The oil pressure light blinks: causes and solutions

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Engine oil pressure. Do I need to explain what role this process plays. But still, thanks to the oil pressure, there is an engine resource! And so: no pressure - no resource … And every time the engine compartment cover is raised, the motorist pays attention to the condition of the oil (level, purity, viscosity).

An internal combustion engine is a complex unit that incorporates many parts of rotation, rolling, sliding, etc. When all these joints work, in an environment of high temperatures and dynamic loads, constant, abundant lubrication is required. For her, oil channels are connected to the most important nodes, through which oil flows under pressure. The supply of lubricant to all engine units is carried out thanks to the oil pump.

Flashing "oiler": reasons

Why is the oil pressure light blinking? There may be many reasons, but not so much that they cannot be grasped by consciousness. But very importantthe moment is in what sequence these reasons will line up in your head! The speed of troubleshooting depends on this, and the amount of "weight loss" of your wallet.

So the oil pressure light is blinking. First of all, you must immediately turn off the engine. Raise the hood. Wait ten minutes, allowing the oil to drain into the crankcase. Check the oil level: according to the engine manual, it should be in the middle (but it can be a little higher), between the Min. and Max. If the oil indicator is normal, you need to calmly think about the possible reasons for the blinking of the oil pressure light.

What could be the reasons:

• Oil level.
• Lubricant quality.
• Oil loss through gaskets and seals.
• Pressure sensor junk.
• Oil pressure sensor wiring.
• Oil filter.
• Pump.

So far, these are the most easily found causes, and if they are not the culprit of the oil pressure light blinking, then things are getting serious.

First, let's look at methods for finding out these causes and how to eliminate them.

Method for properly checking the engine oil level

There are rules for checking the engine oil level:

• Tracking is strictly on a horizontal platform.
• Oil level checkedat a temperature below the normal heating mode of the engine (let it cool down a little).

There are foreign-made engines where the oil level can be checked both "hot" and "cold". In this case, the manufacturer provides the labels "cold" and "hot", respectively.

Below normal

The minimum oil pressure in the system of a serviceable engine is: 0.7 - 0.8 atm. at idle, and 3 - 4.5 atm. on power. If during the check the level turned out to be lower than it should be, this may be the cause of the pressure drop due to "oil starvation". In this case, you need to find out the reason for the level drop, there may be several of them.

You need to carefully inspect all joints for oil leakage. Pay special attention to:

• oil filter attachment point;
• pressure sensor;
• seating locations for oil seals;
• attachment points for covers (front and rear), along the perimeters of the installation of the valve cover and engine crankcase.

Also check the lower front of the gearbox for leaks, an oil leak in this area indicates a failure of the rear engine crankshaft oil seal. It is required to add oil to an average level. If, after starting the engine, the blinking of the light bulb has stopped, you can drive to the nearest place for diagnostics and, if necessary, repair.

Above normal

Well, what if the oil level is highernorms? Here the reasons should be sought in a different direction. Most likely, the viscosity of the lubricant will also be lower than that provided for by the operation of the engine. So what could be the reason?

One of the probable reasons is the ingress of cooling liquid into the oil system due to burnt-out jumpers in the gasket between the valve head and the engine block. The liquid from the cooling system through the burnt place enters the crankcase. A mixture of coolant and oil is formed, the viscosity of which instantly drops, as a result of which the oil pump cannot create the necessary pressure. Also due to cracks and microcracks that appear as a result of engine overheating.

The use of low-quality fuel can lead to the same result. Burning incompletely in the combustion chamber, it enters the crankcase through leaky piston rings.

There is another possibility for fuel to enter the crankcase: from the cavity of the fuel pump. The reason may be the failure of the membrane.

The likelihood that the rubber seals will collapse and the tightness of the system will be violated is high when replacing mineral oil with its synthetic counterpart, or vice versa. Different brands of oils differ in temperature resistance. For example, at low temperatures, it becomes with increased viscosity, at high temperatures, it becomes too liquid. We should not forget about the existence of oils manufactured in violation of technical specifications. When choosing a lubricant, you need to carefully study all its characteristics.

If the oil pressure light blinksat idle, the true value of oil pressure should be checked.

Checking oil pressure

Checking the oil pressure is carried out to find out its true value on the scale, and for one serviceability or failure of the sensor. This requires a pressure gauge with an oil-resistant hose connected, at the end of which is a threaded fitting, the diameter of which is equal to the diameter of the thread of the sensor. The indicated sensor is unscrewed and a fitting with a pressure gauge hose is inserted in its place. Then the engine starts.

First, the pressure is measured at idle, then at medium speeds, recording the readings of each mode. If the pressure parameters are normal, but the light blinks at idle, you have to sin on the sensor. To eliminate doubt, the condition of the contacts in the electrical circuit is checked, and, if necessary, the oil sensor is changed.

Checking the oil filter

Next, we move on to checking the oil filter. It is possible for a foreign object (metal chips, debris, etc.) to get under the check valve, preventing it from closing. As a result, when the engine is stopped, the grease from the filter flows into the crankcase. At the next start, the oil pressure light blinks at idle until the filter is filled with a new one. The filter itself may also be clogged, preventing sufficient pressure from being generated.

Oil pump

For a long timeoperation, there is an increase in the gap between the gears and the pump housing. High output on the working surfaces of the oil pump and plus clogging of the oil receiver screen can cause the oil pressure light to blink.

But do not forget about one more point: the spline connection of the oil drive with the oil pump rod. The development in this connection can cause the oil actuator to rotate relative to the stem under load. The "breakdown" of the spline connection will be the result of this rotation, and the signal will be the blinking of the oil pressure light at speed, and often its continuous burning.

Gas distribution and crank - connecting rod mechanisms

Now to the most serious and extensive reason, from which the head begins to buzz, and the above reasons are not put in anything compared to this one.

This is the wear of the liners on the valve timing shaft and on the crankshaft journals, the wear of the oil scraper rings on the piston group, the wear of the cylinder walls, etc. Starting from this moment, the matter takes on the outlines of a major overhaul.

All of the above applies in general to our VAZ-classic and the question of what to do if the oil pressure light blinks on the VAZ is given an exhaustive answer. But there is one small addition regarding Priora.

Unfortunate Wind Priors

The Priory engine is not distinguished by any super-revolutionary innovation, and all the "sores" regarding "oil starvation" are also inherent in it. But as we knowthe motor is located perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the car. Due to the geometric configuration of the engine compartment, the jets of oncoming air flow around the engine in such a way that sometimes they create an extra "headache".

Quite often you can hear that the oil pressure light blinks on the Priore because dirt (snow, rain) has got on the sensor. In such cases, it is enough to clean it of dirt and wipe it dry. Here it makes sense to make a protective screen for the sensor.

Peugeot oil pressure light blinking

Fans of the "French" also "this cup has not passed". But a couple more links are built into the chain of causes: the oil filter has a plastic partition in the form of a cross, which often breaks and the fragment closes the valve, creating "oil starvation".

Another reason may be incorrect operation of the solenoid (electromagnetic) oil pressure control valve. Often the sealing sleeve fails, which is located at the entrance to the cylinder block housing of the electrical wiring suitable for the solenoid valve. Due to the loss of elasticity of this part, oil leakage occurs at the place of its installation.