A friend has a 96 SC2 with 168,000 miles on it. Up to this point, the car has had very few problems. She has owned it since new and kept up with oil/filter changes.
However, 2 days ago, the oil light came on. Nothing really seemed to be wrong so she kept driving. Now, it is making a tapping sound from the top of the engine (most likely a valve lifter).
The oil was maybe a quart and a half low the other day, but it's been filled up now. The oil light is no longer on, but the tapping hasn't gone away.
My question is- since the engine didn't seem to run out of oil, that doesn't seem to be the cause here. What are common causes of low oil pressure on Saturns? I read somewhere a while ago that somehow the timing chain is related here and if something goes wrong with it, then it can cause low oil pressure. Can anyone with some knowledge shed some light on this?
Thanks.