Oil light coming on after long idle

[RonCT]

Hi Guys,

I've noticed something for the last 2 days.

When I drive to work and park my car at the office [E85, 3.0i, Auto, 2004], I sometimes keep the car idling in Park for about 3 to 5 minutes, to listen to the end of the news or listen to a good song playing on the radio for instance.

As I switch off the car after the 3 to min idle, a yellow oil light comes on and does not go out. I then start the car and the light disappears, and switch off directly after and there is no light.

Has anyone seen this before?

 

[SubLoaded]

Have you done the basics and checked that your oil isn't low?

You may be low on oil or in dire need of an oil change. If your oil is too thin, from going too long between changes, it can cause low pressure.

If it's not that then scan the car, have them check your oil pump (whole pump? check if nut is tight?)

My N52 started consuming 500ml-1l of oil every 1000KMs when I had it so I always kept some oil in the boot.

Edit: didn't see that it was a yellow, and not a red, light. You can ignore everything after my first question and go top your oil up =)

 

[Blue Shirt]

RTFM.

The yellow oil light which turns on when you turn the engine off means that the oil level is at the minimum and you need to top up the oil with 1 liter.

 

[Tinuva]

What Blue Shirt said. Your oil level is at the minimum and you really should top it up. Do a manual oil level check on the dip stick.

 

[AshG108]

That sounds like an oil low warning light but it should be red if i is dire minimum, I would check the level and also assess the oil quality.

My M135i was starving cause the oil was low (did not know cause the dealer said it was fine when I picked it up)....however the oil was VERY love, had to fill in a few pints.

All was well until the car then started dropping in to limp mode...switched off the car and then would drive with about 70% power. Read codes, it said the valvetronic was not meeting requirements and the car eventually switched it off also.

Took it in for a full service with XFlow and when they did the oil change, it wsa found that the oil was in poor state and had not been changed in a very long time. Carried out a full service and used Ceratec, the car was a totally different animal afterwards.

So the quality of the oil made the car behave worse than when the oil was low...check the level and check the quality of it...I am now going to do oil changes every 7500 - 10000km on the car after this experience.

 

[Tjoppies]

yellow meant 1 pint or more , red means FILL OIL RIGHT NOW