Oil Light

[Paddy.]

recently noticed my oil light coming on intermitently when the car is idling but as soon as i give a rev it goes off, any ideas or help would be much appreciated

[Asi]

have you checked the oil?

[Andy-R]

^^^^^^^^^^^^What he said.

[Steviewevie]

Which oil light ? There's one for low oil level and another for low oil pressure. Either way you should check the oil level, but also make sure you know which light it is.

[sparkystav]

Its just one light isnt it Stevie?

Ornage for low level and red for low pressure. I think

[Steviewevie]

Its just one light isnt it Stevie?

Ornage for low level and red for low pressure. I think

I just went and checked and my car has two different lights. The low level one is the one with the wavy (i.e. fluid) line underneath it, I think (the orange one).

[sparkystav]

Fair enough.

[Paddy.]

this is the red 1 so i take it that means low oil pressure? what would the cause and cure of this be?

[sparkystav]

Lack of oil, possibly failing oil pump?

[ormi]

what ever it is its NO GOOD get it checked asap!!!!!

[Steviewevie]

Is your oil level ok ? As Ormi said you must get this checked out ASAP, because it could be something that might cause a big bill, like major engine damage.

[Asi]

i wouldnt drive baout the car in the mean while aswell.

[Rolex]

Same here get it checked ASAP

[Paddy.]

just checked oil level. is fine, nearly up to the top mark. only after a full service.light only really comes on when the car is drove hard and only when idling

[ormi]

as said dont drive i have seen many a engine fail due to faults like this and the owner saying it only happens when............it might be somthing as simple as a loose wire but then again it might be as bad as a oil pump or worse!!!!

[Asi]

as ormi said dont drive it mate. not worth getting a big bill at the end.

[Steviewevie]

As the guys above said. Please don't drive this until you can get it checked out. Hopefully it's just a problem with the oil pressure sensor, but it could be the early signs of something much worse, and if you catch it now you can easily sort it.

[Paddy.]

how would i no if the oil pump is on the way out.would any error codes come up or do i just need a good mechanic til go around an have a gd look around

[sparkystav]

well you'd get an oil light on the dash probaly

[Paddy.]

was lookin to see if this happened any else sparky. want to leave the car right with whatever i need to do. just wondered did anyone have any helpfull opinions. obviously this is not a common thing because no one else seems til have had this problem

[The Transporter]

Just a thought... Does the engine run hotter than it usually does... A combination of cheap oil and a hot running engine could cause a problem

[Paddy.]

i have noticed that the engine is running hot very recently also but just when idling, cools down when driving again. think ther may be a problem with the fan also but the oil i used was good Castrol stuff. and wasnt too cheap! could the rise in engine temperature be causing the oil pressure to drop or rise too much?

[sparkystav]

Could beyour oil pump mate

[Paddy.]

well would a faulty oil pump cos the temperature to rise as well? would the fan not kick on and cool the engine

[The Transporter]

i have noticed that the engine is running hot very recently also but just when idling, cools down when driving again. think ther may be a problem with the fan also but the oil i used was good castrol stuff. and wasnt too cheap! could the rise in engine temperature be causing the oil pressure to drop or rise too much?

If your engine is running hot then this can cause your oil to be thinner and thus your oil pressure can be lower causing the oil pressure light to flicker on at tick over... either way you need to get this oil pressure issue sorted