Oil Level Warning Light

September 1, 2005

Does anybody have any experience of the dashboard oil level warning light coming on intermitently? I have been told it may be the sensor in the sump and have been quoted £250 to replace it! I have checked the oil level and the compression is also fine.

Any help or reccomendations of a good independant Toyota specilist in the South Devon area would be welcome.

Thanks

DB

September 1, 2005

I guess the answer depends on several things such as how many miles the engine has done and what kind of oil you are using.

I had this same issue with a previous car having done some 80,000 miles and I thought it would be a good idea to put in some Mobil 1. Within a few days the oil light would come on intermittently and when I had it investigated I was told the oil was too thin for my engine. Replacing the oil with GTX Magnatec sorted the problem.

So it may not be the sensor or the light at fault.

September 1, 2005

Don't forget that the dash lights are normally oil pressure, not level. you will still normally get ok pressure with the oil level low, or with low compression on the engine.

This therefore is either pointing to a failure in the sensor or the circuit related to it. Or, something like a blocked oil gallery/ failing pump/ failing bearing etc. But yes, as mentioned earlier too thin oil will cause low oil pressure, especially on a worn engine.

These engines normally run ok on thin oil however.

September 1, 2005

Stuart's essentially right. Depends on the engine type as to whether you've a oil level or oil pressure sensor. If it's the new model avensis with petrol engine it's a pressure switch. if's a diesel it's level.

September 2, 2005

Thanks for this chaps!

I am driving an 1999 2.0 litre CDX petrol car with 53K of genuine miles on the clock. The non Toyota garage I took it two said they suspected the level sensor but could not be 100% and that it was going to be dear to fix, it just seemed alot of money to fit a sensor???

Orriginally it wascoming on when going down hills but then got progressivly worse but I had the MOT and changed the oil and filtres and it has hardly done it since. The garage did not have fully synthetic so it had semi for the first time - maybe this has made a difference!

As I say if anyone can reccomend an independant specilist or even a good garage in the South Devon area I would appreciate it. I am in Torquay and they all seem to specialise in ripping off the wealthy retired folk in the area!

Thanks again