Check oil light!!!!!

[ikessky]

Well, the Skylark needs to get all it's little things fixed before I sell it. Here's a new little thing that's annoying me. Most of the time, when I go to start my car, the "Check Oil" light will stay on. Here's what I do. I turn the key to the ON position (not started yet) and watch for the light to stay on. If it stays on, I can turn the key to OFF, wait for a second and then turn it to ON again. Almost everytime, the light will go off the second time around and everything is fine. I've checked the oil every week now and it is always fine. Is this just the oil level sensor or is it something else?

[Anonymous]

What I would do is change the oil and put in oil flush before you do it. This might "clean up" the problem. Also maybe disconnection the battery to erase any codes on the ECM however I don't think/know if it has anything to do with it.

Thats what I would try anyways.. I don't know jack :P

[ikessky]

There shouldn't be any stored codes since the SES light didn't go on.

I need to change the oil this weekend anyway, so maybe I'll just pull out the sensor and see what the deal is with it.

[bszopi]

There are several codes which will not set off the SES light. Not sure if any of them have to do with oil (doubt it), but there are some. I would suspect the sensor over anything else.

[Homer]

The sensor is your oil pressure sensor. I'm a little confused on what your saying though..so this is how its soposed to work...With no oil pressure and your key in the ON position the light will be ON, that means even if your engine is off but your key is in the ON position then the light will be ON. But once there is oil pressure the light will turn OFF.

[Homer]

Oh yeah, the oil pressure sensor is in no way hooked up to the ses light or anything like that, or else whats the point of having an oil light if the check engine light goes of anyway?

[Cliff8928]

Uhh, isn't the sensor in question the oil level sensor, not the oil pressure sensor? The sensor sticking up into the bottom of the oilpan..

Cliff Scott
89 BerettaGT
89 Volvo740

[ikessky]

Yes, the sensor I'm talking about is the oil LEVEL sensor.

Let me try to better explain. Take this morning for instance. I got in my car and started it. It started fine, but the Check Oil light remained on. I turned the car off, waited for a second, and then turned the key to the On position. The Check Oil light then went out and I started the car a second time. No Check Oil light this time. I don't have to start the car for this to happen though. Just needs to be in the On position to see the dash light up.

[Homer]

Ohh...I thought you were talking about the gauge that people call the check oil light, not the the "check oil level" light, but anyways there should be a whole module that controls that light not just a sensor. Usually there is a bad ground wire going from the sensor to the module or it could be the module or sensor themselves.

[ikessky]

Thank you Homer. I will be sure to check the ground also. Could be that there is something wrong with the connection or the ground as the problem is only as I described it. It never comes on during normal driving.

[RacerX11]

You need to check the oil level sensor itself. If you can get under the car and unplug the sensor, put an ohm-meter across the two sensor pins. If it is a closed circuit, the sensor is registering a good oil level. If it is open circuit, it is indicating low oil level.

Most likely, it is open. The ECM has logic that tries to eliminate a false indication of low oil. If you shut the engine off, and then turn the key back on, there is a timer that runs based on coolant temp. This is to allow the oil to drain back into the pan. The colder the engine, the longer the timer runs to allow the thicker oil to drain. This explains why your light comes on and then goes off when you re-start. Since you don't actually have to start the engine to get this reset to occur, they must simply be checking the ignition switch status, and not the fact that the engine has actually started.

If the sensor is reading open circuit all the time, the float could be stuck, or the reed switch inside could be broke. You can drain the oil and pull the sensor out to check for this. Even if it is just a sticking float, you are probably better off just replacing the sensor. Chances are it will stick again. If you don?t want to bother with replacing the sensor, but you want to get rid of the light, simply put a paper-clip into the harness connector across the two pins. This will fool the ECM into thinking the oil level is always good

I forgot to mention that it is possible there is an open in the wire harness between the ECM and the oil level sensor which will give the same symptoms.

Marty