This sort of reminds me of a bad oversight I made. I had a 91 Plymouth Acclaim. I hadn't checked the oil in it for a couple of months. Anxious to go hunting and a lot sleepy-eyed, I forgot to check it before we took off at 0330. About an hour or so into the trip, an obnoxious clatter started. I stopped at a gas station on the way to the hunting area and the oil didn't even register on the dipstick. (I change the oil in my vehicles every 3000-5000 miles, so I'm usually OK). I added some oil in hopes that it would go away. It didn't. Upon arrival at our hunting place, while walking to my stand, I sprained my ankle badly. I DID get a deer that day. I nurse the vehicle back home that night after hunting. With the sprained ankle and a messed up car, I declined to go the next morning. (Hunting seasons in MN are only two days for the zones I normally hunted). Anyways, I tear into the engine and discovered that I had spun a bearing. I keep that on my dash to remind me about what happens if you don't maintain your vehicle properly. It cost me some $800 in parts and machining to rebuild that engine.
