I've done a google search and this sounds like a common issue with lots of people asking about it. However the responses I've read are inconclusive. I wanted to run it by the BITOG community for hopefully some better expertise.
The oil light flickers when the engine is hot and the oil thins a bit. It only does it at low rpm idle which can only occur when the engine is in drive and I'm at a complete stop. This is where RPMs settle to about 500. That's where it starts to flicker. Only if the engine has been run for a bit. If the engine is not hot enough it won't do it. Also, if I flick the shifter into neutral or park, it will go away because that makes the RPMS go up by 200-300. Just enough to increase oil pressure enough to turn off the light. Based on the fact that it only does it when the engine is warm leads me to believe it is an actual pressure issue and not a bad sending unit because it can differentiate and will only do it with hot thinner oil and not when the oil is thick prior to proper warm up. Just did an oil change to maxlife 10w 30. Prior to the oil change it would do it faster. The fresh oil slowed down how long it took for it to happen, but after it heats up enough it still does it. What could it be? Engine just getting tired? Oil pump? Clogged pick up screen? It did first happen on a run of Auto-rx about 1 oil change ago and has been happening since. I don't believe I could have had that much sludge in there. Obviously I'm a bitogger and use good oils, with more than safe intervals, and my motor is not a known sludger. But i do know after running the auto rx it could have still plugged up the screen a bit.
If anyone has experience with this problem, please let me know what it ended up being.
Thanks!!!
The oil light flickers when the engine is hot and the oil thins a bit. It only does it at low rpm idle which can only occur when the engine is in drive and I'm at a complete stop. This is where RPMs settle to about 500. That's where it starts to flicker. Only if the engine has been run for a bit. If the engine is not hot enough it won't do it. Also, if I flick the shifter into neutral or park, it will go away because that makes the RPMS go up by 200-300. Just enough to increase oil pressure enough to turn off the light. Based on the fact that it only does it when the engine is warm leads me to believe it is an actual pressure issue and not a bad sending unit because it can differentiate and will only do it with hot thinner oil and not when the oil is thick prior to proper warm up. Just did an oil change to maxlife 10w 30. Prior to the oil change it would do it faster. The fresh oil slowed down how long it took for it to happen, but after it heats up enough it still does it. What could it be? Engine just getting tired? Oil pump? Clogged pick up screen? It did first happen on a run of Auto-rx about 1 oil change ago and has been happening since. I don't believe I could have had that much sludge in there. Obviously I'm a bitogger and use good oils, with more than safe intervals, and my motor is not a known sludger. But i do know after running the auto rx it could have still plugged up the screen a bit.
If anyone has experience with this problem, please let me know what it ended up being.
Thanks!!!
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