So here's how it all starts out. I have an '02 with 54000+- miles. Last oil change was 50000 miles ago. I already filled it up 2 quarts since those 4000 miles ago, and one of those quarts was around christmas time.

A couple weeks ago a ticking sound had developed louder than usual. I thought after reading so many threads about it on this site that it was the timing tensioner and told myself i'd bring it into the dealer for a replacement in a week or so. After traveling around 50 miles total doing errands and what not, I park the car in the driveway and notice a burning smell.

It was coming from the engine bay so I check the oil, and realized im waaaay below L!!!
I hop in the lexus and buy oil from the store and fill her up, then let the car idle a bit. The engine sound went back to normal, but the smell is what's bothering me.

During the time on low oil, I had been driving spiritedly, bringing the RPMS 7-8k. On every drive I smell that burning smell now (and smell it greatly after traveling in vtec), and I feel like I have destroyed my engine. Vtec still hits fine (though I fear bringing the RPMS that high, no engine or oil pressure light is on, and the engine sound is back to normal.

What kind of permanent damage have I done?

I feel like a complete fool.
Please DON'T forget to check your oil at every fill up, everyone.

 

hmm, your oil level shouldn't be THAT low after just 4000 miles, I've went 7000+ miles before and burnt maybe a quart of oil... perhaps you should get a full diagnosis of the motor.

 

You're lucky that you didn't do any more damage. I'd guess that your oil light was flickering a little over the last few weeks, and you didn't notice it.

You probably have a great deal of wear on your bearings and cylinders. I'd expect that your oil consumption will increase some due to some abrasion on the cylinders. If it isn't too bad, you dodged a bullet.

The first thing you should do is change your oil immediately. I would expect that your oil is full of wear metal and because you had reduced oil pressure, you likely cooked your oil. That would explain the burning smell. If you don't change your oil, you could plug some of your oil ports.

The lobes on your camshaft may have gotten scratched, which may cause accelerated wear over time. Only time will tell. You could have your head cover removed to look at them but if your engine is running fine right now, I'd just let it go.

You should always check your oil with every fuel fill-up, and you should probably check it even more often for a while until you get a good feel for how much your oil consumption has increased.

 

Yes, thanks.

Oil consumption has always been high on this car, and I've had my engine head "refurbished" in the past from the previous owner probably starving the car of oil as well. I feel like i'd need the same procedure done, and I doubt it would be under warranty this time. I feel terrible for my car.
But honestly my eye is constantly on the dash, the oil pressure light never flickered... The oil maintenance light had popped up though when the initial ticking happened. (should have taken that as a sign, sigh.)

Anyways, what could that ticking sound have been? Metal parts in the engine creating intense friction..?

 

Isn't your car 6 years old?

 

You can inspect one lobe if you remove the oil cap.

The ticking may have been the tensioner. It relies on oil pressure to for tension.

The fact is, your engine runs, so it's not that bad. And if it's isn't making any sounds out of the ordinary then nothing catastrophic has happened. At the worst maybe accelerated wear.

 

If I were you, I would've drained the oil first to see how much you really had left. That way you would know what position your in.

 

I don't understand what you mean by this? Are you talking about the warranty?
I have an extended warranty (honda care?). My dealership has taken care of me thus far with my engine problems, but this is the first time an internal problem is caused by me, so I don't know how it would work out.

 

 

do a compression and leakdown test,

and send in your oil for analysis.