The oil light comes on the vehicle’s dashboard screen when there is some fault with oil pressure, and their levels are low. Sometimes these come on and off repeatedly, but oil levels in the reservoirs are full. You can identify the light from its red or orange color depending on the model of your car.
Why Does My Oil Light Come On and Off But Oil is Full? The oil light on the car dashboard comes on and off when the oil is full because of worn-out engine parts, engine overheating, clogged oil filters, use of the wrong viscosity of oil, oil leakages, low-pressure sensor, and faulty oil pump.
These lights look like a lamp with a drop sign and commonly turn on when motor oil levels become low. It is the safety feature that alerts the driver and prevents engine parts from wear and tear.
| Problems | Solutions |
| Worn-out engine parts | Clean with a wire brush and putty knife |
| Engine overheating | Check the coolant level and fan |
| Clogged oil filters | Clean with compressed air |
| Leakage of oil | Use oil-leak stop additive |
| Contaminated and wrong viscosity oil | Use a dipstick and check owner’s manual |
| Dirty oil pressure sensor | Clean the sensor and check wire with an ohmmeter |
| Faulty oil pump | Change oil on time |
Worn-out engine parts
The engine contains different parts to supply power to various components of your car. Wear and tear in engine parts is common because of their age and driving conditions.
The oil used to lubricate them and allow their smooth movement cannot pass consistently through worn-out parts. The pressure decreases because of the worn-out parts, and reaching all the engine compartments takes longer.
The pressure also decreases because of carbon soot buildup on metal parts. The warning light illuminate when it detects low pressure in different parts. Inspecting engine parts when you see the oil light on the screen is necessary.
I frequently remove the carbon accumulation from these parts using the wire brush and putty knife for their smooth functioning.
Engine overheating
Different factors increase the temperature in the engine compartment, and you can feel a burning smell from the car’s hood. These can overheat because of constant driving for a long time without any break.
In addition, overheating issues also come because of the outside climate. I also faced an overheating issue because of the low coolant level in the radiator hose.
The temperature also rises when cooling fans become faulty and cannot maintain their temperature. In addition, engine overheating changes the viscosity of the moving oil and makes them thick.
You can face decreased pressure, and it cannot move into all parts quickly, which can cause the oil light to illuminate your car dashboard.
Turn off your car and park it when an oil warning comes on your screen with a burning rubber smell. Check the coolant level and leakages in fluid lines.
Clogged oil filters
These filters keep your oil clean and remove dust particles and contaminants. It can grab the dust and carbon soot from the engine parts over time.
Filters help remove this debris and make them clean for their smooth movement. In addition, it is necessary to keep it clean because contamination can also damage the engine parts.
The filters can get clogged, and replacing them after the recommended mileage is necessary. The issue comes when you do not replace them with new ones.
The chances of clogging also increase because of low-quality oil and filters. You can also reuse these filters after cleaning them.
I usually use compressed air to remove the dust and debris from their internal parts to fix these oil issues in my car.
Leakage of oil
The oil pressure decreases suddenly because of leakages in their paths. It can cause the warning light to blink on the screen and make the driver aware of the problem with engine parts.
Blown out-gaskets and broken seals are the major cause of leakages. In addition, the issue also comes because of worn-out pumps that no longer control their supply.
Moreover, wear and tear in pans also increase the risk of their leakages. The oil light also comes because of the incorrect installation of filters.
Filler caps also break because of incorrect handling during the refilling procedure. You can identify the leakages by the exhaust fan fume color and smells.
Moreover, I saw the stains on my floor when I parked it on even floor of my garage. You can use the oil-leak stop additive to resolve leakage issues.
These blends contain fiber, ceramic particles, and sodium silicate to seal the gaps.
Contaminated and wrong viscosity oil
The contaminated oil leads to decreased pressure and insufficient lubrication of engine parts. The oil light comes on and off because of less pressure and poor lubrication.
Contamination is common when not changing it after covering a certain mileage. In addition, these can contaminate early because of their low quality.
The dirt and metal particles from car engine parts can also contaminate them and decrease their working efficiency. In addition, chemical changes usually occur in this fluid which can contaminate them and disturb their viscosity.
People also face the low-pressure issue and the light illuminating intermittently on their screens. Less pressure problem comes when you use oil with the wrong viscosity, and it cannot move steadily between engine parts.
Different vehicles require different viscosity according to their engine parts and working principles. Therefore, I prefer to change it after every 6 to 7 years, depending upon their quality and brand.
I read the owner manual to read specifications and take guidelines before selecting them. Use the dipstick to check contamination, and the contaminated ones appear to be darker in color.
Dirty oil pressure sensor
These sensors are mounted inside the engine compartment to measure the oil levels. These contain the two wires to signal the computerized system of your cars.
Sometimes these sensors become bad and do not give the correct information. For example, the light comes on and off in a car because of these sensors’ malfunctioning and poor reading.
It cannot identify the correct levels because of faulty components. The oil pressure sensor also stopped functioning because of the broken wires attached to them.
The oil light comes on when dirt and contaminants accumulate on their surfaces. However, you can also see intermittent blinking of a warning sign when you change the motor.
The new sensors cannot detect the new parts to measure the correct levels. However, you can locate these sensors and clean them with a dry rag or check the reading of the wires using an ohmmeter.
Faulty oil pump
It is part of the engine compartment, which allows smooth oil movement throughout the system. It also controls the pressure for proper lubrication.
Sometimes the pumps become bad and cannot maintain the correct pressure. The sudden increase and decrease in pressure cause the oil light to come on and off on your screen.
The failure of the pump leads to low pressure, which can affect engine parts. In addition, you can also hear the grinding noise while driving because of increased friction between metal parts.
The failure of these pumps occurs because of contamination and the use of the wrong viscosity oil. Moreover, the sludge from the engine also buildups on them and hinder their functioning.
You can prevent the pump failure by changing the oil regularly in your car to prevent it from contamination.
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