You may have two lights. One to indicate when an oil change is due and another to indicate a lack of oil pressure. The first one is no worry, you can drive it for a few days until you can have a change done. The second is a bit more restricting in that you should not even attempt to start the engine. Get the manual out and determine which oil light is on.
Only as far as it takes to find a safe place to stop. You then turn the engine off, wait ten minutes, and use the dipstick to check the correct oil level. To do that you have to remove the dipstick, wipe the end clean, reinsert it fully, withdraw it again and then note the level. Ideally you do that with the car parked on a flat and level surface.
If there's no oil/low oil showing on the dipstick, you have to top it up before you can safely start the engine again. If the oil level is correct, then the sensor is faulty and you're safe to drive but need to get the sensor replaced. The sensor is a last gasp safety warning; you shouldn't need it unless there's a sudden leak as you're supposed to check the oil level and tyre condition and pressures weekly. Also regular checks on the exterior lighting.
Look after your car and it will look after you.
THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATION DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN YOUR OIL IS LOW....
It means the oil pressure has become low and your engine is NOT being lubricated.
The engine should NOT be run with an oil light that is on steady
The light or gauge is activated by a drop in direct pressure from the oil pump
The sensor that monitors the pressure is commonly called an oil pressure sending unit
OIL pressure begins when oil in the oil pan reservoir , is sucked up from the oil pump.
The pump forces the oil under pressure through a filter.
From the filter ,it is channeled through a special area of the engine block to critical areas of the engine to lubricate bearings.
Within that channeled area of the engine block , a pressure sensor is mounted to monitor the pressure from the filter/ pump
A dirty /clogged oil filter , a bad oil sending unit , a worn -bad pump , will all cause low pressure of oil , and will ALL cause the oil light to illuminate.
If the oil level is good, the first thing to do is check for a dirty /clogged oil filter by installing a new one with an oil change.
If the light is still illuminating, you should unscrew /remove the oil sending unit sensor & screw in a pressure gauge in place of the sending unit, and check the pressure output of the oil pump.
If the pump pressure is withing spec, install a new sending unit
A low pressure reading with a new filter & oil can only mean a pump problem
Check oil means it's low.
an oil light means no pressure.
when there is still oil in it, you can drive to get it serviced.
when the oil is present on the reading at the dipstick,
If there is still an oil light on with a good reading, listen to the engine.
if you hear tapping and clattering , SHUT IT OFF.
conversely,If you had a malfunctioning oil pressure switch,
You could get that replaced by the technician at a shop that can mechanically measure pressure, diagnose a grounded circuit,
or replace a failed pressure switch.
They are known for leaking, not giving a false reading.
The oil pressure switch requires a specific deep socket that costs approx 10 bucks.
Use GM parts to get the updated part if needed.
An oil level sensor is a float type. It would make sense this could read low and warn you to "check oil"
Get the car serviced at the GM garage and put an end to this mystery, have questions answered, and find out what else can be
any issues with your car.
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When you run out of oil, then your engine burns out, all the bearings melt and your destroy your engine.
You should get your oil changed every 3000 miles or 3 months whichever comes first. Just be really regular with this.
And if you don't have any oil leaks, you should be ok.
If you do, you need to just check your oil when your car is in the driveway.
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Depends on the technical reason for the light, the type (and age) of the engine and how much damage you want to risk to the engine.
With a modern small volume, high RPM engine and the light lighting up because you lost the oil release screw and therefore have no more oil in the car, 100 yards might be too much, with an old diesel truck and a simple bad connection on the pressure switch, several thousand miles might be ok.
You need to determen if it is check oil light or change oil light, check dip stick nd if it not belowe the fill or add mark then you would be safe a few miles without adding some more oil, if it is the oil pump going out you will hear some chattering soon and if that happens shut it down quick and have oil pump changed.
When the red oil pressure warning light comes on you need to immediately pull over and turn the motor off. Then after it sits for a minute check the dipstick. If there is no oil on the dipstick either flag down a ride and go buy 3 quarts of oil or call a tow truck. Don't just dump all the oil in...put one quart at a time in and then check the dipstick so you don't over fill the motor with oil.
