Low oil and car won't start - help!?

My 99 saturn has a slow oil leak and I normally have to top of the oil once or twice between changes. This morning it would not start (started to turn over and kind of chug chug chugs). Upon inspection I noted that the oil is quite low. My questions are 1) could low oil pressure be keeping the engine from starting and 2) if I add oil will it solve the problem or have I damaged my car?





Thanks!Low oil and car won't start - help!?
Yes, low oil pressure can prevent your car from starting. We had this same problem on one of our SUVs and the ';Low Oil Pressure'; light was almost always on with low oil becoming more common due likely to a leak. You can keep adding oil to temporarily solve the problem, but without getting it checked out you could be damaging your car in the long run.. Think of your car as a person-- if you notice there's a persistent problem that continuously comes back, the best thing you can do is have someone look at it and diagnose the problem.Low oil and car won't start - help!?
There is no oil pressure if the car is not running. Low oil level alone will not keep a car from starting . If you have run the car with low oil level and pressure, then there is likely damage to bearings in the engine. The increased friction from these damaged bearings can keep your car from starting.





If the bearings are damaged, adding oil will not cure the problem. There are also numerous other causes for a car not to start--fuel, electrical, ground faults, timing belt, etc.
well it definitely wont hurt to top off the oil. but its possible to start with no oil. ive done it before. (oops) i noticed it as soon as it started though. but anyway, it sounds like you have a low battery. but running with low or no oil WILL damage your engine (sometimes beyond repair) so keep up on the oil. but try a jump start. if that dont work, check all your connections on the battery, make sure theyre clean and tight.
saturns suck, use it for a trade in.