Checking engine for internal damage after running on low oil

Hi all. I am a recent new owner of a 2023 SR5P currently at 18k miles. I got this vehicle to last over 250k miles. I change oil every 5k.

At my 10k service and oil change, the dealer didn’t install the o-ring at the filter properly and left the engine leaking oil.
I noticed the leak the next day, immediately called and set up an appointment as soon as they opened the next day.

So I go back to the dealer ~40 hours after the initial service, and the low oil pressure red warning lights up as I pull in. I tell the manager what happened and to document any findings.

They said the o-ring usually lubes itself up when installed but this time it didn’t get lubed and cracked when the filter was tightened. I think they only documented that the oring was cracked when inspected.

I drove 50 miles in this condition before going back to dealer.

I want to make sure my engine hasn’t been damaged in that process, and decide what to do from there.

How would you guys check that your new car hasn’t been damaged in this case?

I don’t notice any weird sounds or anything, but that does not mean damage has not occurred.

I plan to do an oil analysis at 20k, but not sure what that will reveal.

Are there any OBD parameters that would be useful? Can I tell the dealer to inspect and provide a report showing no damage since this happened during a manufacturer-provided service (Toyota care)

Saw an old thread where a guy said he would’ve just drove until the engine seized and demanded the dealer replace the whole engine but it’s too late for me to do that

 

Send in a sample of the oil to blackstone and check for bearing material. Other than that you'd need to inspect the bearings. How much oil did you lose? It's probably fine

 

Normally, you would start hearing knocking sound and engine over heating when it starts to fail from low oil level. You will also have poor performance eventually.
At this stage, if there are no telltale signs, unless you actually open the engine and inspect, it's hard to tell what damage was caused.

 

The old canister filters before 2010 had pre-lubed O-ring. The current cartridge filter O-ring is shipped dry. So the dealer tech not lubing the O-ring is a straight-up mistake on them.

No good way to check for engine damage without extensive engine teardown. You'd have to pull camshafts from the head and check for cam journal wear, etc.

Toyota corporate likely won't do much because this is a dealer screwup. There's even a possibility they may void your factory powertrain warranty due to "damage caused by the dealer".

You may be able to negotiate a longer warranty (say to 100k miles) limited to lubrication-related engine issues with this particular dealer - it doesn't cost the dealer anything upfront and protects you against any long-term issues caused by their screwup.

 

I would be so pissed I couldn’t see straight , which is why the dealer will never change my oil. I feel for the OP. It would have been better to drive it until the engine was destroyed. They might have argued you should have stopped driving when the low oil pressure light came on? If it wasn’t performing oddly or making unusual noises it may be ok. But as others have said, you can’t know without tearing down the engine. Something like this takes away the pleasure of owning a nice, new vehicle. I would demand some kind of extended warranty at a minimum.

 

^ @Standard4Runner mentioned the oil pressure light only came on as he was pulling into the dealer service bay, so nothing more he could've done as a typical non-handy customer.

In hindsight what he should have done is replaced the O-ring himself upon discovering the leak, or had it towed to the dealer. It must have been a severe leak to trip the low oil pressure light after just 50 miles. That distance isn't even close to a gas station fill-up interval where people used to check the oil level in the 1960s.

 

O ring cracked my ass. Should of told them to show me that O ring.

Lubes up while tightened but it wasn't so it cracked? They gotta come up with some other BS than that.

 

You should probably assume that selling it private party online is not going to be an option - at least on here.

 

So where was the oil level when you discovered the problem?

 

I do my own fluid changes because most people are idiots. Remember 1/2 the people you know are below average.

 

You're gonna have to send in more than one oil sample to Blackstone. The next 3 or 4 oil changes a sample should be sent to Blackstone and have the dealership pay for it. There is always some metals and /or minerals in the sample, if they check out on a national average based on your engine hours and oil type, Id say you're ok. You shouldn't have driven it after discovering the leak! This isn't the first time a dealer screwed up and they will never do my work.

 

As far as I understand, low oil pressure light is supposed to prevent engine damage. We are supposed to stop when it's safe and tow vehicle to a mechanic. I would assume that this light is as generous as low gas light and it lights up long before damage happens. So I probably wouldn't worry too much about the engine, but I would make a big deal of it for the dealer and demand free extended warranty. Maybe another thing to do is to contact Toyota, describe what happened and ask what needs to be done do to check if there's damage to the engine.

 

Could have damaged engine, primarily main bearings. Best way to tell would be to measure oil pressure. Unfortunately all you have is a dummy light. If it’s bad, that light may come on again when it’s hot and at idle. That would be your indicator that the engine is damaged. You should have minimally checked the oil level and added oil as needed. It’s hard to believe that much oil leaked out in 40 miles. You must have left a real mess down the road.

 

Had a similar incident with my 2019 SR5 Premium when a technician failed to properly apply the read diff drain plug. Even so, we drove around town (limited amount) for 2 weeks and were about 1000 miles into a trip when the diff "fried" and actually welded the axle to the pinion. We were able to file a claim and get reimbursed for the cost of a new rear end.

I would run a compression check and see if all are in parameters.

Also do what Gomiami said but make sure it is Toyota warranty and not a dealer warranty. In the case of the above differential failure, the warranty is pretty useless since it requires I return from northern Washington to southern Oregon!

 

^Typically the first wear that occurs with oil starvation are the cam and crank journals. Compression check won't reveal anything.

And while it would be nicer to have an extended Toyota warranty instead of the dealer warranty, Toyota will be quick to point to the dealer as the source of the mistake and wash their hands.

 

Tell the dealer that you are concerned about long-term durability since they mishandled a simple oil change (maybe you can think of optimum wording). That puts some tension on them. You might want to decide what you want...like whether an extended warranty would make you happy. Stay calm and if you don't get satisfaction you can follow up with an e-mail and ask to talk to the owner or maybe a regional manager of some sort.

I agree with the others that your vehicle is most likely just fine, especially since you say the low oil pressure warning only came on as you pulled in to the dealer. Perhaps a Blackstone analysis could,give you some relatively inexpensive peace of mind.

Had you run the engine until it seized and had that same dealer install a new engine I bet you'd have all kinds of new issues.

Seems pretty clear that your dealer can't be trusted and that you should not have your vehicle serviced there in the future. I recommend that you look around for a mechanic with integrity.

Besides, even if your engine is damaged you're only expecting 250k so you'll make it easily. Kidding!

 

It will shut down before then if its that low. Drive and don't worry. They didn't lube O ring probably and take time to make sure it seated. If it's not lubed it can pinch but you start it with your hand so you can feel what is happening. Oil change trainee did crack the housing with a breaker bar tightening did he? They wouldn't tell you the truth anyway.