[JonV]

Leaving work at 3:30 AM, when I started up the Oil Light Came on, I ran the car for about two minutes, it stayed on so I shut down, checked the Oil and just the tip of the dipstick showed Oil. i rechecked and it was the same.

I slowly drove to an all night Service station which was close by, put in two quarts for starters. when I checked the level....it was over Max....?

It does not leak nor burn any oil....88 900T

Any similar stories or observations?

Thanks in advance....

JV

 

[Jezzadee]

How much is 2 quarts? It should take 4 litres. If you checked the oil just after driving it it would be higher on the dipstick as it would no have returned to the sump so would give a false reading - I'd reckon leaving it 15 minutes at least.

Edit - how's your coolant level?

 

[JonV]

2 US Quarts = 1.892 Liters........well I just checked cold and the level is fully 1 inch (2.54cm) above the Max Line........so now I guess I should siphon some out so I dont blow a seal or something......

I am Baffeled, When it was reading low with the light on, I checked twice and hardly had a reading on the dipstick?

J Edit: Just saw the edit post.....Just went and checked...coolant level is Fine......

 

[Marcos]

I had something simlar happen and it turned out to be the oil pressure relief valve, on the side of the pump.

it crept on me; at first the light would stay on a bit longer, then blink before going out, and finally it was just steady on. All this in a three day span.

 

[Marcos]

How much is 2 quarts? It should take 4 litres. If you checked the oil just after driving it it would be higher on the dipstick as it would no have returned to the sump so would give a false reading - <snip>

I thought the level on the dipstick would be lower with the engine running, given the oil has left the sump and it's circulating.

I thought you should check the oil with the engine warm and not running, at least five minutes after shutting down; transmission fluid should be checked with a warm engine while it's running.

Please tell me I've not been doing this wrong all this time! :roll:

 

[Jezzadee]

Please tell me I've not been doing this wrong all this time!:roll:

I've always checked the oil level on a cold engine, which is also what the owners manual advises.

 

[Matthew]

You can also check the engine oil level with the engine warm. Just leave the car for fifteen minutes or so, for the warm oil to drain down into the sump.

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[woywitka]

doesn't the oil light mean a pressure lost, nto always "low" oil?

 

[Matthew]

Correct - oil light means low pressure. AFAIK there's no sensor for oil capacity.

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[Marcos]

I've always checked the oil level on a cold engine, which is also what the owners manual advises.

I don't have an owner's manual. From the Bentley, where I get most of my knowledge:

1 - Make sure the car is on level ground. If the engine has been run, allow it to cool for about 3 minutes for the most accurate check.

In re-reading it now I notice the 'If the engine has been run' implication. Somehow I mistakenly took this to mean the engine had to be warmed up. ;oops:

 

[drcoopster]

When the engine is running (or has just stopped running), there is still lots of oil in the block and passages, so your reading will be a bit lower than reality unless you wait a few minutes.

Note that the dipstick tube is the filler tube, so if you poured oil in and then checked it straight away, the dipstick will probably pick up some oil that's on the sides of the tube, giving you a far higher reading than reality.

Either way, though, low oil pressure isn't necessarily related to oil capacity/amount. Maybe your oil filter or pump has issues as well?

-Ian