Engine oil pressure light stays on for a few seconds after enginestarts

[Tyler Hall]

Hi, I've searched around on this newsgroup about this problem and haven't seen anything like this yet:
I have a 97 SC1 and now have 108000 miles on it. I just moved back to Canada (from the U.S.) and had to take the car to Canadian Tire (~equal to pep boys in the U.S.) to replace the alternater (another story, but I'm not bitter about it). I also had them change the oil because I was there and it was due (this was a week ago). In the past I've changed the oil myself and have never had a problem.

When I was in the U.S. I had a 40-minute commute (each way) at high speeds, now I have a 20 minute commute at low speeds (in the city, lots of starting/stopping). Over this past weekend we had relatives over and whenever we drove somewhere I put the A/C on (by myself I don't normally use it), and at the end of the weekend this oil light problem started.

After I started the car (A/C on) the oil light stayed on. I wondered if it was a "glitch" and just for fun I quickly shut off the A/C. The oil light immediately when off and stayed off. The engine behaved as if nothing was wrong and I never had a problem with it the whole way home.

The next morning, before I started the car, I popped the hood and checked the oil thinking it may be low. To my surprise it was at the full mark. I closed the hood and started the engine (A/C was off). Again the oil light stayed on, but wouldn't shut off this time. I rolled down the window and listened to the engine, but it sounded normal. I put it in gear and the light went off! I drove to work watching and listening carefully but the nothing out of the ordinary happened and the light didn't come back on.

After work I started the engine, and of course the light stayed on again. I popped the hood, checked the oil, even checked for leaks under the car. There was no indication other than that light that there may be a problem. I put it in gear and slowly drove through the parking lot, and this time the light stayed on for an additional 5-10 seconds. I kept the window down and carefully drove back home, but again nothing out of the ordinary and the light never came back on.

If the wrong kind of oil was put in (say a thinner type) would this trigger the low pressure light? I just find it very coincidental these facts:
- I've had no oil problems in the past, when I took care of the oil changes
- Canadian Tire replaces the alternator and changes the oil
- One week later I have this stange problem
- My American plates are still on the car, and I never gave an indication that I'm not "just visiting" Canada.

So that last one is a hint of paranoia. Should I be paranoid? What could cause the light to behave this way?

Thanks in advance,
Tyler

 

[Robert Hancock]

It's possible that they used a lighter weight of oil than you were running before (what was that?), or maybe they used a crap oil filter, perhaps with a defective anti-drainback valve - I'm pretty sure the Canadian Tire oil filters are made by Fram, who rather suck, IMHO. I don't think the light should have stayed on if the oil filter were the problem though.

It's also entirely possible that the oil pressure switch is acting flaky, it's far from unheard of..

Hi, I've searched around on this newsgroup about this problem and haven't seen anything like this yet:
I have a 97 SC1 and now have 108000 miles on it. I just moved back to

Canada (from the U.S.) and had to take the car to Canadian Tire (~equal to pep boys in the U.S.) to replace the alternater (another story, but I'm not bitter about it). I also had them change the oil because I was there and it was due (this was a week ago). In the past I've changed the oil myself and have never had a problem.

When I was in the U.S. I had a 40-minute commute (each way) at high

speeds, now I have a 20 minute commute at low speeds (in the city, lots of starting/stopping). Over this past weekend we had relatives over and whenever we drove somewhere I put the A/C on (by myself I don't normally use it), and at the end of the weekend this oil light problem started.

After I started the car (A/C on) the oil light stayed on. I wondered if it

was a "glitch" and just for fun I quickly shut off the A/C. The oil light immediately when off and stayed off. The engine behaved as if nothing was wrong and I never had a problem with it the whole way home.

The next morning, before I started the car, I popped the hood and checked

the oil thinking it may be low. To my surprise it was at the full mark. I closed the hood and started the engine (A/C was off). Again the oil light stayed on, but wouldn't shut off this time. I rolled down the window and listened to the engine, but it sounded normal. I put it in gear and the light went off! I drove to work watching and listening carefully but the nothing out of the ordinary happened and the light didn't come back on.

After work I started the engine, and of course the light stayed on again.

I popped the hood, checked the oil, even checked for leaks under the car. There was no indication other than that light that there may be a problem. I put it in gear and slowly drove through the parking lot, and this time the light stayed on for an additional 5-10 seconds. I kept the window down and carefully drove back home, but again nothing out of the ordinary and the light never came back on.

If the wrong kind of oil was put in (say a thinner type) would this

trigger the low pressure light? I just find it very coincidental these facts:

- I've had no oil problems in the past, when I took care of the oil changes
- Canadian Tire replaces the alternator and changes the oil
- One week later I have this stange problem
- My American plates are still on the car, and I never gave an indication

that I'm not "just visiting" Canada.

So that last one is a hint of paranoia. Should I be paranoid? What could

cause the light to behave this way?

 

[BANDIT2941]

If the wrong kind of oil was put in (say a thinner type) would this trigger the low pressure light? I just find it very coincidental these facts:
- I've had no oil problems in the past, when I took care of the oil changes
- Canadian Tire replaces the alternator and changes the oil
- One week later I have this stange problem
- My American plates are still on the car, and I never gave an indication that I'm not "just visiting" Canada.

So that last one is a hint of paranoia. Should I be paranoid? What could cause the light to behave this way?

Since the car is running fine and the oil is full, I'm guessing you have a sending unit problem. But, since it is kinda important, I would put a real pressure gauge on it and see what its at. Or you could just change the sending unit and see if the problem goes away(not sure how much they are).

Also, perhaps the oil change ppl left the old filter o-ring on and its partially blocking the filter passage. I've seen that before.........

 

[user]

Tyler Hall wrote:

After I started the car (A/C on) the oil light stayed on. I wondered if it was a "glitch" and just for fun I quickly shut off the A/C. The oil light immediately when off and stayed off. The engine behaved as if nothing was wrong and I never had a problem with it the whole way home.

The next morning, before I started the car, I popped the hood and checked the oil thinking it may be low. To my surprise it was at the full mark. I closed the hood and started the engine (A/C was off). Again the oil light stayed on, but wouldn't shut off this time. I rolled down the window and listened to the engine, but it sounded normal. I put it in gear and the light went off! I drove to work ...

I may not know what the heck I'm talking about, but it may be possible that the oil filter has a bad drain-back valve so that the engine is always starting with no oil in the filter or upstream oil passages. If this was the case, it might take time to pump enough oil to fill everything up again. My guess is that the A/C and putting it in gear are just timing coincidences.

5-10 seconds seems like a little longer than I'd expect, and I'm not sure my theory makes sense. Still, it wouldn't hurt to take it back and suggest that they may have installed a defective filter. Putting a new filter on would immediately prove (or disprove) this theory.

Bill Kuhns
wkuhns-at-cedarlakedesign.com

 

[Bob Shuman]

In this order I would try the following:

Check/clean the connector to the oil sender (may have been disrupted during recent service) Change the oil filter (strongly suggest using something other than a Fram - I like Purolator) Change the oil sender unit (dealer parts counter item) Change the oil (use what you have used in the past, 10W-30 weight appropriate for summer)

If you still have the light on, then I would get it in for service ASAP. Based on your description of the problem and the fact that the engine is running well, I would bet on either a bad filter or connection at the sender.

Bob