Catastrophic oil loss - 08 Accord 2.4L

My nephew visited with his 2008 Accord (160,000 miles), and I noticed a VTC rattle that’s been ongoing for months. We decided to fix it and discovered the tensioner had failed, and the chain was stretched, leading to a complete timing job.

We replaced:

  • VTC sprocket
  • Timing chain
  • Tensioner
  • All guides
  • Gasket set
  • Crank seal

After reassembly, it ran smoothly. However, after 75 miles, the engine light came on because of low oil and a disconnected VTC solenoid. The shop fixed an oil filter gasket issue and refilled the oil.

He drove home but later heard a small rattle that got worse. Checking the oil, he found none on the stick. There’s no obvious oil mess. Any suggestions?

A mechanic will need to perform a thorough inspection to identify the exact cause of the oil loss. They may use diagnostic tools, compression tests, or other methods to assess the extent of the damage.