How Long Can You Drive On 0 Oil Life? [Explained] (2024)

September 1, 2023August 30, 2023 by Esha

If your car is low on performance or maintenance, you need to make sure of the repair before driving on roads. Poor cars, zero oil and other such parameters can not only put you in adverse situations but it also sometimes causes accidents. Many car owners show concern about how long you can drive on 0 oil life, and that is exactly what I shall talk about in today’s article.

If your car has 0 oil you can drive it for a few hundred miles or for some days. This is because when the vehicle has zero oil, it still has some of its property remaining in the component and does lose the performance all at once.

However, if you have to drive more than a few hundred miles (such as 500 miles) you should top up the engine.

What does 0 oil life mean?

The 0% oil life is basically a warning that tells you about the engine oil level. When then engine oil gets too low it tells you the alarm by indicating 0% oil life and it’s time to refill the tank. If the oil level is at 0 you can still drive for a short while about 500 miles however, not more than that.

The reason is driving without oil in the car will impact the car components, especially the engine. The worn out engine will be less likely to be repaired if it receives damage.

The presence of oil in the engine is always crucial because it offers enough lubrication for the component to remain functional. Therefore, if the olive has decreased to the lower level, it’s time to take your car to the service station for an instant solution.

When to top up engine oil in a car?

If you want to keep your car in ideal state (that we all want) you should not wait to change the oil after 3,000 – 7,500 miles, keeping the oil type in mind. For accurate information, you need to consult the car manual that tells you the answer based on the car models and other details.

Additionally, you should change the oil when the car indicates 5% oil life to keep the margin highlighted. But if you regularly change the oil it keeps the freshness around and your car won’t face the critical level of low oil etc. certainly that adds to the performance.

One important thing to note is that the car will not automatically reset the oil change. When you take the care at the service station, it manually reset the oil life monitor when the oil change is complete. The car will still indicate “Oil Life 0%” if the monitor is not set manually.

How do I check the level of oil?

As a matter of fact, the car has an oil checking sensor that does the job. But if it doesn’t work or maybe it has some fault, you can also manually check the level or oil in your car. Here is how you can check:

• Park the car on smooth level ground and lift the hood when the engine is cool enough (warm engine means wrong readings).
• Now find the dipstick (near the oil tank) and wipe it off. Remove excess oil.
• Insert the dipstick again into the oil tank and notice the Maximum’ and a ‘Minimum’ line. The level of oil should ideally be at the between the maximum and minimum levels. If it’s below that, you know what to do. Refill the tank

What happens if I drive with 0% oil life?

You should not mishandle your car if it gives any warning sign. Keeping that in mind, if you keep on driving the car while oil is at 0% of its life, you can drive for a few hundred miles. However, if you still continue to drive, it can be dangerous for the engine overheating and other issues.

It can cause serious damage in the car for the long-run and you may need to replace some of its components – and that can be costly.

As you know oil makes sure of lubrication, no friction, no heating and smooth car drive. So if there is no oil, all these benefits flip and give you the very same reason for not working.