2000 Saturn Has Engine Noise and No Oil In It

My 2000 Saturn SL2 is making noises when I accelerate. I took it in today to get an oil change and it was bone dry. What can I do to prevent loss of the car? I am afraid there is engine damage.

ProTech:
Well, if it went long enough without oil, you could have done permanent engine damage. After the oil change, was the noise gone?

No, the noise is still present. I have been noticing issues with the car keeping the oil for long periods of time(like average oil change periods). I check it once a week and add more and I had just checked last week. Today came as a shock. Additionally, the noise is not constant, but it does increase with acceleration.

I’d say you have a big internal engine problem then. If you’re losing that much oil, it is either leaking out or getting burned through the cylinders and exhaust.

Is there anything I can do to prevent loss of the car?

Either way, your engine is probably on it’s last legs

Replace the engine.

How much does that run generally, with the labor and parts?

Well, if you can find a decent used engine, the price including labor will run you between $2,000 and $3,000 most likely.

Awesome. Thank you so much ProTech. You have been very insightful.

Glad to help, have a nice evening!

2006 Saturn Ion

Car that has been jerking while driving.

Does the car do this when driving steady speed, or when accelerating? Is the check engine light on?

Anytime when the gears are shifting. Also when going up a hill, accelerating and shifting from reverse to drive. Check engine light is on. Had it diagnosed and came back as cylinder misfire. Check engine light has been on intermittently for several years.

OK. then the engine misfire is causing all your problems. Common causes for misfire under acceleration is bad spark plugs, or ignition coils. You need to find out which cylinder is misfiring and diagnose that cylinder.

Is there any way it could have anything to do with the transmission?

It is possible. But the misfire needs to be repaired first. A mechanic can drive it and determine if it is the engine misfire or the transmission causing the jerking, or even a combination of both.

Thank you so much.

Your welcome.