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I was wondering if our cars keep this light on constantly or if it warns you then goes away if your oil is low. Mine chimes in, stays on for about 20 seconds then turns off and either stays off or turns back on at different times.
The oil level sensor is similar in design to a float in a toilet tank. (Pic below is for 1st generation IS, but I assume 2nd gen is similar). When the level is close to the switching threshold, it will switch on and off as you drive up and down hills, takes sharp curves, etc. due to the oil pooling on one side or sloshing around. Eventually oil level will drop to the point that it stays on all the time.
If you know that your car consumes oil, I'd suggest that you get in the habit of checking with the dipstick on a regular basis so that the light never needs to come on.
You should check the dipstick on a regular basis if your car burns oil fast. If the light is long enough it might cause oil starvation. I know that is the case for S2000 (which can require an engine rebuild).
I hadn't checked oil level for a couple of weeks and had the warning come on today briefly. Am I going to be ok driving the 10km or so to grab some oil or should I take a cab to pick some up?
If it just came on briefly you should be ok for a 10k drive. You might want to check the dipstick first. If there is no oil touching the bottom, then maybe a cab. It depends on what you are doing. Mine doesn't come on during normal driving, but practicing emergency stops (during a HS driving course) it came on a couple of times. Checking the dipstick indicated the oil level was between the low and high marks, but 1/2 litre made the problem go away. All of which is to say it depends on what was going on when you saw the light come on. If just normal acceleration or something you must be going thru a fair amount, or the shop didn't fill it enough on your last oil change.
Now that you know what's going on be sure to keep an eye on your oil level. Find out if it is burning or leaking oil. Everyone's engine is different even from the same model year and car. Quite a bit comes from how the engine was broken in. Properly setting the rings during a hard break in will net more power and you will have a better all around engine.
I have a '93 Lexus LS 400 and I recently had some work done on my engine to control multiple oil leaks from seals, oil pan gasket, valve cover, and crank shaft. After a few month of repairs and a few $$$$. All the leaks are gone, but my oil level light remains on. I don't have a leak, and I check the oil level on the dip stick regularly which reads in the full are. Check all fuzes but the oil level light remains on. Does anyone know if this would be caused by a faulty oil level switch???
07-02-15, 07:02 AM
Low Engine Oil Light
. All the leaks are gone, but my oil level light remains on. I don't have a leak, and I check the oil level on the dip stick regularly which reads in the full are. Check all fuzes but the oil level light remains on. Does anyone know if this would be caused by a faulty oil level switch???
