Questions and Answers

DAMN! I Just Bought This! Q. Hello, I would surely appreciate a bit of advice on a problem I'm having. I recently bought a used Nissan Pathfinder 2WD 1998 automatic transmission from a local dealer. I had driven the car for less than 1,500 miles when suddenly the oil indicator lights up in the dash. Seeing this I stop at the nearest gas station to buy some oil.

The car immediately shuts down and when I turn it on it makes a grinding noise in the engine. I shut it off and proceed to apply oil to it. The car never started again. I know that the engine is probably damaged.

My question is: Is it possible for the car to have run totally out of oil in less than 1,500 miles since I bought it? I ask this because I called the dealer and they told me if the car had run out of oil, then it was my negligence and they could not do anything for me. Is this correct, what could I do?

Thanks a million

A. Unfortunately it is possible to run the engine out of oil a lot quicker than that. However, the light on the dash board would give you ample warning there was a problem and you would have time to check it out before any serious damage was done.

It's unlikely that you burned all the oil in 1,500 miles, but it is very possible the oil leaked out. If this is the case, then a look underneath the engine will reveal the leak. Five quarts in 1,500 miles would be a sizeable leak.

As to what recourse you have, that would depend on the warranty you got with the truck. If you purchased it "As Is, No Warranty" the only thing you can do is replace the engine.

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