Chances are it would make it there, but it is possible that something must be addressed before the vehicle is started, let alone driven. May be low on oil or the ECM may see from the oil pressure sending unit that there is not sufficient oil pressure in which the car should not be operated until oil pressure issue is addressed. How much risk are you willing to take is the ultimate question you must answer.
There is a tradition here in 'merica. Red means stop in all 50 states. Stop immediately, do not pass go. There are several reasons the light came on. A number of them are really bad. If you don't understand those reasons and can diagnose them call the hook and take it to someone that can. Do not drive 5 feet under possible penalty of thousands of dollars and a long time without your ride.
There is a tradition here in 'merica. Red means stop in all 50 states. Stop immediately, do not pass go. There are several reasons the light came on. A number of them are really bad. If you don't understand those reasons and can diagnose them call the hook and take it to someone that can. Do not drive 5 feet under possible penalty of thousands of dollars and a long time without your ride.
The bottom line is you may be able to drive 1 mile with it on, or for the entire life of the car. Best you check your oil dipstick ( if you don't know how watch a youtube video), and/or just take it to a mechanic.
The worst thing that can happen is the engine throws a rod, but it looks like you aren't all that worried about blowing up your engine. Stop and check the oil level. Add oil if it is low, but do not overfill it. No one can predict how far you can go with no oil pressure, but one thing is certain- the engine is being damaged and that will not heal.
You really can't drive it at all with no oil pressure. What you can do to help yourself is check the oil on the dipstick. See if you have oil to begin with. Second, if you know where the oil pressure sender is, remove and ground the wire. If the light does NOT come on then you can assume the problem is in the light or the sender. Your oil pressure is then probably okay, if you want to take a chance. If however the light does come on the odds are you have no or low pressure. Remove the oil cap with the engine running. You should see lots of oil flying around. Unless you can prove that there is oil pressure you cannot move the car. However, an oil pump is unlikely to stop altogether since it is part of the engine. You are probably just low on oil but as long as the light is on you are not getting lubrication.
We need the year, make and model of the car or truck to be able to see the dash lights to determine IF the oil level is low or if it's time to change the oil.
Small cars-change oil every three thousand miles or before. There is a small hole that the oil goes through to the engine and it needs clean oil. If this hole gets plugged, engine damage. Simple explanation.
Stop the Car and Check the engine oil level using the Dipstick. If it is upto the mark you can drive.
If it shows too low then dont drive. fill it up atleast with a cheap mineral oil of same grade then goto the service center and refill with your desired oil. I
My sister once told her husband that a light had come on on the dashboard. They are both "arty farty" types and he suggested covering the light with some sticky tape. 100 miles later the car made a squeeking noise and came to a halt. It had been running without oil and they had a ￡500 bill (20 years ago) for a new engine
Depends on why it came on. As long as the light goes out when you step on the gas and while idling you don't hear a lot of noise from the engine, then it's not bad. Just buy a couple of quarts of oil from the store and put them in if it's low. If not low then it's something else.
You can drive 1 mile to the nearest station and get some oil.
If you don't like the car you can drive 3 or 4 hundred miles maybe till the engine dies.
If it is the check level light, then their most likely still oil in it, so OK. If it s the light that indicated the pressure is gone then, stop,. Until you put more oil into it.
If you're dipstick shows plenty of oil, you might be okay. I say might because sometimes the oil pressure sending unit goes funky on the car and trips the light, even though your actual oil pressure is okay. I check the dipstick first thing to make sure I have oil and then look for other reasons for the light to trip on.
I'm confused? Does the oil need changing or does it need topping up? Usually the check oil light is an indication that you are losing oil and doesn't necessarily mean it needs changing (there could just be a leak).
Either way, you can buy the oil (and filter if you want to change the oil yourself instead of just topping it up) online or get a taxi/bus to the nearest shop that supplies it, it would be a lot cheaper than having to buy a new car.
there's absolutely no way to know when your car will bite the dust once it's lost oil pressure, sure you might make it 5 miles, but you might only make it 5 meters. Is it worth the risk?
How hard is it to check the oil? It takes 20 seconds.
1000 km
You should get oil right away its cheap
1000 km
