'97 honda civic dx automatic, 121000 miles

just bought for neice. she drove it 250 miles, checked the oil when
stopped. showed empty. nothing on dipstick. empty coolant bottle. she
put in 4 quarts of oil. still nothing on dipstick. absolutely no leaks
underneath. started engine and checked oil while running. oil all the
way up on dipstick, and gnashing noises from what appears to be the oil
pump through dipstick tube. some spitting, but not much. not much oil
flowing in valve cover either. some smoke, blue/white from tailpipe
when back-off. she said lots of smoke for about 7 or 8 miles before
shutting it down.
there are no markings on the dipstick except two holes 1/2 inch apart
at top and at bottom.
why doesnt oil show on dipstick when stopped? how many quarts does it
take? has she blown the head gasket, or burned a valve? or? car is at
a freeway exit. would like to get feedback before towing, as very
expensive/far. any info appreciated. don

 

No coolant in the bottle? With the oil dipstick problems,
the risk is too great to drive this car further. I do not
see that you have any other sensible choice, except maybe to
leave the car where it is for the night. Have the girl call
a cab, go relax. Return to the car in the morning.

Let the car cool down, then take off the radiator cap, and
check for coolant in the radiator. Report back.

The car should take about four quarts of oil. The dipstick
starts showing an oil level about as one adds the fourth and
final quart.

This car's engine may have seized due to a loss of coolant.

 

left it overnight
went to get neice
wife suggested: maybe someone put in wrong dipstick? wonder if tranny &
oil dipstick switched?
will check at dealer to see what oil and tranny dips look like tomorrow

 

Ask your niece whether she ever saw the low oil pressure
warning light come on; whether the temperature gage on the
dashboard red-lined or seemed high; whether she ever saw
coolant or oil on the ground beneath the car. Look for the
oil and/or coolant on the ground tomorrow morning. Take the
oil filler cap off tomorrow and look at the oil under the
valve cover with a flashlight. What color and consistency is
it?

Any idea what the coolant level was before the trip?

Elle wrote
Pardon, the above is terrible communications. It's a loss of
oil that causes an engine to seize (or, in this Civic's case
if it was still kinda driving, start to seize).The car
overheating due to a loss of coolant may have led to this.
E.g. low coolant causes head to warp causing head gasket
leak or similar, coolant and oil mix in a totally
unacceptable(!) way in the cylinders and are lost out the
exhaust pipe.

But it's really not clear what all transpired yet.

 

The description of the dipstick does sound like the transmission fluid
dipstick which would be shorter than the oil dipstick. Which in turn,
may have lead to your neice misreading the oil levels and overfilling
with oil.