulled over to check under the bonnet. I noticed a hissing sound comming from the right hand side of the engine (sort of behind the distributer, where the rubber hose from the air filter joins the block)

i was about 40km from home so i decided to try my luck and give it a run. On the way i stopped by a servo and bought a 1L 15/45w and added to engine. It appeared to slightly help.. but the car still has the shakes...

I drive a late 2003 Commodore S with duel fuel LPG

any advice???

[DevilDRake]

I'm not too sure on this one, but wouldn't hurt to drain the oil and refill it like you planned to. Then see if any problems occur. Easiest bits to do first. Was it running fine when the oil indicator came on?

BTW, remember it's got extra oil in it now. 10/30W would be light though.

[acarmody]

I would say unrelated, unless you added way more than you should of and somehow damaged the engine. Though I'm a bit worried that you added 2L of oil to he car when the oil pressure light wasn't even on.

Pull you engine codes first, something will be logged if the check engine light is coming up.

Also check all the hoses are still attached around the throttle body/manifold area, especially the one underneath the throttle body.

[DAKSTER]

You sure it was the oil light first time and not the check engine light? Sounds like a vacuum leak to me, probably a hard to see vacuum line has come adrift.

Did you at any time actually check the dipstick? If you havent, check it now lol...2l of extra oil in a motor that may have needed none could be a problem

[Reaper]

Change the oil and hope for the best. Any damage has probably already been done. Listen for any knocks etc, particularly at start up after the car has been sitting for a while.


Reaper

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

I would say it is just coincedence. Sounds like the air intake pipe may have come loose from the throttle body or a vacuum line has come off or has a hole in it.

[gossie]

Why don't vehicle owners check fluids under the bonnet every time they fuel up. I could say, but I wont.
But NOT doing that small 1 minute task is making money for the good mechanics in our society.

[Jack_]

You sure it was the oil light first time and not the check engine light?


Did you at any time actually check the dipstick? If you havent, check it now lol...2l of extra oil in a motor that may have needed none could be a problem

yes it was the oil indicator. a big picture of the classic oil can came up on the digital display and beeping at same time. I did check dipstick and it was very low.. only about 1-2cm of dipstick catching the oil... wellll bellow the ADD mark

[Jack_]

i just remembered the moment the Check Engine image flashed, i was stationary at a red light. Had my left foot on the brake and pressed the accelerator for a second.. then presto!! the display lit up... could this have caused it?

[Jack_]

I'm not too sure on this one, but wouldn't hurt to drain the oil and refill it like you planned to. Then see if any problems occur. Easiest bits to do first. Was it running fine when the oil indicator came on?

BTW, remember it's got extra oil in it now. 10/30W would be light though.

i did check dipstick before i added oil.. and it was waaaay bellow the ADD line.. only about 1-2 cm of dipstick was catching the oil.

ye the car was running fine when the oil indicator flashed( only stayed on for abt 2 seconds) and ran fine for the next couple of hours

about to do an oil and filter change.. see if that helps

[showbags]

Oil light came on and you didn't have time to attend to it? Dude the damage is already done. Thinner oil you added would have mixed with what was already the so it would not have done any damage. Driving it with oil warning light on would have though.

[paynetrainvy]

i would run an egine flush through it and dump the oil and change the oil filter and new oil.. might wanna check the condition of your oil sensor while ur under there.

[krizza]

What you describe about the poor idle and hissing it definately sounds like one of the vacuum hoses has come loose from the intake. The same thing happened to me and it was only noticable when idling and would intermittently throw a check engine alarm. Once I popped the bonnet the hissing of the loose hose was a dead give away. I would guess the low oil level was just coincidental.

Check the vacuum line that sits directly underneath the thottle body. Stupidly there are no hose clamps on it, it is just a press fit and this is what came loose on my VY. I added a couple of clamps to it when I put it back on and have not had a problem since.

[rb26dett]

Not a problem with the gas system?

[Jack_]

What you describe about the poor idle and hissing it definately sounds like one of the vacuum hoses has come loose from the intake. The same thing happened to me and it was only noticable when idling and would intermittently throw a check engine alarm. Once I popped the bonnet the hissing of the loose hose was a dead give away. I would guess the low oil level was just coincidental.

Check the vacuum line that sits directly underneath the thottle body. Stupidly there are no hose clamps on it, it is just a press fit and this is what came loose on my VY. I added a couple of clamps to it when I put it back on and have not had a problem since.

you were on the money!!! i found that little hose (about the thickness of a finger) and just reconnected it and presto!!

Still went ahead with the oil/filter change though. ran a flush through it and refilled with 20/50w. purrs like a cats now

THANKS ALL FOR YOUR INPUT!