(Not a GTi-R Question) - Oil pressure warnng light.

[PobodY]

In the last day or so the oil pressure light has started to come on at idle in my other car. - I don't think it has been driven by my wife like that for long. The way she tells it; it came on before she pulled into the petrol station, so after she'd filled-up she gently drove it home and parked.

My first through was low oil, but I've checked that and if anything it's over-filled.

The car is nothing special; a Hyundai Amica on an 06 plate with not many miles on it because it spent a long time locked-up in a garage; so I find it hard to believe that the engine is knackered. - There are certainly no odd noises from it and there is no mayo under the radiator or oil-filler caps.

I figured it was about due for a service, so there is new oil etc coming for it; ironically ordered before the light started to come on. - Is it possible that will fix it? I'm just wondering if there's crap in the filter and it's gone into bypass.

Is there anything else I could or should be checking? I don't really think there's anything wrong, but I don't want to ruin an otherwise serviceable engine by ignoring the warning signs.

EDIT: OK, it doesn't do it from cold; the coolant needs to be in the normal range before the light comes on. Plus it is just above idle; when you get above ~1000rpm the light goes out again. - This is feeling like an oil issue to me; it is possible I've mixed incompatible types. For example if it had topped-up with Castrol GTX, but filled it with Fruchs semi-synthetic originally; would that cause this?

 

[williams]

If the oil is old shit oil it may be thinning out wheb an warms up and not making decebt pressure at low engine speeds.

 

[stumo]

Most oil pressure lights come on at a seriously low pressure, often 5psi or so.

Get the garage to give you the old oil filter and cut it open (not with a hacksaw as that will cause filings and give a false reading), you can use a pair of HD scissors or tin snips (or borrow my filter cutter).

See if there's any bits trapped in the paper.

Also use the proper Hyundai filter, not a motorfactor one...

If you can, buy a spare Hyundai filter and cut that open too to see if there are any bypass valves in there.... quite often motorfactor filters don't have them and that can cause poor pressure if the filter is blocked.

 

[Fast Guy]

Check the obvious first ie it's is actually low oil pressure causing the light to come on and not a dodgy sensor or wiring. Do you have a mechanical gauge you could fit or even get a garage to do it for you, just to check the actual pressure.
An oil and filter change would be next cheapest, after that it could be something like the pump, bypass sticky or something or engine. If the engine was knackered you'd expect to hear warning noises (knocking etc)

 

[PobodY]

If you mean the shed out the back of my house by "the garage" then I'm pretty sure I'll be able to keep the old oil filter; I'll source some tin snips to take a look inside.

The old filter will be a UFI one that came from Opie Oils, and that's what will be coming again. - I think the Hyundai filter is a Mahle, but I think they are equivalent quality.

I'll dump the oil and filter on Monday (just as soon as the courier has dropped the fresh stuff off). - Is it worth putting a can of engine flush through when I do it? I don't usually, but if it's gunk that's my problem it might be a good idea.

 

[vss irvine]

check the sump for damage as it could be a oil pick up problem.

 

[PobodY]

That's a good point; I'll have a good look when it's in the air to change the oil.

I haven't twated anything with it personally, but god knows what the wife might have done to it. - She did say she hasn't been flogging it (which I believe because it's automatic so you'd have to really be trying to redline it), but those little wheels could easily get lost in a pothole and smack the sump on something.

 

[williams]

I personally wouldn't use engine flush, if I was that bad I would drop the oil, thenput some thin cheap oil in and run it to temperature and let the thin oil get round the engine then do you normal oil and filter change.

 

[PUL54R]

What type of oil filter is it? Newer cars seem to come with a cartridge type of filter that sits in a plastic housing. I have seen a few of these break up which causes the oil light to come on at idle, this is mainly on citroens and peugeots though. If it is a cartridge type undo the housing, remove the filter and you should see a cross in the middle if you look straight through it, if it's not there that will probably be the cause. Hope this helps.