Oil light flashing and beeping

[mattnorgrove 0]

Didnt know whether to put this in Engine Bay or Interior as it seems to be oil/sensor related (maybe!)

 

Anyhoo, was driving at a steady 50mph on way to work on monday, (flat road/no hills) and the oil light started flashing at me accompanied by a beeping coming from the clocks.

 

I'd checked the dipstick the previous morning (sunday, first time in a month :oops: ) and the level is fine, nice clean oil too.

 

Since then this flashing/beeping has started. It only lasts prob 10 secs max then ceases.

 

Doesn't happen on sharp bends/islands so i'm pretty sure the levels ok. (the dipstick cant lie can it? or can it?)

 

Could it be some kind of sensor i've disturbed with the dipper??

 

Please help as i'm totally paranoid of my little valver (i'm sure she's got it in for me) :(

[Henny 0]

check that the plastic holder on the top of the dip-stick tube isn't broken... if it is, it can make the dip-stick read upto 2 litres over what's actually in the sump!!! :crazyeyes:

 

They're only a pound from GSF/ ECP and the like...

[davidwort 0]

Didnt know whether to put this in Engine Bay or Interior as it seems to be oil/sensor related (maybe!)

 

Anyhoo, was driving at a steady 50mph on way to work on monday, (flat road/no hills) and the oil light started flashing at me accompanied by a beeping coming from the clocks.

 

I'd checked the dipstick the previous morning (sunday, first time in a month :oops: ) and the level is fine, nice clean oil too.

 

Since then this flashing/beeping has started. It only lasts prob 10 secs max then ceases.

 

Doesn't happen on sharp bends/islands so i'm pretty sure the levels ok. (the dipstick cant lie can it? or can it?)

 

Could it be some kind of sensor i've disturbed with the dipper??

 

Please help as i'm totally paranoid of my little valver (i'm sure she's got it in for me) :(

 

the 1.8 has two pressure sensors that will cause this beeping, both are on top of the oil filter housing, one is for idle pressure (low pressure warning), the other is for about 2500rpm (low pressure warning), usually one has a black top the other white, although sometimes a brown top is used, make sure the wires and sensors are in good nick, the wires are very exposed here and can go brittle and corrode. The sensors sometimes leak oil and can eventually piss it out! Very cheap to replace, they connection to them earths through the sender to the block.

The other possible problem is genuinely low oil pressure from a knackered pump or blocked pickup pipe in the sump, less likely if the car has been serviced properly though. Age and wear and tear makes it more likely to be the wires or senders I reckon, luckily!

 

I think it's the black/brown top one that is the idle pressure one, that would be the most likely of the two for your symptoms.

 

David.

[Lippy 0]

Henny, eeep mine is broken and has been for ages!

[mattnorgrove 0]

Thanks for the quick response, i'll check both, hope its not the pump thats knackered, sounds costly...? (already pending a PAS pump swapout when funds allow, but i reckon if this persists and turns out to be the oil pump, than that'll have to take proirity)

 

Thanks again... I'll keep the forum posted....

[Henny 0]

Lippy, it depends on HOW it's broken... sometimes a bit snaps out of the middle meaning that the dipstick sits too low in the sump and so will read higher than the actual oil level... If it's just snapped, but still has both bits and makes a complete guide when the dipstick is put back into the tube, you're probably OK, but for a quid, it's worth changing it! :lol:

[mattnorgrove 0]

Hi all, just had a look at the plastic dipstick holder. Thats intact and fine, looking at the cables going to the 2 oil filter housing sensors, both spade connectors are corroded and both leads have cracks in the insulation/corrosion so i'll fix these up at the weekend. Thanks again for your help.