Low oil level warning

[MeeLee]

Bought my fusion about 3 weeks from the dealer.
They had inflated the tires to 30PSI, so I thought, might as well do an all check up.

Found that the oil level was at (or below) the low indicator, so I added some oil (about a quart).
Now the oil level was slightly above the high indicator. Still it's a bit hard to see.

Then, 2 weeks later, my engine starts making noise, and I had a few times the low oil pressure light come up.
I thought, perhaps it's because I added too much oil.

I checked the oil level, and there was NO oil in it???

The level was below the bottom line!

So I added a few Oz again, until the oil level hit the bottom line. 
In total I added 1/2 gal (in 3 weeks).

I don't see blue smoke from the exhaust, and no oil spills anywhere.

What could be the cause?

[VonoreTn]

Can you return the car and get your money back?  Sounds like it is an oil consumer, bad rings likely (only takes one bad oil ring out of 4).  Have a different dealer run your car through their Ford Vin number record.  I did that a day after I bought a Mustang years ago, and the second dealer found that the title had been branded.  That means it was either 1) in a major accident, or 2) that the airbags had deployed, or 3)that it had been stolen and abused, 4)had undergone extensive mechanical rebuild.    Since I had only had it one day I took it back and got my money back.  The first dealer was not interested in the cars actual history, didn't want to hear about it. 

If your return no questions asked warranty has expired, tell the dealer you will see him in court, and issue a Civil Warrant against him.  It will cost you about $75 to have it served to him.  He will not want to go to court, based on the data you have that it is an oil burner.   The reason you don't see any smoke is because the catalytic converter is doing it's job and burning the smoke.  But that will only last so long until the converter is ruined.  I'm assuming there are no major puddles under your engine.  You may have to take the under shield off, it may be full of oil if it is leaking.  It comes off easy if you can get it on a lift. 

 

Also for this forum, it helps others if you provide some information on your profile about what your car is, model year, model, engine, etc. 

[MeeLee]

Ok, turns out the previous people who leased the car, never changed the oil filter (because probably they didn't care).

Just an oil filter ring issue. Replaced filter and oil , and runs fine now.

[mwr]

Boy, that was some dirtbag dealer you bought that car from. Looks like they didn't do or check anything about this car; just put it on the lot as is and sold it. Tire pressure too low, oil level too low, didn't change the oil or filter.

[VonoreTn]

A bad oil filter will not cause the oil to disappear.  A clogged oil filter is designed to eventually bypass it's filter portion, and just keep flowing dirty oil.  The oil filter engineers figure flowing dirty oil is better than flowing no oil.  Dirty oil can ruin your piston rings, and journal bearings on the connecting rods and crankshaft. You will eventually hear a rattling sound from the engine when you accelerate as the journal bearings fail.   Good luck. 

[MeeLee]

Damn!

I heard a little louder engine noise at a certain rpm range, when accelerating on the highway, but no rattling sound.

Also dissappear when I pressed the accelerator less hard.

The issue was either the previous mechanic forgot the oil ring, and mounted another filter, causing one (or both) of the seals to break, or,

The filter got past it's limit at 30k miles, and blew the seal.

The low oil pressure warning only came on a few times (like 3), but went out quickly (possibly due to the ev mode enabling right after).

 

Mechanic put in synthetic oil and new filter, runs fine now.

 

I think the dealer I bought it from (handling in second hand cars), must have overlooked the filter as well, considering how new the car looked when I purchased it...

Edited April 4, 2021 by MeeLee