Weird engine oil related question

[hades_1]

Ok, so something very weird happened this morning, I turned on the engine and the 'Low oil' light was on. I opened the hood and checked the dipstick: no oil whatsoever (I used a white rug and it was still perfectly white); I triple check, but yeah, no oil.
So I go and buy some oil, add about 2 quarts and bring it to a shop, they tell me it's alright (they didnt do anything other than look at it) and I just drove to work. Before going back home, I checked the oil again, and this time it's way above the 'Full' mark (like 2inches above).
I did drive it back slowly home (hopefully I didn't damage anything ;/).

My question is how the hell did that happen? Oil can't just disappear and reappear >_<
What's the best way to remove the excess oil? (I am not allowed to do car work where I rent, and I don't see myself draining the oil in the street). Maybe I can just get a siphon pump to remove the excess.

Weird stuff is weird...

 

[cali5.0Lcobra]

Mod motor dip sticks SUCK.. I've had that happen before where the isn't oil on the stick an that's with 7 quarts in the pan.. My 2 cents is that there is so much oil that doesn't return from the heads.. The stock pan isn't baffle but even if the heads hold oil it still isn't 5-6 quarts worth ..

 

[DVJ38]

Well, first of all you should never let your oil go unchecked for so long as to throw the low oil light. Try to make a habit of checking on a regular basis because I'd hate to see you blow the engine due to low oil.

I say let it sit for a bit, then check the oil. I bet the oil level will go to about the full mark after it sits. I'm really not sure what to say to you lol, but I would let it sit for a while after you shut it off before checking the oil level. This gives the oil a chance to return to the pan as well as get off the sides of the oil dipstick tube which could cause a false high reading.

 

[4valved]

Let it sit over night and re check it.

 

[hades_1]

Actually, I did check the oil level 10days prior to that, and it was still 3/4 full. I am still not sure what would have happened since it looked like it was empty yesterday, hence the low oil light turning on, yet after adding some oil it then looked like it was overly full (I did end up draining some, and it's back to normal)...

 

[jmsa540]

this is starting to become an intermittent problem to me as well... I add a very low amount of oil once the oil light comes on, after I check the dipstick several times of course..

what is one way to tell if my car is burning oil?..

 

[DVJ38]

this is starting to become an intermittent problem to me as well... I add a very low amount of oil once the oil light comes on, after I check the dipstick several times of course..

what is one way to tell if my car is burning oil?..

Well if you lose oil and you don't have any leaks, you are burning oil lol

 

[jmsa540]

yah, but im not blowing blue smoke out of the back of my tailpipes though. no way I could be burning through a half of quart of oil between oil changes..

 

[deadernie]

If that's all you're losing between oil changes you're not going to see blue smoke from it.

 

[jmsa540]

it's more like a quarter of a quart if that.. guess the engine is getting old or I just keep parking on a incline.. thanks guys.

 

[Tickle]

I get the oil light all the time when I park on an incline. It's fine after I drive it, then restart it.

 

[DVJ38]

A half of a quart between oil changes is nothing to worry about at all. Keep rolling man. Just keep checking the oil level though!

 

[jmsa540]

awesome, thanks!!