2005 Chevy Equinox

[juanvan]

(I think its a pushrod engine - Could be wrong)

On the equinox, is it common for the oil pumps to go?

My g/f car is on it's second engine, the first fried b/c of a bad oil pump; and the second one just popped the oil warning light when she was on her way home, the other night. It went out before she got home - but while it was on the car was sluggish to go.
(some days women should not be allowed to drive)

I took a look at the car, have to see if there is a code to read tonight, but everything was fine when I started it over the weekend just to see if the light would come on again.

Check oil level, and it is fine - would the oil light flash if it was under pressured, or only ON?

Thanks for any help

[pocket-rocket]

The oil light (if it's the pressure light and not the level light) will come on when the oil pressure drops below a certain amount. Sometimes it's something like 15psi- it depends on the engine and manufacturer and all pressures I list here are examples only and probably aren't correct for your car. As long as the pressure stays over this threshold the light will stay on. Once it drops below that pressure the light comes on.

The first thing I would do is check the oil level before you start it. If the oil level was low and she took a good turn, that can trigger the light as the oil pump sucks air. Then once you determine if it's up where it needs to be I would start the beast and let it idle until it warms up completely and watch for the light to come on (I would sit there the whole time, just in case). The reason you would want to see if it came on once it warms up is because as the engine warms up the metal expands. As it expands, oil clearances get larger. Also the thickness of the oil changes and it gets thinner as it gets warmer. Thicker oil creates higher pressure than thinner oil. The engine may have 40psi cold (clearances close and oil can't flow as easy out of the parts) but may go down to 15psi once it warms up (oil flows out of the parts easily).

Hopefully it was just a case of low oil and it sucked air for a short time and that will be the last you hear of it (as long as you keep your eye on the level). Hopefully it's not an electrical gremlin or mechanical issue. As a side note, welcome to the site

[juanvan]

Thank! - I have purchased a thing or 2 from wot - just have used the grand-am boards for help - this car is not a GA - edit - join date 2009

Ya I checked the oil level it was fine - I am driving around the car to see if it happens again.

Maybe when where ever she took it for a oil change, the silver protector plastic fall off in the oil fill. Her oil was changed about a week and a half ago. But so far so good.