Can lack of oil cause the intake/exhaust camshaft solenoids to fail?

Question

Secondary to a check engine light, rough idle, cutting off, and sounded like a truck, I took my car to the dealer where I purchased the car. I've never missed an oil change and have all maintenance records. They indicated all my problems were indicative of a "stretched" timing chain, which needed replacing. I thought that was BS given the car is 3.5 yrs old 77k miles. Long story short, I took it to another location and it was immediately determined I had no engine oil (nothing on the dipstick), which the dealer COMPLETELY missed. Oh, and there are no oil leaks; this has been confirmed by 3 independent places including the Buick dealer who performed another complete diagnostic. Although adding oil cleared up the rough idle and truck engine sound it didn't clear the codes. Turns out I don't need a timing chain, I need cam shaft intake and exhaust actuator solenoids, hence my question. If the lack of oil for several months could cause the solenoids to fail, then I plan to go after the dealer to pay for the repairs. At the very least, I am owed a refund on the oil change that never happened.

Answer 1

Lack of oil will cause the solenoid to set a code, a lack of oil change . Even though there is so much chatter for the oil maintance it would not cause it fail. it just fails due to age and wear. what helps accelerate it is goin way low on the oil to a point where it did not show on the dipstick that is what caused it to fail.In reality a engine can go 10,000 miles with out a oil change, or even more as long as it does not go very low. a Taxi a good example or fleet vehicles one of the trick to keep it on the road when the maintance is due is to change the oil filter and just top of the oil without changing the oil. it when there is too low of oil is when the problem occur