Pascal

While driving today the check oil light came on.
I left with a cold engine and when the engine reached about 85 Celsius the thermostat jumped in and I could see the oil temperature dropping as usual. Also you can feel on the right hand side that the oil is circulating.
However if the engine reaches again 85 Celsius the check oil light comes on.
In my opinion the thermostat is working, there is enough oil, the oil pressure is good and there are no oil leaks.

Any ideas what can cause the check oil light to come on?

Many thanks.

justin-in-athens

If you checked the dipstick and the level is actually good at operating temperature on level ground, then I would suspect the sending unit located on the tank in the rear passenger's footwell is faulty, or the wiring.

tbennett017

Concur.. make sure you use the dipstick measurement. Hot engine at idle, level ground... then check the oil level on the stick. The sending unit and tank float are electronic and can be off.

Pascal

Thanks for your replies.
I've checked the oil with a hot engine at idle with the dip stick and it is just below the highest level.

Strange is that everything is working perfect IMO and the check oil light only comes on the second time the engine reached 85 C and above. The first time the thermostat jumps in. When the check oil lights is on (so above 85C) and the temperature goes below 85 C the check oil light goes off again.

Where exactly is the sending unit located?

JasonAndreas

That "check oil" light is a warning for low pressure and not level. You need to trouble-shoot the oil pressure sender and the wiring to/from on the back of the engine.

Pascal

Thanks

C4inLA

[QUOTE=JasonAndreas;14108342]That "check oil" light is a warning for low pressure and not level. You need to trouble-shoot the oil pressure sender and the wiring to/from on the back of the engine.

Jason,

I am about to reconnect my pressure send wiring and in your pic, do those top two wires matter which is which? I took pics a bit fuzzy and want to be sure, thanks.

Rocket Rob

Matthew - The green/red wire is the oil pressure gauge. The green/white is the oil pressure light.

crg53

[QUOTE=C4inLA;14117223]
Hook up the wires, one has a big clip, the other is smaller. With the wires connected, turn the ignition on and check the oil pressure gauge. The needle should be just off the bottom position, if it's pegged at the top, the wires are the wrong way around.

Pascal

Recently we had some trouble with a marten. There is a good change that he had a go at the cable of the oil pressure sender.

As the unit is so difficult to locate I think it will be hell to trace the cable.

Harry Apps

If it is cable damage, would it not show as a permanent or intermittent indication at any engine speed? You didn't mention what speed the engine was running at when the light illuminates. If it is at slow (idle) speed, then it can be "normal"; that's in the owner's manual.

Pascal

Engine speed has indeed no influence. It is the temperature. Only if the engine reaches for the second time the mark of 85 C degrees the check oil light comes on. The first time the thermostat jumps in and the oil starts circulating. The second time the light comes on, idle or not. If I'm driving and the temperature falls below 85 C again, the light also goes off. Maybe these same symptoms occur with a broken or lose cable from the oil pressure sender? I don't know.

Pascal

In the end it turned out to be not marten gremlins but a faulty oil pressure sender.