Does your car have a low oil level indicator?

[TallPaul]

Most of mine have been pretty good. The Aerostar's is about 3 oz per diamond on the hatchure marking. Heee hee, I am micromanaging this, eh?

I did have a motorhome, E350 460 V8, that would drip on the gauge above the oil level, but still could read with the right dipping technique.

 

[paulo57509]

My '87 Legend has a low oil level warning. It comes on when the sump is a quart low.

It typically comes on between 4500-5000 miles, which is right at my OCI. Not bad for an engine with 375k miles on it.

 

[Turbodriven]

My Opel OPC has a low level warning on the OBC. It works too, when I drained the oil the other day I turned the ignition on and it showed a "low oil" warning.

My new 320i BMW does not have a dip stick...only has a electronic gauge...very smart since you can check the oil level while you drive...Im forever checking it and bet it will be worn out soon.

Interesting thing happened when I went to the BMW advanced driving the other day...the 130i (3 litre 190KW motor in the 1 series body) that I was in showed it was low on oil (add 1 litre warning), so I told the instructor, who promptly told me not to worry and continue

so I figured, it's your car old chap and proceeded to whallop the car (as you have to on the course)...I eventually noticed a destinct oil burning smell when I was "360ing" the car on the skidpan...such a shame since I new the internals must be getting melted....

 

[RedDart]

My 2002 Chevy Impala has a low oil level sensor. The sensor is mounted on the bottom of the oil pan. Evidently they are known to fail as there is repair instructions on the ImpalaHQ web site. IMHO cars today have way too many sensors for items that can be easily checked by humans. Like many in this forum, I prefer the good old low level indicator called a dipstick.

 

[pastmaster]

My old 1979 BMW 733i with an Oil Check Light. on a "pre-flight panel", that I check before I crank the engine to start it. It gives me a "Green Light", level is OK. If the light doesn't light, it means I'm a quart low or more. It won't light if the engine is running.

Rolls-Royce has had a black button one pressed on the dash, that did the same thing, but it read through the fuel gauge. Simple, neat and accurate.

 

[TallPaul]

Mine came on last week in the Aerostar. It was near the bottom of the safe zone, or almost a quart low. But then it went out and has not come back on yet. I think it came on because I started it cold then shut it off and restarted it a couple minutes later. That is when it came on. After driving 6 miles and stopping for gas it did not come back on. Maybe the cold start left a lot more oil in the top of the engine?

 

[eljefino]

My 99 olds intrigue 3.8 had the low level light. Sensor on the pan looked like another point to leak. Suspect thin-walled pan was not initially designed for said sensor and flexes/warps a little where it was drilled through.

Also has low pressure and change soon lights. Three lights for oil. Yippie!

 

[TallPaul]

Well the Check Oil light finally came on. I took a 5 mile drive, went in a store, then it came on when I started it up and for all but one of the next several starts. Once on it stayed on the whole drive. Oil was a few ounces below the bottom of the safe zone on the stick.