General Fiat 500 1.2 petrol (2011) - "Insufficient oil pressure, stop car and check" message that alarms and then goes away instantly.

[sheardy1969]

Hello all,

Just wondering if anyone out there has had this identical issue and if so, what was the fix please?

Fiat 500 1.2 petrol (2011) - "Insufficient oil pressure, stop car and check" message that alarms and then goes away instantly.

This message appeared on my daughters car twice inside 30mins just before Christmas. We checked the oil level after the car had been parked for a good 15mins and it seemed to be ok. She drove home and until today, we've not had the message again. Happened twice again today. It first came on a few seconds after driving away when she was turning round but did it again under normal straight driving.

Firstly, the car has been serviced well and had an oil and filter change from the garage we bought the car from last Summer. However, the message doesn't tell me it's a low on oil issue more something to do with how the oil is being used by the engine. I could be wrong as I'm not a mechanic and previous posts for this message on this forum (years back) do talk about checking the oil using the dipstick.

I don't see lots of posts for this message so I am assuming it isn't common. To confirm, just a message not a warning symbol. I have booked the car in at my local garage for some diags this Friday so hope it's something they can troubleshoot. His initial comment was it could be the "pressure switch" but time will tell.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Paul.

 

[John202020]

Pull the dip stick, clean with a rag, fully insert remove and read level with the car on level ground.
Could be the wire to the oil pressure sensor?
Sump is known to rust through and leak ?
If you got low oil pressure warning then the red oil can symbol would also come on though maybe only for a few secs

 

[steveras57]

Hello Paul
As John suggests could be a problem with the wire to the oil pressure switch, a poor of corroded connector, or signs the pressure switch itself is on the way out!- any fluctuation of voltage reading picked up by the ECU,(s) which are outside there expected parameters could trigger the warning message without you seeing the oil pressure warning triangle if its only illuminated briefly!.
It would be interesting to know if there is any fault code logged for the problem in the cars computer systems but of course you would need a good code reader or access to multi ECU scan to find out!, all i can say is i dont recall anyone bringing exactly this up as a topic before! but though now quite active here I have not been a forum member for very long so its possible that an older member or one of the great admin team might recall it and might pick upon this thread!.
Heres hoping!.
Whilst waiting to sort it out!
A) keep re-checking the oil level to ensure its not dropping (on a daily basis id suggest!)
B) Pay extra attention to the temperature gauge to ensure car shows no signs of overheating!
C) Keep scanning the instruments for more messages and the warning triangle!
D) Be extra alert and ready to stop IMMEDIATELY if the warning light comes on for more than a few seconds!( 20secs without oil pressure can destroy an engine!).
Hope it turns out to be simple and just something like a new switch needed!
take care and post what happens up here for everyone to see!
Cheers Steve

 

[sheardy1969]

Hello Paul
As John suggests could be a problem with the wire to the oil pressure switch, a poor of corroded connector, or signs the pressure switch itself is on the way out!- any fluctuation of voltage reading picked up by the ECU,(s) which are outside there expected parameters could trigger the warning message without you seeing the oil pressure warning triangle if its only illuminated briefly!.
It would be interesting to know if there is any fault code logged for the problem in the cars computer systems but of course you would need a good code reader or access to multi ECU scan to find out!, all i can say is i dont recall anyone bringing exactly this up as a topic before! but though now quite active here I have not been a forum member for very long so its possible that an older member or one of the great admin team might recall it and might pick upon this thread!.
Heres hoping!.
Whilst waiting to sort it out!
A) keep re-checking the oil level to ensure its not dropping (on a daily basis id suggest!)
B) Pay extra attention to the temperature gauge to ensure car shows no signs of overheating!
C) Keep scanning the instruments for more messages and the warning triangle!
D) Be extra alert and ready to stop IMMEDIATELY if the warning light comes on for more than a few seconds!( 20secs without oil pressure can destroy an engine!).
Hope it turns out to be simple and just something like a new switch needed!
take care and post what happens up here for everyone to see!
Cheers Steve

Hello Steve and John. Thanks so much for your quick responses. I can only go on what my daughter has told me on the occasions when this has happened. She is 100% that it is an audible ping, the message appears but then goes again straight away. Definitely, no amber/red symbols at the side of the odometer. I should add there are no signs of a leak on the drive both at home or where she parks when not at home.

I will check the oil again tomorrow morning as the car is off the road now until Friday when the garage can perform some diags. Better to be safe so I'll be taking her to and from work. She loves the car and is obviously concerned as am I.

I too think its a corroded wire/faulty switch that just needs the right eyes and we'll be ok. The message first appeared on 21st Dec (twice inside the first 20mins) of driving then the same again today. Totally fine since and the car is driven quite a lot...60min round trip to work undertaken a lot since the 21st Dec.

Let's see what Friday brings but I will report in tomorrow on the dipstick based checks.

Thanks gents! I feel a bit happier to be able to talk to folks away from just leaning on the local garage.

Cheers for now. Paul.

 

[steveras57]

YOUR WELCOME PAUL!
Just a final though it might be worth checking the good ol battery earth strap!- as if thats failing it can throw up many weird and wonderful random faults!

 

[The Panda Nut]

What were the circumstances immediately before the message flashed up? Was is on stalling or nearly stalling the engine?

