Hi, so I've recently purchased a 500 (13 plate). I was driving home and approaching a roundabout I started to slow down and break The oil light can on and beeped and the engine switched off as if it had stalled. This has happened a few times now and I'm not sure why. Oil level has been check and all is okay. Has this happened to you if so what did you do? What is wrong with the car? Any input is appreciated. Thankyou
Hello and welcome to the forum :wave:.
Sorry it's in such sad circumstances.
Which engine has your car got?
Irrespective of engine type, there are basically four things that could cause the oil light to illuminate.
1) Low oil level - this one's pretty obvious, as is the remedial action. Add more oil, hope & pray that you haven't done any lasting damage, and promise yourself to check the oil level regularly in future. Generally if it's only a momentary indiscretion, you'll get away with it; if you've driven for a mile or more with the oil level low enough for the light to stay on, you probably won't. This one often is seen as a momentary flash of the light on enthusiastic cornering, braking or accelerating; the g forces push the oil to one side of the sump, leaving the pickup exposed to the air.
2) Sensor fault - the oil pressure sensor is malfunctioning and reporting low pressure when it's actually just fine. Replacing the sensor will permanently fix this, with no lasting damage to the engine. More common than you might think, and fingers crossed for the OP that this is the problem, as it's a relatively cheap and easy repair.
3) ECU fault (very rare) - the ECU is misinterpreting the signal from the sensor and falsely triggering its low oil pressure subroutine. I've not actually seen even one case of this happening in the real world, but include it for completeness.
4) Worn engine/oil pump - the engine really does have low oil pressure despite having sufficient oil. This is serious, won't go away and will generally require the engine to be either completely rebuilt or replaced. Telltale signs are that the oil light only comes on when the engine is idling, especially when it is hot; if it happens when you stop & put it into neutral at the lights, this is more likely the cause.
A lot depends on how long you've had the car, and where you bought it. If it's a serious problem and you bought from the trade within the past six months, or if you still have a written guarantee, then you may have some comeback against the seller.
