So today as I am driving to work, my oil light comes on. I just got my oil changed a few days ago (at a shop I always got to) so it's fresh stuff. No leaks, no missing oil cap, drain plug or leaks. I took it in this morning to be sure and they didn't see anything wrong. Of course, the oil light was off when I got there because I had to go to work, turn off the car and open up the office.
The *only* oil related parts that got changed on my car in the past 6 months was the oil fill cap (was a new OEM Hyundai part) and the Oil Pressure Switch (looks like this one:
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and that was around September of last year. It wasn't an OEM replacement, just an aftermarket one. So it's kind of odd that suddenly I'd get an oil light. Anything I should check? Any idea what would throw the light?
I would hope the oil change shop has already done this, but has it been ver ified the oil level is okay. Look at the wiring going to the switch and ve rify it isn't rubbing on the engine or other metallic component. If there' s nothing obviously wrong, I'd do the following:
Check the oil pressure switch. If it's leaking replace it. Replace the oil filter. It's cheap and could be the culprit. If the pressure switch wasn't leaking, consider replacing it. (Although I do wonder why it was replaced in the first place). Once again, it's cheap.
I'm also interested in the conditions under which the lamp comes on. Engine cold/hot? Driving/idle? This information can help with looking in the proper direction first.
verified the oil level is okay. Look at the wiring going to the switch and verify it isn't rubbing on the engine or other metallic component. If there's nothing obviously wrong, I'd do the following:
They did check the level and said it was full enough. But of course, this was after I'd driven 12 miles to work and the oil\engine didn't have enough time to cool and settle. For an accurate reading, the car would have to sit and cool for a bit, right? I'm going to go check it at lunch to see what the level it. It should be around FULL more or less on the dip stick, right?
wonder why it was replaced in the first place). Once again, it's cheap.
The original oil pressure switch was replaced because it was leaking. I looked under the car this morning and at the switch and I didn't see it leaking. My hunch is the oil filter too. And yes, the oil pressure switch is only a couple of bucks. The reason I agree with your pointing to the filter is because the likelihood of it being the oil is next to zero. The filter is the only other thing that was changed during the oil change. And since I've been on this aftermarket replacement oil pressure switch since late August / early September, it *can't* have gone bad because of an oil change.
This morning it came on again when the engine was still fairly cold. By that I mean the temp dial hadn't even gone up much yet. I was maybe a mile or two from my house at this point. On my drive to work, the light was on solid but then it would flicker somewhat and then flicker in and out when I would accelerate and them decelerate to a stop. Seemed like during the up and downshifts. After a bit of that, it was very dimly lit and eventually it did stay off on the last 2-3 miles of my journey to work.
I answered some this for HT but here's some info for you. This morning the light came on after about a mile or two from home and the engine was barely warmed up. It stayed on for a few miles, then it would flicker in and out for some more miles, eventually it was dimly lit, and then in the last 2-3 miles of my trip to work, it turned off. Last August\September I had the oil pressure switch replaced because the original was leaking. The new one (aftermarket part) has been fine since. So other than the oil possibly being low (going to check it today at lunch), the only thing that it could be is a bad oil filter. It's not impossible but it could be the oil pressure switch. But after an oil change less than a week ago? I am not convinced.
Simple and cheap is the filter. That would be my first check, next is the switch or the connections to it. . Maybe it is coincidence, but it could have gone bad already.
On Tuesday, February 26, 2013 10:09:00 AM UTC-5, Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP] wr ote:
verified the oil level is okay. Look at the wiring going to the switch and verify it isn't rubbing on the engine or other metallic component. If the re's nothing obviously wrong, I'd do the following:
I do wonder why it was replaced in the first place). Once again, it's che ap.
If the oil was full enough prior to the car sitting, it'll be full enough a fter it sits.
I hadn't thought about the oil originally, but that's an interesting though t too. Many newer cars use 5W-20 or 0W-20 oil. If this was put in your So nata, I could see the lamp coming on.
Maybe just do the entire oil change again for starters.
verified the oil level is okay. Look at the wiring going to the switch and verify it isn't rubbing on the engine or other metallic component. If there's nothing obviously wrong, I'd do the following:
do wonder why it was replaced in the first place). Once again, it's cheap.
too. Many newer cars use 5W-20 or 0W-20 oil. If this was put in your Sonata, I could see the lamp coming on.
I think it's best just to do it over again too. Something got bunged up somewhere. It was Firestone and they have a "Fix It or It's Free" policy on oil changes so it's not gonna cost me a dime. Thanks much for the suggestions.
I checked the oil levels and they were at full so unless they did like HT said---put the wrong type in---it has to be the filter. Gonna go at lunch and have them re-do it all.
Mystery solved. I took my car to my family mechanic to get the front brakes done and told him about the oil light flickering. I asked him to check the Oil Pressure Switch. He did and said the boot that slips over it was full of water somehow. After draining out the water and letting it dry, no more oil light. So there you go. Must have been from all that snow we got hit with the past week.
verified the oil level is okay. Look at the wiring going to the switch and verify it isn't rubbing on the engine or other metallic component. If there's nothing obviously wrong, I'd do the following:
do wonder why it was replaced in the first place). Once again, it's cheap.
too. Many newer cars use 5W-20 or 0W-20 oil. If this was put in your Sonata, I could see the lamp coming on.
Mystery solved. I took my car to my family mechanic to get the front brakes done and told him about the oil light flickering. I asked him to check the Oil Pressure Switch. He did and said the boot that slips over it was full of water somehow. After draining out the water and letting it dry, no more oil light. So there you go. Must have been from all that snow we got hit with the past week.
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