I have never owned any vechile until I bought the Lasaber for the wife that had a low oil level sensor. I know that known of the Toyota's that any of my family has ever owned has ever owned one. I think they are silly. If someone is too stupid or lazy to check their oil when they get gas then they should not own a vechile!If the vechile burns so much oil that the OEM thinks it needs one or the OCI is so extended that it needs one then something is wrong! I would rather have oil pressure guage, amp meter and temp of all fluids.
Does your car have a low oil level indicator?
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When was the last time you ever saw anyone check the oil in their car?
None of my neighbors do.. Even though I do they must be convinced my stuff is always broken.
I think low level lights are important with the level of competence being displayed by the driving public. A neat little trick the manufacturere could do is place a speed limiter to coincide with the light. If they can't drive over 35mph they will add oil.
I think low level lights are important with the level of competence being displayed by the driving public. A neat little trick the manufacturere could do is place a speed limiter to coincide with the light. If they can't drive over 35mph they will add oil.
IIRC for the low oil light to illuminate on my '88 5.0 it had to be 1.5 quarts low. Don't ask how I know
my 92 Explorer has a check oil light, usually comes on when it hits a quart low
Yes the oil was a major part of cooling in those engines. I think the sump was about 12 litres.
My 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo is water cooled, so does not have the enormous sump but does have close to 7 litres.
In addition to the oil pressure indicator calibrated in Bar, the 944 has a binary oil level warning light. I believe it is supposed to come on at 1 litre low. In the three 944s I have owned the actual trigger point was between 0.5L and just over 1 litre.
I guess in a few years hoods will be welded shut after the facory installs the engine. Mine will have to have a clear window on it though as I like to look around under there! I'm sure that those low oil indicators are set at a level that is WAY TOO LOW for a Bitoger though? My wifes car has something with wires screwed into the oilpan and per Mr. Browning's post I suspect that its an oil level sensor (Buick also). The light has never come on though and as long as I can still "fog a mirror" I don't see it coming on.
No oil level indicator on my '96 Honda Odyssey, but there is this other 'low level' light that comes on far too regularly. Every time it comes on, it costs me $40-60 to get it to go off
no oil level warning on any of my cars in my signature below. Just oil pressure gauge.
Every car has a low level oil light. When the level gets low enough that the oil pickup is exposed a red light will come on.
That is the extremely low level light. It's purpose is to tell you you need a new engine, not that you need to top up the oil.
The 528e is an old car. It does use oil between changes. When ever a low light light is tripped for coolant or oil, a yellow check light flashes in the instrument panel. To shut the light off, you have to push a button in the overhead check panel. It is hard to ignore . I dont pay any attention to the idiot lights that light up when you start a car, only the ones that stay lit. I like the low level lights, especially the oil and coolant lights.
Patman
Staff member
Quote:
That is the extremely low level light. It's purpose is to tell you you need a new engine, not that you need to top up the oil.
Exactly!
i have a 1989 BMW 325i convertible. It has the same system that andyd has described. That is, an oil pressure idiot light for when it is WAY too low. And then a light that comes on when it is 1 qt. low. It also has a low coolant, low windshield wiper fluid, and low brakepad sensors. I am guessing this was all high tech stuff back in 1989.
Strange that this sort of thing has been around for this long, but is not yet standard on all cars. It is not exactly rocket science. Of course, being a true BITOGER my oil is never 1 quart low, but I can see how this could be a very useful feature for the typical motorist.
Strange that this sort of thing has been around for this long, but is not yet standard on all cars. It is not exactly rocket science. Of course, being a true BITOGER my oil is never 1 quart low, but I can see how this could be a very useful feature for the typical motorist.
Ranger don't know but I know the Escape does. The Escape, similiar to ours, I drive at work started flickering today. Quart low out or 5.5 quarts.. probably been like that a while. Seeing that it runs 24x7 ouch but it isn't mine and I don't control the other 2 people that drive it.
My Lexus LS400 has a low oil level light in the dash. This is in addition to the regular low oil pressure idiot light found in virtually all cars.
I think I read in the owner's manual a while ago that low oil level light should come on when the oil is down one quart. The sump size for the 4.0 liter v8 is 6.5 quarts.
I think I read in the owner's manual a while ago that low oil level light should come on when the oil is down one quart. The sump size for the 4.0 liter v8 is 6.5 quarts.
Both W126-Series Mercedes 420SEL's have the following:
Oil Pressure Gauge
Oil Pressure Warning Light (RED!)
Low Oil Level Warning Light (Yellow!)
Dipstick
The gauge function is from a pressure sensor and I would guess the warning light comes on at a set level: oil pressure, measures in BAR's & it does vary considerably depending upon idle vs. driving.
The low level function is actually a float-type assy in the oil sump, accessable through the lower pan cover (which means at least you don't have to remove the a/c compresor!) but has an o-ring gasket that is only accessable from within the sump. So... Buy a $12 lower pan cover gasket to replace a leaking $? o-ring from the level sensor. Ughh!
Let'er drip!
The dipstick is clearly marked with two red plastic knobs: keep the oil between the knobs. 8.5 quart oil change with filter if you drain everything. I put in 8 quarts and check it a week later.
May be overkill, but I kinda' like their attitude. All warning lights cycle at start-up so you can tell whether they are functioning.
Cheers!
Oil Pressure Gauge
Oil Pressure Warning Light (RED!)
Low Oil Level Warning Light (Yellow!)
Dipstick
The gauge function is from a pressure sensor and I would guess the warning light comes on at a set level: oil pressure, measures in BAR's & it does vary considerably depending upon idle vs. driving.
The low level function is actually a float-type assy in the oil sump, accessable through the lower pan cover (which means at least you don't have to remove the a/c compresor!) but has an o-ring gasket that is only accessable from within the sump. So... Buy a $12 lower pan cover gasket to replace a leaking $? o-ring from the level sensor. Ughh!
Let'er drip!
The dipstick is clearly marked with two red plastic knobs: keep the oil between the knobs. 8.5 quart oil change with filter if you drain everything. I put in 8 quarts and check it a week later.
May be overkill, but I kinda' like their attitude. All warning lights cycle at start-up so you can tell whether they are functioning.
Cheers!
I wonder if there is a kit where you can install a level gauge in the oil sump, sort of like the fuel tank gauge. Still the analog oil level gauge, which is standard equipment on all cars, is much more accurate.
Patman
Staff member
I don't find dipsticks to always be terribly accurate though. I've owned a few cars where it's almost impossible to get a good reading on the dipstick, such as my 5.0 Mustangs. On those cars the oil would just run all the way up the dipstick, well past the full mark, even when there was only 5 quarts in the pan. And when I would change the oil I would find it a quart low usually, but the dipstick would never reflect that.
I had to make a new full mark on my 5.0 Mustang's dipstick. There was a TSB about this problem--apparently the dipstick was the wrong one or something.
So I changed the oil, added 5 quarts, started the engine, and made my new full mark.
So I changed the oil, added 5 quarts, started the engine, and made my new full mark.
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