3.0 Mercruiser Ran Out of Oil

arminius

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Aug 30, 2016
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Have a 2012 Bayliner with 3.0 TKS I/O and had it professionally winterized and out only 5 times this summer. To my dismay, the the oil alarm went off yesterday. So I checked the dipstick, and no oil!! Didn't even register on the stick. There was some oil under the engine and even some that appears to have sprayed around the engine.

I'm not sure if it was a one-time thing or gradually happened during the summer as I have not been checking the engine.

I checked the oil filter, and that is tight. I did a quick inspection of the engine, and saw no loose tubes. I did a compression check of and 3 of the cylinders came in at 180, and the other at 150.

The only other thing I can think of is the starter/solenoid was recently replaced. Thoughts?
 

Bondo

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I'm not sure if it was a one-time thing or gradually happened during the summer as I have not been checking the engine.

Ayuh,..... Wow,.... I check the fluid levels, 'n do a quick motor check at Every cold start/ beginnin' of a day,......

I guess ya oughta refill the oil, 'n fire it up to see where it's leakin' out of,.....
 

Grub54891

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Wow, you should be checking the oil before you use it every time. Fill it back up, start it and look for leaks, funny noises, check the oil pressure. I'd clean up the motor and bilge before running it, lay some white oil sorbs under the motor and see where it drips down. Might be a simple leaking gasket or sending unit.
 

Bt Doctur

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I'm not sure if it was a one-time thing or gradually happened during the summer as I have not been checking the engine.

Mod EDIT: Comment removed

These things are checked DAILY, BEFORE STARTING
 
Last edited by a moderator:

alldodge

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The 3.0 would not have an oil cooler so unless something is cracked I would look at the remote oil filter connection or if your motor has a drain tube connection from the pan, the plug may not have been installed tight

While it is best to check everything the first thing, I don't do it either. If I was going out to the ocean you bet, but just an inland lake not so much. I check things about once a month
 

Brandon5778

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Jul 9, 2016
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Was she a ticking or knocking yet when you shut her down?

I've had it happen to me. Something came loose while underway on the engine and all my oil was in the bilge. I realized it because it started ticking pretty loud. I fixed the problem and filled with oil and the ticking went away, the engine was fine. Point is your engine is probably good, they're pretty tough. Fix your oil leak.
 

Lou C

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I do check everything every time out. Old engine you never know. Here's a story for you....a relative of mine....has a 2001 Nissan Maxima. She calls me up and says, 'Lou, the little oil can thing lit up on the dashboard' so I told her, quit driving it. So my son and I go over there and check the dipstick, nothing. We put a qt in, still low, put in another, and son notices its running out on the ground! I get under the car and see a gash, like someone wacked it with a hatchet, in the oil pan! NO OIL and she must have run over the remnant of a snapped off street sign and drove it home. No oil in the drive either so it was gone before she pulled in. Well we had it flat bedded to a mechanic and had the pan replaced. Started up and ran just fine, and is still fine.

Moral of the story is....CHECK THE OIL EVERY TIME
 

garbageguy

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Although we try to check the right things at the right time - it doesn't always happen (many people use our machines). +1 on Grub's idea of what to do next.

OK, short story - my mother in law's 06 Passat was run dry of oil, we told her to leave it where it was and picked her up. That car had zero oil. Filled it up, seems OK (but we make sure to check that oil more frequently now). Not great, but sometimes ya just have to play the cards that are dealt. Yep, engines are pretty tough.
 

Scott Danforth

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It will either be fine after you find the leaks, or it will start knocking as the bearings have been wiped out
 
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