One of the essential needs of a car engine is its motor oil or lubricant. If the engine oil light suddenly appears on your dash, it means one or more things. In this article, I will talk about the low oil pressure stop engine warning light, but the oil is full, what to do?
If the engine oil warning light appears on your dash, but you know the engine oil is full, it could mean a problem with the oil pressure sensor or oil pump. Check if you need to repair or replace them.
Since you don’t know the problem, the first thing to do is stop the engine. Let it rest for about five minutes. This will cause the engine oil to flow back into the oil pan. Now, check the oil level. The problem is not the engine oil if the level is sufficient.
Read on to learn more about the low oil pressure shutdown engine warning light, why it appears on your dash even if your engine oil is full, and how you can fix it.
Low Oil Pressure Stop Engine Warning Light (But Oil Is Full)
Your car’s engine oil warning light may appear on your dashboard because the oil level is low. However, even if your engine oil level is full, this light may still appear on your dash. Low engine oil levels cannot be blamed in such cases. There must be some other reason.
Some other reasons for the “low oil pressure shutdown engine” warning light coming on but the oil is full could include a broken oil pressure sensor, a faulty oil pump, or something else. You should ask a qualified mechanic to diagnose the actual problem and recommend the proper solution.
But since you don’t know the real culprit yet, you need to turn off the engine first. This will cause the engine oil to flow back into the oil pan. From there, you can check the actual engine oil level to make sure it’s not the trigger for the warning light.
If you don’t hear any strange noises from the engine and the engine temperature is normal, then the problem could be the oil pressure sensor or the oil pump. These components cannot last forever. Perhaps they are already failing. That is why one of them could be the trigger for the warning light.
There is a way to fix this problem. If you change to a higher viscosity oil, you can disable the low oil pressure warning light. For example, from 5W – 20 oil, you can change to 10W – 30 to compensate for the increase in bearing clearance.
This switch could bring the oil pressure back to normal. However, you still need to check why you have a low engine oil warning light activated.
Why is correct oil pressure important?
The lubrication of an automotive engine depends on the following:
Engine,
Oil pump,
lubrication lines,
oil filter and
Hardware connected.
Motor oil must overcome a certain resistance in the lubrication lines to reach the engine components that need lubrication.
This is the oil pressure in the system. The role of the oil pump is to make sure that there is enough lubrication in the system.
During the planning stages, this pump is designed to produce the necessary flow and pressure so that the lubricant or engine oil can circulate in its entirety, even in the most remote part of the system.
If the oil pressure in the system is low, it indicates that something is not working as designed. It could also suggest that there is not enough engine oil to provide the required lubrication.
If you do not correct this and the engine continues to run, there will be metal-to-metal contact between the metal components inside the engine. That is dangerous because it will cause damage to the engine that can destroy it.
You can save the engine if you can fix the problem in time. However, depending on the intervention time, the engine could be damaged in just a couple of hours.
You could be spending a lot of money to fix the engine, and you may need to buy a new engine if you still want to drive your car. This is how crucial the correct oil pressure is in a car engine.
What causes the low oil pressure shutdown engine warning light to come on?
Why does the “stop engine low oil pressure” warning light come on, but the oil is full? There are many reasons for this. You need to know these reasons so you can avoid them.
Some of the common causes are as follows:
1. Broken oil pressure gauge
A faulty oil pressure gauge can trigger the engine oil warning light on your dash, even if there is enough engine oil inside your engine. If this warning light suddenly appears on your dash and nothing seems to be wrong with your engine, this indicator is likely to blame.
Check the indicator to see if it still works. A competent mechanic with all the necessary tools can do it. If the indicator is broken, you need to replace it. There is no way to repair this flag. So if it’s a problem, the only thing you can do is replace it.
2. Defective oil pressure sensor
The oil pressure sensor monitors the engine oil level in modern cars. It sends signals to the car’s computer about the oil level so that the engine can continuously run efficiently. If it goes wrong, it can send the wrong alerts to the car’s computer and trigger the low oil pressure shutdown engine warning light.
3. Worn oil pump
The problem could be a broken oil pump if the engine is rattling and the oil pressure gauge says the oil level is between “add” and “full.”
