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Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 12:03 am
by mela!
Tonight the oil warning light started coming on when I reached speeds of around 60-70km/h
It wasn't a solid light, it flickered on as I accelerated and as I hit around 80km/h it became solid, then when I slowed down it slowly started flickering/fading in and out then as I lowered the speed further it turned off
The revs were irrelevent and changing gear had no bearing, the speed appears to be the only visible reason
Car has plenty of new oil (it's actually a bit over-full, could this affect it?)
The car is still running perfectly fine and I haven't noticed any difference in performance, just wanting to know why this light is flashing in my face!
Money is on a faulty sensor, yay or nay? And why would it only activate at certain speeds?
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:30 am
by silverGPX
Sure it wasnt your washer fluid? Top up your washer fluid and see if it goes away

i think its an orange light
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:16 pm
by Rob Furniss
Oil light is on the left, washer fluid light is top right I think.
Are you positive that it's got oil in it right now not that it did have a few days ago?
If so then maybe the sensor or wiring to it is faulty or maybe your oil pump is on it's way out, just guessing though.
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:11 pm
by mela!
Was definitely the oil light. Little oil can, red light, on the left. The washer fluid is always full anyway but doesn't look anything like that so it's obviously not that.
It hasn't done it again since last night but I haven't been in a speed zone over 60km/h
Oil got topped up last Thursday (incorrect reading, hence it's a bit over-full)
My guess is the sensor but how could this point to the pump?
Confusion!
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:17 pm
by Rob Furniss
Might well be me being dumb.
Just thought if the pump has gone/on it's way out then you won't have much oil pressure and then your oil pressure light will come on.
That's me assuming it goes on pressure and not oil level, actually fairly sure it's pressure.
I'm hoping it's just the sensor though.
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:03 pm
by mela!
I'm pretty sure it's not oil pressure... It's for low oil levels
You need a guage for the oil pressure but I'm tempted to replace the analog clock for one anyway when I get a spare $50, it's good to keep an eye on.
But yeah, the warning light is just levels, like fuel lights etc the little meter just checks the level...hence I'm wondering if the over-filled oil would affect that at all
Hasn't happened since and gonna drain some oil back out of it tomorrow anyway, I'll see if anything changes...
Thanks anyway guys
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 8:54 pm
by payaya
How much over is the oil on dip stick?
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:39 pm
by mela!
When the car is cold it's just a mm over full, but when the car is warm it's like twice the height...
Finally getting a chance to drain some out this weekend
But the oil light started again last night, it hasnt happened for a week but last night it was flickering at around 90kmph
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 1:07 pm
by payaya
That's fine mate 1-2 mm over is nothing.
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 2:44 pm
by aza013
mela! wrote:When the car is cold it's just a mm over full, but when the car is warm it's like twice the height...
Finally getting a chance to drain some out this weekend
But the oil light started again last night, it hasnt happened for a week but last night it was flickering at around 90kmph

hang on a second so your saying your car makes oil when it's running

.
Is the car on flat ground when you are checking it?
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:16 pm
by mela!
Not making oil obviously, but its reading higher when thecar is hot. i dont check it while the car is running.
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:57 pm
by Bennoz
When the car is running, the oil is obviously being splattered around the sump by the spinning crank, which will give the silly high dipstick reading, not an issue.
I'd check the oil sender unit, which is just down in the middle of the front belt arrangement. Right in between the power steer / air con belt loop, you'll see a singular wire coming form a sender in the middle. Just try reseat the blade connector & see what happens.
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:11 am
by mela!
Thanks Bennoz
As I said I dont check it when it's running but that would definitely be the reason it's reading high...
I'll get the bf to look tonight -_-
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:25 am
by Bennoz
How'd you go?
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 9:28 am
by mela!
Had a bit of a play around but the light hasn't actually played up in weeks now anyway, it was just doing it for a couple of weeks then stopped... It's been maybe 3 weeks since it's stopped...
So...it fixed itself before?
Confusion!
Was still just wanting to suss out what it COULD have been incase it pops up again :l
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 10:53 pm
by payaya
If your oil ready was over full when on you are way overfilled. It should be almost no oil on the dipstick when cars on.
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:53 pm
by Sahin
wouldnt there be oil all over it when its on because its being splattered around?
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:19 am
by payaya
Nah the dip stick doesn't physically enter the oil sump so no splash. You can see the difference between a splash on the dip stick and actual level of your oil.
Re: Flickering Oil Warning Light
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:37 pm
by mela!
Back on this topic, this problem continued sort of on-off over a few month span...
A month or so ago my HANDBRAKE LIGHT was doing the same thing!! Only around left corners though...
Might be time to wiggle all those plugs in the back of my dash hey...