Drove my car with no oil, will it be ok?

The other day I drove my car about a half mile before I realized the oil gauge was all the way down. As soon as I noticed this I pulled over, shut off the car and checked the dip stick. There was no oil on the dip stick but I looked under the car and saw oil dripping. Since I was very close to home and could not get a hold of anyone I drove it back and kinda just let it coast home. Since then I have replaced the oil/oil filter. I have talked with my step father, who has had many years of experience in this field and he said it ll be fine b/c I did not drive very far. But I ask another retired mechanic and he said I will most likely need a new engine. As of now there's no knocking, but for a second it did feel as though I lost power but I believe this to be b/c of my alternator. My car is a 2001 Ford Mustang GT 4.6L with many performance parts. Anyone s opinion is greatly appreciated.

It would be speculation on anyone's part to attempt to guess. Potential for damage is certain there. As long as there were still a couple of quarts in the crankcase damage should be slim to none.

Good chance you have done some damage to the bearings etc. It's certainly the fastest way to wreck an engine.

If it happens again, don't even start the engine. Walk home / call a tow truck or whatever you need to do. The oil is the only thing that stops your engine wearing out. Without oil, the bearings run metal on metal, and can be wrecked in seconds.

Your engine will fail within this next year. It will begin to show up as loss of power, then it will start using more gas. Eventually the engine will just stop running as a bearing finally starts to break down. Your first mistake was not checking your oil everyday before driving out of the drive way. Your second mistake, and the DUMBEST, was to drive it back home after you discovered that there was no oil on the dip stick! DOH!

Oil keeps the bearings lubricated. It also keeps the pistons running smoothly up and down the cylinder sleeves. If it was completely out of oil, the engine would have seized only a block or two from your house. Since it did not seize, then there was some oil in there. But the engine was most likely starving for oil and the insides were most likely heating up and scoring. The damage will start to reveal itself as you drive it in the next few months. I give you no less than a year before you have a total failure!

If it's running fine then it's running fine. Luck out. Would find out what's the deal with the oil leak.

Power to the people.

There's no way for anyone to know without further detailed inspection and testing - or you just drive it and see how as it goes as it is too late to worry now as any damage is done

If the engine is not making any unusual noises and is running fine then you are more than likely ok. Of course there was some excessive wear when you ran it with no oil pressure but it was more than likely not enough to cause damage at the moment. Hopefully you repaired the leak.

It may run okay for a while but I suspect you have damaged the rod and crankshaft bearings. There's no way to check for that unless the oil pan is removed.

Just drive it. It isn't going to instantly fail.

Engine trouble.