An oil pump that is already old and worn out cannot produce the proper amount of pressure because its components are no longer efficient, or perhaps it has already developed internal leaks.
The usual solution to this problem is pump repair (if it can still be repaired) or replacement.
Again, why does the oil light keep coming on even though the oil is full? If the oil lights come on even though you have the correct oil level, there may be an issue with the oil pressure.
4. Oil viscosity too high or too low
If the oil level indicates that there is enough engine oil inside the engine, but the low oil warning light is flashing, it could also be caused by the viscosity or thickness of the engine oil inside the engine.
If the oil viscosity is too high, the engine oil will generate higher oil pressure which may trigger the warning light because there is actually low oil pressure in the system. This is also dangerous for the engine because it can lead to insufficient lubrication of engine parts.
Conversely, engine oil with a viscosity lower than that recommended for the engine may cause failure to properly lubricate the system.
If the motor oil is too dilute than what is recommended for the engine, there will also be metal-to-metal contact between internal engine components. Extreme heat and stress will damage internal engine parts.
You may have added the correct oil recommended by the car manufacturer. However, while driving your car, the engine can run thin due to running too hot, overloading the car’s cooling system.
This is also one of the reasons why the oil inside the engine becomes less dense.
5. Clogged oil filter
The function of the oil filter is to filter impurities from the engine oil so that what enters the engine is only clean lubricating oil. Over time, as the oil filter does its job, it becomes blocked or clogged with impurities.
This condition will restrict the flow of oil within the engine’s lubrication system. The low oil level warning light will activate and the light will appear on your dash even if you have filled up the oil level.
6. Engine wear
If the oil level is sufficient inside the engine and this warning light appears on the dash, the likely culprit is worn engine bearings. This is especially true for high mileage engines. Excessive wear on these bearings will reduce the flow of lubricating oil to engine parts.
If the engine has suffered from this condition for an extended period of time, it may need to be rebuilt or replaced.
Leaking oil seals, worn piston rings, or oil plugs can also cause your oil engine warning light to come on, even after an oil change. Why is it so? It is due to increased engine oil consumption.
Oil leaks can continually drain oil, just like worn piston rings and old oil plugs. Older, high mileage engines burn more motor oil than relatively new engines. As the oil level drops, the oil level warning light on your dash will go off.
Here’s a helpful tip in regards to this matter: If your engine consumes a quart of motor oil for every 1,000 to 2,000 miles it covers, you should schedule an Engine Analysis.
How to fix low oil pressure stop engine warning light problem?
1. Have a mechanic check the sensor and its wiring connections
If the oil level sensor or its wiring connections are faulty, take your car to your respective mechanic and have them check the sensor and its wiring connections.
2. Replace the sensor
The sensor should be replaced if found to be faulty, and its wiring connections should be repaired or corrected if there is any misconnection or short circuit.
3. Remove the old filter
The obvious solution to a clogged oil filter is to remove the old filter and replace it with a filter of the same size and capacity and, if possible, of the same brand.
4. Repair or replace a broken oil pump
If it’s a broken oil pump that’s causing the problem, have your trusted mechanic check it out. They should be able to determine if this pump can generate the correct amount of oil pressure. It must be fixed if it can still be fixed.
This car component is a bit expensive to replace. However, if it’s wrecked, there’s nothing you can do but replace it. It is recommended not to drive your car because it may cause damage to the internal parts of the engine.
5. Call a qualified mechanic
Don’t try to fix the problem if you don’t know how to do it. Your best bet is to call a qualified mechanic to diagnose the problem, recommend a solution, and ask them to fix it themselves. Of course, you need to be prepared for repairs and parts replacement costs.
In conclusion
If your dash suddenly shows the engine oil warning light, but you know the engine oil is full, then the problem is not a low engine oil level. It must be caused by other problems, such as the oil pump, oil pressure sensor, or other things.
Have a qualified mechanic check the sensor and oil pump for any issues that need to be corrected. Or maybe they are already broken and need to be replaced.
Since you don’t know what triggered the warning light, you should turn off the engine immediately. Then proceed to diagnose the problem with the help of a competent mechanic.
