01 1.2 Corsa oil pressure switch.

it may just have a chafed wire, on some vehicles the switch wire can rub on the drive shaft. your description of the fault is not the usual failure mode of a switch.

Ok, ok, I'm open to any such tips.

Fairy muff. I thought having a new switch at hand (assuming it was easy to change) mightn't be a bad idea tho, should I not find a chaffed wire etc (and one more thing to rule out while I'm there).

I've just asked laddo [1] if it could be rev-speed related but he suggested not. Even when stationary, if he blipped the throttle the light would (often) go out around 3k rpm but if he raised the revs slowly the light would be on up to about 2k and then start to flicker above that, (often) going out completely at about 3. However this wasn't totally predictable.

*My* first thought (assuming the oil level was good and it wasn't pouring out somewhere or blowing it out the back) was the oil pump, hence why I thought I'd just rule out the pressure switch first.

Cheers, T i m

[1] He's a fairly quiet Scot so once the information has been extracted it I still need daughter to translate for me. ;-)

p.s. The only circumstance where the light was totally predictable was that a tickover it then it was always on. However, this manner started only after they had stopped for food at about the halfway point (at

300+ miles).

well switches are not dear, so change it anyway. IIRC it is behind the engine but I see so many different cars they all meld into one with bits like that!!

I also mentioned that was my plan just in case there were any gotchas ... like they often are seized in or shear off or often exhibit those symptoms on that model and are best left alone etc etc.

Great. How I love transverse engines. From memory I can change the one on the 1300 Kent (in the kitcar) as easy as the plugs, inlet and exhaust manifold gaskets. ;-)

Hehe.

Cheers, T i m

That sounds like the pressure release valve in the oil pump's stuck, fairly common on those. Obviously I wouldn't suggest buying a rebuild kit & just changing the spring & piston without having to dismantle anything :-)

Oooo, what, something that is a common fault that can be easily fixed without stripping the entire car down or costing a fortune (or even having to remove the power steering)?

Please tell me more! ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Buy an oil pump rebuild kit from your local engine rebuilders & if you look in the Haynes manual you'll see that you can change the piston & spring without removing the pump, all the rebuild kits seem to come with slightly stiffer springs so if it works you caN leave the pump alone until you take the cam belt off for some other reason.

Ok.

... I asked him if he'd got one . Summat else to pick up with the rebuild kit. ;-)

Handy.

Check.

I think they were thinking of selling the car (it was his Dads) while it's clean and running as he's trying to start a Tree Surgery / Firewood business and would need a truck in any case.

Daughter then passes her test and takes her Ka up there as their runabout.

Assuming the Corsa can get them back to Scotland that is. ;-)

So, is this lump prone to sludging and hence allowing this pressure relief valve to get stuck open? Is there an 'easy' way of de-sludging (flushing oil?) or would it be a strip down if it should be the case?

Or, as you say, see if the new spring / valve sorts it (for now at least).

I might see if mate in the garage can pop it on his 4 poster asap, better that than risking the lump for what could be an easy fix.

Cheers, T i m

So,

When it stopped raining we just popped out for a quick look at the Corsa.

The first thing I noticed (thanks to the rain) was quite a bit of oil on the road under the car. Further there was signs of oil behind the rad and on the sub frame on the o/s.

I then pulled the wire out of the pressure switch (that happens to be right up at the top of the engine and couldn't be any easier to get at ) and notice oil coming out of the switch itself.

Then I check the dipstick and it was just on the bottom ... :-(

So, it looks like he leak may have started during their run from Scotland but been slow enough to keep it just on the edge of holding pressure.

I gave him the correct talking to, we changed the switch, topped up the oil, started the engine and noted the oil light was (now) off on tick over (engine still cold though).

I'll get him to check it out locally and that hasn't cured it I'll pop it in my mates and get him to check the pressure relief valve.

Thanks to all who responded.

Cheers, T i m

Switches fail pretty regularly. They're £6 if memory serves me right.