Hi guys I'm new to this forum and the operation of it but I'll go ahead and explain my problem as detailed as I can and provide more as I go.

Thank you in advanced for your responses.

I was driving back from fly fishing at the beach and my Disco had been running perfectly fine until on the way back I slowed down and stopped at a stoplight and my car stopped and died in the middle of the road. After that it would not start, but it would crank. I eventually had to be pushed out of the road by the police (interesting experience!) and AAA had to tow me back to my parking lot at school.

I had to leave for a week and when I came back the car cranked and ran fine other than a high-pitched, almost, grinding sort of noise. My friend who is a bit more knowledgeable than I am (his father is a mechanic and works for BMW) thought it may be a pulley going bad or out of place. Anyways, we soon found out that when we checked the oil there looks to be none in there. We checked with the car off, on, cold, and warm and every time it looked as if there was no oil. When we went under the car there looks to be wet spots all underneath the carriage and near the axle. But, since it had been a week of sitting we could not find where the leak was.

Point in case, I will be filling the Disco back up with oil tomorrow afternoon and placing a towel underneath to see if I can find the leak. I'll be on my own as my friend is now at drill for the Army.

Should I let the car run for a bit after filling the oil? Also, would anyone have an idea what the noise would be from in the engine compartment? It sounds forward of the actual engine, but we did not see any signs of wear on the immediately visible pulleys. Lastly, I assume you all will need more info, but if I need to take it to a mechanic, I have to take it to mine back home (1 hour and 45 minutes away) where I actually live, not just go to school, so I can get on a payment plan. The joys of being a poor college student!

So that's what I have now, I will give an update tomorrow. Thank you all, guys.

-Pete

 

Pete
Engines like to run on oil in the pan --- yes oil!
Whatever the circumstances, just throw about 6 to 7 qrts in the engine and go for a start!.

If it starts and runs it might be a bit noisy for a while as the lifters pump up--if you are lucky!

Otherwise it will make racket to beat the band if you have run the bearings and the pistons hit the cylinder heads as the rods run wild. New engine time!

I did inspect a Sprinter van recently & similarly affected. It ran none the worst for the oil loss! I told the owner you have a guardian angel mate. He replied I couldn't have I am a Buddhist. Well then your bloody Deity mate!
Best of luck
T/V

 

Fill it up and start it. Get under the truck while it's running and look for visible leaks.
Use a long screwdriver, broom handle, or stick to find the noise. Place one end at your ear and start touching different parts with the other end till you track down where thr noise is loudest.

 

Ok so here's the update:

I put a new oil filter on for good measure and filled up with 4 quarts of 10W-30. That's all I had at the time, I'll be getting more Friday. I started the car and it idles at 1500+ RPM in P. There's a loud almost grinding/higher pitched whine when in Park. Once I shift to Drive it drops down to about 500-700RPM and this noise that sounds like a pulley or maybe radiator fan (that's the area I seem to here the noise from the loudest) cuts out.

The only places there looked to be any "fresher" oil was on two bolts on the oil pan (not even a full drop) and around the old oil filter.

Any opinions, ideas, or fixes would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
-Pete

 

well, if you filled it with 4 quarts it wasnt completely empty. when was the last time you checked it? what weight was used?

it had to have gone somewhere

 

Well the dipstick was reading as no oil whatsoever and now it reads about half way in between empty and full. Maybe a bit more. I drive 100 miles between Hilton Head and Charleston maybe once a month and otherwise average out under 25 miles of driving a week. I checked it before going back to school for Christmas and it was about midway on the dipstick. Didn't think anything of it at the time and I have only driven it the 200 mile round trip once since then. So in all, I've only driven it about 500 miles since the last time I checked.

I also have to say, I've never seen any black smoke out of the exhaust so I'd assume it isn't burning it. There was a "glimmer"(for lack of a better word) of oil around the old oil filter. I also noticed while taking it off it seemed to have grime on it which may have been old oil. Could oil have leaked from the filter seal? The filter had not been changed since June 2013. I lagged behind a bit on that one I believe... -_-

Thanks again for the help guys, I've been a frequent observer until now and everyone here is so willing to help! Awesome people.

-Pete

 

if it was burning it, it would be blue/grey smoke not black. it cant really leak too much from the filter if it is just sitting, since the oil filter is above the sump. any shimmer in your oil is metal, and that is bad. drain what you added and CHANGE THAT FILTER. if it looks like an episode of bering sea gold in your drain pan fill her back up with some 15w-40 rotella (which you should be using anyway) and pray there is no clickety clack clack engine death noise.