Macster

This popped up as I was circiling a Barstow CA gas station's pumps looking for a working pump last Saturday after hauling it across I-40 from Kingman AZ to Barstow CA.

Even though I check the oil level frequently and monitor the gages/dash warning lights for any signs of trouble while driving and nothing scary was showing it was still a bit unnerving.

Yesterday, I spoke to a senior tech about this and he said it sounds like the oil level sensor/sender is acting up. He said it is not a big job to replace, just a mite 'fiddly".

Anyhow, I hate warning messages from flaky sensors/senders so I'm going to have this looked into when I take the car in for its 5K mile oil/filter service sometime next week.

Sincerely,

Macster.

daytrip00

And this is why i prefer a good ol' dipstick....

Macster

It is going to take more than one spurious check engine oil level message; it is going to take more than having to replace one bad oil level sensor/sender, before I even start to miss the " good ol' dipstick".

Sincerely,

Macster.

Carlo_Carrera

I have had the message pop up a couple of times over the years. I thought it was triggered by miles driven.

uschoice

I had the misfortune to have this message pop up the very first day I bought the car, while driving down 55 from Newport. Also had a sporadic zero oil pressure reading. Scared the heck out of me. Turned out to be a loose connection on the sending unit I tightened up when I changed the plenum. I do have a spare unit in stock now, just in case.

adam_

Would one "it said there was oil but apparently there wasn't" event going to make you start missing the "good ol' dipstick"

Macster

An engine having oil then not having oil is not an event that I've ever encountered. Engines simply do not lose their oil at random times.

The biggest risk is if someone is changing the oil he forgets to put the oil in the engine, or does not put in the right amount. (Another possibility is the person forgets to install the drain plug.)

If one is this absent-minded, this poor of a DIY mechanic, a dipstick of course could come in handy, provided this person had the mental capacity to recognize the dipstick was there and knew how to use it.

Those less absent minded simply count the number of quarts of oil that are added to the engine and before starting the engine do a second count. And look under the car for any signs of oil coming from the engine due to perhaps forgetting to put in a drain plug.

If the engine suddenly lost its oil I fail to see how a dipstick could help. I bet not one in 100 drivers with a car with a dipstick bothers to check the oil level before heading out.

With my Boxster since the oil level is displayed from cold I can in the comfort of my car's driver seat check the oil level and do before heading out.

In the case of my Turbo I can't check the oil level with the engine off or even cold so if the engine lost its oil while sitting still there's that shortcoming.

But in this case I do not think the dipstick would be a help. Probably the only clue a driver would need to know something was up is when his head contacted the hard pavement after having slipped in the 8+ quarts of oil that had drained somehow out of the engine and formed a slippery puddle of oil under and around the car.

The benefit of the digital oil level system is it provides the driver the ability to check the oil without having to go through the whole dipstick ritual. In the case of the Turbo, once the engine is up to temp I can check the oil any time I please and I check it rather often. I certainly check it before shutting the engine off as I wait a while with the engine idling to allow the turbos to cool (as the owners manual advises).

The problem is that too many drivers fail to use this digital oil level system regularly and in some cases wait to add oil when a dash warning message or light comes on. But they are also drivers that I suspect fail to bother checking the oil level with the dipstick if one were present.

Sincerely,

Macster.

SSST

I've gotten in the habit of checking mine everytime I fill up. It's a lot easier to do in electronically, than to find a paper towel (they always seemto be out), open the hood, etc. etc.

"02996ttx50

i find i check my oil a bit obsessively, and am pissed when its not up to op temp, so i then fiddle with the stalk at red lights. perhaps it's something about these cars that has *us* checking things absent any particular reason or timetable. i also check my coolant fluid level and pentosin a lot more than i need to and god help me, if i find a drop of anything under my car..argh. but i can't seem to stop.

i bet i'm not alone in this behavior.

raineycd

lol we are a bit obsessive as car owners! I have found that checking the oil at a stoplight makes it turn green faster!

"02996ttx50

yes! just when it gets to the last couple secs before it gives a measure.. stoplights green lol

doubleurx

I check mine often as well, but I still think they should have installed a dipstick as well. My 964 has both a dash oil level gauge and a dipstick.

adam_

Agree, both would be perfect.

My diesel X5 has both, the envy of the X5 world...

Dock

I check the oil level during the turbo cool down period when I get home from a drive; it's always at operating temperature, and as long as I don't see a pool of oil underneath the car the next time I drive it then I know the oil level is still where I last saw it.

"02996ttx50

good idea. stoplight checking is odd. i'm crazy enough to feel or think i notice when my oils 2 bars low! something most would probably say isn't possible. so a pool of anything under the car would send me into paroxysms of anxiety.