 

[sheardy1969]

YOUR WELCOME PAUL!
Just a final though it might be worth checking the good ol battery earth strap!- as if thats failing it can throw up many weird and wonderful random faults!

Hi Steve. I’ll have a look in the morning but not sure I’d know if something is amiss.

 

[sheardy1969]

What were the circumstances immediately before the message flashed up? Was is on stalling or nearly stalling the engine?

Hello there. Thanks for your reply. No other symptoms either before or after the message. Cheers

 

[steveras57]

Hi Steve. I’ll have a look in the morning but not sure I’d know if something is amiss.

In the worst cases the strap is almost worn through! other signs are missing insulation and or/ green corrosion evident at end of the cable! as they are only a fiver if in any doubt change it anyway!

 

[sheardy1969]

In the worst cases the strap is almost worn through! other signs are missing insulation and or/ green corrosion evident at end of the cable! as they are only a fiver if in any doubt change it anyway!

Hello all,

I checked the oil a short time ago as the car has been parked on a pretty much flat surface all day. I have attached named photos so people can see. I have to be honest and say after the initial pull and clean of the stick when checked again there doesn't appear to be an awful lot of oil to wipe off. As stated, no signs of leaks. I cannot see the garage we bought it from changing the filter then only putting 1L instead of say 3L back into the car.

I have looked at videos there Steve of people checking and replacing the battery earth cable but I cannot see it myself clearly when checking. I have attached a video just in-case. I have also read if the earth cable was shot we'd probably say random messages pop up opposed to just the one we're seeing.

More when I have it gents !

Thanks, Paul

 

[steveras57]

Earth strap_ to check properly you have to take the battery out and remove the tray as well- the strap sits on top of gearbox housing near the clutch slave cylinder! if you dont want to go to all the trouble of striping that out then other owners have simply bought another cable and attached it to the battery negative terminal and another suitable earth/ground within the engine compartment! to earths are not gonna do any harm!and might just improve things worth a try for a few pence aint it!?.

 

[jackwhoo]

Hi,

Dipstick..... engine off for 5mins....level ground.....remove dipstick....clean dipstick......insert dipstick fully.....remove dipstick ......look at dipstick .
See how far up the oil left mark up the dipstick . The oil level should be in the crosshatched area.

Please do that and post photo of dipstick after cleaned , inserted and removed.

Cheers
Jack

 

[jackwhoo]

Some engines do use oil by some oil getting in to the engine cylinders - the engine oil level MUST be checked regularly and topped up if required.
Oil light flashing on when going round corners or braking can be caused by very low oil level.

 

[John202020]

Looks full, even over full so I'd look at the wiring first-condition then sensor

 

[jackwhoo]

There is no photo of a cleaned dipstick that has been fully inserted and removed.

 

[sheardy1969]

Hello again, pic3 from my post yesterday (stick after clean) is when I've taken out, cleaned, inserted and then checked. I have just checked it again now bearing in mind the car hasn't moved and is pretty much on an even surface and once taken out, cleaned (showed oil on the rag), and then inserted and removed again there's no oil on the stick at all.

Thanks once again for everyone's comments on this thread. Very much appreciated especially with the garage visit on Friday in mind.

 

[jackwhoo]

Hello again, pic3 from my post yesterday (stick after clean) is when I've taken out, cleaned, inserted and then checked. I have just checked it again now bearing in mind the car hasn't moved and is pretty much on an even surface and once taken out, cleaned (showed oil on the rag), and then inserted and removed again there's no oil on the stick at all.

Thanks once again for everyone's comments on this thread. Very much appreciated especially with the garage visit on Friday in mind.

The oil level is so low the dipstick is not "dipping" in the oil.
If you feel confident add 1 litre of oil , wait a few minutes, see if oil level is now showing on dipstick, If no oil showing on dip stick add another litre of oil, check oil level on dipstick.
Once you see oil level on dipstick add 200ml of oil at a time until oil level near top of xxxx marks.

Or wait for garage to do it for you.

Ask garage to check sump has not rusted until it is porous.

CHECK OIL level at least once per month and top up when required.

Best wishes
Jack

 

[sheardy1969]

Hello Jack,

Thanks for your posts. As there was oil on the stick (quite a way up but not all over) when I first pulled and cleaned today how do we explain the total lack of oil on it once cleaned, inserted and then checked again?

As far as I am concerned it's 5W-30 oil but as the car is due at the garage on Friday I might just ask them to replace the oil after the diags. As you say, the sump needs checking anyway but when we bought the car I asked for photos of the sump as know they can rust and cause issues and it looked ok. I will dig out said photo asap and post.

This is what the internet and forums and good for....fantastic support!

Thanks, Paul.

 

[steveras57]

Simply put!_ if its not showing on the dipstick! then theres not enough in sump for it to register you need to add SOME! if not confident just a little at a time until it shows then leave it to the garage to sort out!

 

[John202020]

Oil gets splashed on the dip stick when driving so gives a incorrect reading tests why you pull it cleaning and put back to correctly read the level.
I'm concerned why the level is so low, you need to not drive the car until more oil is added chuck a litre of 5w30 in regardless, generally the trusty old 1.2 doesn't use oil