96 cobra oil light

[akaslick15]

so my oil light has been staying on latley so when i checked to see if the level was good it was very low but i had put 10w 30 mobil 1.. 7 quarts of it about 2500 miles ago so then i waited to about 15 mins later with the car off because maybe for the oil to drain down to the pan and still same level so after that i checked the pcv valve and its clicks like new ...so now i might feel like im burning oil but can it burn that bad without any other signs? or im just crazy the car has 99k on it should i wait more then 15 mins like about a hour then see if the oil is full? and im not leaking forsure because i would see drip or drops in my garage cause i park it there every day and night..can someone please help thanks.
/

 

[akaslick15]

i just learned that a catch threw the pcv line will stop all this madness guys step in dont be shy

 

[vermilion]

obviously check for oil seals front and rear. you may have:
*Worn pistons rings
*running rich excessively to cause blow by
*Cylinder issues
*worn valvetrain

 

[akaslick15]

i hope not

 

[Marvin97]

Hmm. I'd check it again this morning and see what it looks like after sitting awhile. Also, i'd change to 5w30 next oil change.

 

[greenscobie86]

96 Low oil light issue is common. My car does it when on an incline (nose facing downhill.)

My Cobra eats a bit of oil but usually doesn't eat a full quart between changes, being 1/2 ~ 3/4 quarts low will trigger the light.

A catch can will help but wont cure rings/valve guides/stem seals, all of which are common wear items on older 4.6 4v motors.

 

[akaslick15]

ok well guys i checked it this morning at it was right between low and full so in the middle but just to let you guys know the car isnt smoking at all or leaking anything plus if it was the rings or anything worse i would feel a big difference right away cause the car will drive shitty in most cases.

 

[akaslick15]

my friend that has a cobra told me mobil 1 is to thin and said i should run castrol gtx high milage but for 99k on the motor what oil and weight would be the best for my baby sorry to jump in a another question

 

[MustangChris]

well........ theres alot of hot-air that flys around about motor oil..... "synthetic is for new cars only." "dont put in convent." "dont mix." "blah blah blah."

I'd suggest filling it to the top of the dipstick (car cold, not running) with whatever is in there now. the moble 1 you are using is what i ran in my 96GT its entire life.

drive the car until it is warmed up. check the oil level. write down on a scrap of paper where it was and drive it for a week.... check the oil twice a day, every day. Once when its cold (first thing in the morning) and when its warm (when you first get to work.) and compare/contrast to you notes. Dont go off memory, because your mind can play tricks on you.

Is there any smoke coming out of the back of the car?

is the overflow tank in the engine bay still green? or does it look like a chocolate milkshake? anything floating on top? Any strange sounds in the car?

the 1996 ford mustang service manual calls for SAE 5W30 oils. synthetic oils are fine.

if your car is in a temps above 0*F and below ~110*F you can also use 10W30, but 5W30 is prefered
(page 00-03-2. for those with the service manual)

its common for cars to burn ~1qt. per 1k miles. once you get past this mark, or you see *other* warning signs, you need to worry.

check for leaks, check your intake tube, and let us know how much its burning, consistently.

 

[akaslick15]

thank u sir i will be back thanks guys to all of you

 

[MustangChris]

np amigo. lets just try and figure out whats really wrong with it before you go throwing $70.00 worth of moble 1 down the pooper and wishing you bought a honda or something. .lol.