General engine oil level sensor fault

[Sinneduk]

as above! this morning i've checked the oil level on the engine i pulled out the dipstick. WOW no oil and stick was really dry. i wondered why the sensor didn't detect the oil level, usually it will give you a warning when engine oil is low and it will register on dash. i checked underneath yesterday but there is two plugs on the engine one is on the middle and one is on the sump....

Thanks!

 

[Artermis]

Well you've not said which engine it is you're referencing but typically the oil warning light is for low oil pressure, not low oil level.

 

[Davren]

as above! this morning i've checked the oil level on the engine i pulled out the dipstick. WOW no oil and stick was really dry. i wondered why the sensor didn't detect the oil level, usually it will give you a warning when engine oil is low and it will register on dash. i checked underneath yesterday but there is two plugs on the engine one is on the middle and one is on the sump....

Thanks!

Only the diesel engines have an oil level sensor, so if this is about the 1.6 petrol engine you've posted about previously, it doesn't have one.

Assuming you're referring to the oil pressure warning light, that only comes on when the oil pressure is low. The engine can still have sufficient oil pressure, even when nothing is shown on the dipstick.
.

 

[Sinneduk]

So my car is different 1.6 petrol

Oil level fault

 

[Artermis]

Only the diesel engines have an oil level sensor, so if this is about the 1.6 petrol engine you've posted about previously, it doesn't have one.

Assuming you're referring to the oil pressure warning light, that only comes on when the oil pressure is low. The engine can still have sufficient oil pressure, even when nothing is shown on the dipstick.
.

Top man. Was fairly certain the 16v jtd had oil level as it used to display at boot on the MFD on my previous Alfa's, wasn't sure if this was available on the 8vs. Every day a school day.

 

[Sinneduk]

Done, now the oil level will detected when the oil is in low level and register on the dash says oil level low. just cleaned the sensor on sump. thanks for me!

 

[g8rpi]

So what engine do you have? It's not clear from your posts.
Note that the oil level indication on the JTD is a warning for unusual loss of oil and not a replacement for regular checks of the oil level using the dipstick.

Robert G8RPI

 

[Sinneduk]

Wn04 NXL

Here is my car

https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo/449492-polished-stainless-exhaust.html

 

[Maigretnz]

How often are you checking your oil. I tend to check it while the pump fills the fuel tank at the service station. The level floor gives an accurate reading too.

 

[g8rpi]

@Sinneduk Just to be clear:
The oil pressure waring light should NOT be used to "check" the oil level. There may be enough oil for the light to go out, but oil is also used for cooling and some parts may rely on splash lubrication. Low oil level can cause excessive wear or even damage even if the oil pressure light as come on.

Use the dip-stick to check the oil reguarly.

Even cars with an low oil light (as opposed to some that have an oil level gauge) should be checked reguarly with the dipstick. Its the only way to keep track of oil consumption and detect anything abnormal (including rising oil level due to fuel getting into the oil).

Robert G8RPI.

 

[Ralf S.]

My JTD has a little start-up graphic that shows the oil level. Usually it says 4 blobs out of 5 (or it may be 5 out of 6) but I still check it manually (dipstick) every weekend regardless.

The beast doesn't use any oil at all... so I want to make sure the graphic is actually checking the level, rather than stuck / just telling me what the level was "last time"...



Ralf S.

 

[dtimmins1985]

My JTD has a little start-up graphic that shows the oil level. Usually it says 4 blobs out of 5 (or it may be 5 out of 6) but I still check it manually (dipstick) every weekend regardless.

The beast doesn't use any oil at all... so I want to make sure the graphic is actually checking the level, rather than stuck / just telling me what the level was "last time"...



Ralf S.

Ralf,

I take it you have the fancy LCD display (the colour one) - my stilo sporting jtd 16v has the white dials but the basic 3 row orange display.

I would love a coloured one - you think i will be able to source another instrument cluster like yours that is under 80k miles (well 81,000 as i've just hit 81,000).

Also - in regards to Oil level sensor, my 1.2 had a sensor but nothing on the dash to report it, I could check the level in MES and i think it goes upto 8.

Mine was 4 parts of 8 (i think) and was just touching the dipstick at the bottom, i topped up, warmed her up - let her sit and checked again and it was at 8 / 8 full (i think) - maybe its out of 6 but im sure MES reads upto 8 parts (8 levels).

HTH.

 

[arturmikheyankou]

Hello, everyone.

Please tell me, the oil level in the engine at the first start is displayed on the on-Board computer screen only in JTD? (pic attach)

I have a Stilo 1.2 engine, can I programmatically adjust the oil level readings when the key is in the MAR position and the auto self-diagnosis occurs. More precisely, as in diesel engines? Perhaps it is configured in Multiecuscan?

Thanks!

 

[Davren]

To display oil level, the engine needs an oil level sensor.

Only the JTD engines are fitted with the oil level sensor (Item 7 in the diagram below), so you can't display oil level on any of the petrol engines.
.

 

[arturmikheyankou]

To display oil level, the engine needs an oil level sensor.

Only the JTD engines are fitted with the oil level sensor (Item 7 in the diagram below), so you can't display oil level on any of the petrol engines.
.

Understand, thanks a lot!

 

[g8rpi]

Just for information, the oil level sensor is a hot wire type. This works by passing a current through a thin resistance wire, enough to heat it up. The alloy the wire is made from is designed to have a large change of resistance with temperature. If wire is in oil it conducts the heat away faster than air so the resistance change when high current is flowing is greater in air. If the wire is half immersed the resistance change is half. There is some more electronics involved to compensate for temperature. This sytem only really works well with cold oil which is why it only shows the level at ignition on.

Robert G8RPI.

 

[Zeewulf]

Hmmm...

My 2005 115bhp JTD Sporting 8v doesn't display the Oil Level on startup, have the 3 line orange display or does it need to be activated in MES or Menu to show up ?

 

[Davren]

Hmmm...

My 2005 115bhp JTD Sporting 8v doesn't display the Oil Level on startup, have the 3 line orange display or does it need to be activated in MES or Menu to show up ?

According to ePER, they stopped fitting the oil level sensor to the 8 valve JTD engines from 15th November 2004.
.