So due to lack of responses I moved the thread here.

So I was driving home last night and noticed a strange noise my car was starting to make. Sounds like a rattling coming from the drivers side (under the hood). It goes away and comes back at random times when driving slowly. The idle also sounds a little funny.
The check engine light went on a few minutes after I noticed this which is when it started to worry me.

Anyone have any ideas?

Im at 59,6xx miles.

Also my oil light comes on when I hit the brakes hard or hit a big bump. Im changing my oil within a few days so hopefully ittl fix that.

 

Your getting an oil light and you are still driving ? Do yourself a favor and check your oil levels ASAP the fact that your getting that light means you are at 0 psi oil pressure probably 1-2 qts max in the crankcase that other noise your describing is prob your valvetrain.

 

I checked my oil, at first the whole dipstick was covered. I wiped it off and tried again and it seemed to be above the H.

I thought it was just low too, so I added a quart a couple days ago and it didnt do anything.

 

First park your car overnight on a level surface. Ensure that you wait 4-6 hours and then in the morning pull the dipstick and check the level on it. Wipe it clean and check it agan and record it and then wipe it clean and recheck it to make sure it is the same as previous. When you checked it your way and found oil all over the dipstick because the oil had not settled. When you added a quart and nothing happened that is because you are probably 3-4 qts low on oil and dipstick is reading low when you are 1qt low. How many miles since you last oil change and does your vehicle have a history of consuming oil in between oil changes.

 

Thanks I will do that tomorrow. Its been about 3500 miles since my last oil change so I was going to do it this week anyway. I don't know about previous consumption issues since I've only had the car for about 6k miles.

 

Don't wait and do the oil change ASAP. If you can go with a buddy and get oil and filter from an auto parts store and do it your self in the driveway without having to turn the car on. Running your car sounding like that is not good at all and these vehicles have a history of burning oil. Usually only the manual version rev-up motor is consuming oil but as mileage gets higher older vehicles are burning oil. Being a new owner you might not have noticed but this vehicle requires oilchanges at 3k miles and monitoring of oil levels during fill ups at gas stations. GET YOUR OIL CHANGED ASAP

 

^ +1

here's a post on the NICO forum with a member describing the same symptoms...

*caution* when you here his video it'll make you cringe --

http://forums.nicoclub.com/please-he...e-t546218.html

call me crazy, but I have a habit of checking and re-checking all of my cars as well as the wifey's car....

 

^well that's what happens when you're too stupid to change your oil

 

Yeah I saw that thread a while ago. I didn't have much of a choice but to drive home for thanksgiving break. I knew of OC problems but only with rev-ups so I would never have thought i'd be so dangerously low on oil from being 500 miles overdue

Didn't think it'd happen on my non-rev.

 

That sounds like knock

If your oil light came on at any point its probably to late, they usually don't come on until the engine is almost completely dry. The reason you had oil on the stick is because you didn't give the oil time to settle back into the pan for proper measurement as mentioned in another post.

Best bet is to change the oil ASAP, before you even start the car again, look for shavings in the old oil and hope for the best.

Goodluck!
-Rob

 

Changed the oil today, it was pouring all day so I just went down the road to jiffylube. They said the oil was full upon arrival so they're definitely retarded. The noise seemed to have stopped but I didnt drive much so we'll see. Definitely will always check my oil frequently in the future. All this info really scared me being a new G owner.

The code reading was P0011, intake camshaft sensor. I've heard the car can throw that code from just having a low oil level. I'm going to reset the ECU and see if it comes back. If it does, is this an easy install? Something I need to do right away?

 

Reset the ECU, CEL is gone and didn't come back on after driving for about 20 miles. Hopefully all is well now.

 

P0011 will come on from lack of oil in the valve covers. Oil light seems to come on when you only have about 2 quarts left in the engine. It flickers on/off around 2.5 qts.

If in doubt, please check oil first. On any car. Always start with the basics. For proper oil reading you really need your car to sit 20-30 min (flat surface of course). Overnight is best because all oil will have settled to the bottom.

 

So I've been noticing a slight burning smell lately, most likely oil? When I stopped at a red light today I also noticed a very very light mist/smoke coming from the seam of the hood on the drivers side. When I stopped and looked under the hood to see where it was coming from I couldn't see it anymore. Engine temp was normal and no CEL's.

Really worried me. Anyone have an idea as to what this could be?

 

Likely leaking valve cover gaskets, try to inspect where the valve covers meet the heads, especially in the rear. This is likely causing your loss of oil, as they age they get hard and don't seal properly.

-Rob