Understanding Oil Starvation: Causes, Symptoms, and What to Do

Oil is the lifeblood of a car's engine, and running it without enough of it causes metal-on-metal friction thousands of times per minute. That friction generates massive heat and can quickly lead to catastrophic engine failure. But there's a trickier problem: oil starvation, where the engine has enough oil overall, yet certain components aren't getting properly lubricated.

Since you can't see inside the engine, you need to watch for warning signs. The biggest one is the oil pressure warning light, usually a red or orange lamp shaped like a genie's lamp with a drop of oil. If it comes on, turn the engine off immediately to avoid damage. Other symptoms include a burning oil smell from leaking oil hitting hot parts, overheating, knocking or strange noises from under the hood, poor fuel economy, and generally rough engine performance.

Oil starvation can stem from several causes: low oil levels, leaks, a clogged or bad oil filter, using the wrong oil grade, oil that's gone bad from sitting too long, a faulty oil pump, or blockages from carbon deposits or stray sealant. This last issue was allegedly behind the first-generation Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ engine failures.

Their successors, the GR86 and second-gen BRZ, can also suffer oil starvation during hard track cornering, as oil sloshes to one side of the horizontally mounted FA24D engine. 95 baffled aluminum oil pan said to fix that.

While oil starvation is relatively rare in new cars, it's not unheard of. For older enthusiast vehicles, oil burn is often part of the deal, making oil starvation a manageable but persistent risk. If you suspect your oil is low or thin, stop the car as soon as possible, let it cool, check the dipstick, and top up as needed.