Technical Oil light - Ouch, that sounded like it hurt

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Just washed the Sisley, and started her up.

Now recently the oil light has started to not go out instantly after start up. Normally on all the other Panda's oil and battery light go out almost instantly and at the same time.

Sisley was last started on Friday, so all oil is obviously in sump. Started her with choke fully out, and it fired up first time, and the oil light stayed on for first 1-1.5 seconds. Not long, but enough to do damage. In this time she sounded really rough, and wasn't until oil light went off she sounded alot better (normal).

When I start the car warm there is no problems, light goes out instantly.

Car has done 101k now, and I've read in haynes that it's normal for high mileage engines to have oil light flicker at idel after a long journey, but this is obviously something different.

I've just double checked the dipstick, and there is plenty of oil in the sump. So is my oil pump on the way out

Just I don't want to do any damage to the wee girl, it sounded painful enough just for the second or two after start-up.

Many thanks. Jon.

 

[Chas Uno]

Change the oil filter Jon. If these get blocked then the bypass valve activates which sometimes causes the oil warning light to flicker/ stay on at start up and idle. Unless you've used expensive oil then you could also change that at the same time to be on the safe side. If it's not this then it sounds like a tired oil pump causing the problem.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Many thanks.

Done and oil and oil filter change about 6 months/5k ago. Will do it again this week then (its no longer golden colour).

It has also been using a bit of oil, compaired to the others in the fleet. I've put this down to mileage, but could it be something else other than the slight leak somewhere causing the odd drop on the road here and there

 

[Chas Uno]

My '86 Uno FIRE used a bit of oil between changes, probably around 500mls (1/2 litre) per 1000 miles. That's quite normal as I remember my previous Uno FIRE doing about the same and both had over 100K on the clocks. In comparison my Uno 70SX (Lampredi 1.3 engine) doesn't seem to use any oil at all, but then again it has only done 45K.

How much oil is your Sisley using? A little bit as above is normal, but if you're topping it up every week then something is either getting worn or it's leaking a lot. If there's no sign of leaks then the culprit is likely to be worn piston rings/ oil control rings. The usual sign of that would be blue smoke out the back, especially on start up, though that could also be valve guides/ seals too. If you get blue smoke under hard acceleration then you could well have some engine wear.

How many miles have you done in your Sisley and what kind of driving are you doing i.e. town/ motorway/ mixed/ short or long journeys etc?

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Its using about the same amount of oil as you described. 500ml per 1000miles.

I do a mixture of driving. Shortest journey several times a week is about 1 mile to college, do alot of driving into and around Norwich (city, stop start, traffic) and also do 40 miles each way to Lowestoft from Norwich and the same back atleast twice a week.

So all varied driving really. I have been known to rag her a bit at times, but engine has always been fully warm, and never had blue smoke on hard acceleration or on start up.

Jon.

 

[Chas Uno]

I'd say there's nothing to worry about then Jon Short stop/ start town driving is likely to cause greater oil consumption compared with longer runs so your Sisley's likely to use a bit of oil with the driving you're doing. If there's no noticeable visible smoke then I'd just keep an eye on the oil useage to ensure that consumption isn't increasing over time.

I'd still change the filter though to find the cause of your oil light issue.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I'd say there's nothing to worry about then Jon Short stop/ start town driving is likely to cause greater oil consumption compared with longer runs so your Sisley's likely to use a bit of oil with the driving you're doing. If there's no noticeable visible smoke then I'd just keep an eye on the oil useage to ensure that consumption isn't increasing over time.

I'd still change the filter though to find the cause of your oil light issue.

Ta for the confirmation.

Planning on doing an oil and oil filter change tomorrow now

Got all the bits packed so I can do it at college digs, as I'm traveling back tonight.

 

[Uno driver]

There is nothing to worry about. One of my unos took 7 seconds for the oil light to go out at every cold start. I replaced oil seal between oil pickup pipe and oil pump, now it takes 2-3 seconds, still runs OK.

 

[JimMagill]

Planning on doing an oil and oil filter change tomorrow now

Remember to make sure the filter it tightly screwed on, hehe!

Jim

 

[udtrev]

Remember to make sure the filter it tightly screwed on, hehe!

Jim

Yep, otherwise you will get yet another nomination - ps does Jim deserve one :devil:

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Yep, otherwise you will get yet another nomination - ps does Jim deserve one :devil:

Hmmmmmm :chin:

 

[StevenRB45]

On old 1108 fire I ran it would take a fair while (5-7 seconds on a cold day) to build oil pressure enough after a start. This one was an engine I'd driven from
49k to 86k mainly on full throttle from cold (yes i was a retard...but i was also younger and it was expendable)...in about 2 years so well worn would cover it. One day it sounded so bad, literally like a bag of hammers on a very cold start that I got out to check there wasn't bits of conrod underneath..anyway sold said vehicle and 3 years after its still on motor insurance database I see it regularly and no major parts have been replaced. As they get older they take longer to build oil pressure but as long as it aint smoking and everything else is ok seems they really don't gave a crap.

 

[JimMagill]

yep, otherwise you will get yet another nomination - ps does jim deserve one :devil:

no!

 

[totnesmonster]

Also some of the cheaper quality oil filters allow the system to drain back to the sump when parked, meaning the pump has to reprime it all when starting. Had this on mine, and it would take 3-4 seconds for the light to go out and sounded pretty rattly, now I buy the better filters the light is out within 1 second. HTH

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Also some of the cheaper quality oil filters allow the system to drain back to the sump when parked, meaning the pump has to reprime it all when starting. Had this on mine, and it would take 3-4 seconds for the light to go out and sounded pretty rattly, now I buy the better filters the light is out within 1 second. HTH

Good point about filter quality. It was a Fiat branded filter, so not sure if that was any good?

Done oil and filter change today. All went well except for getting oil all over the floor, Those 'oil drain' tubs are crap, I'm going back to using a bowl!

Uni-Part filter put on, oil refilled, now waiting until I need to use her tomorrow evening to see how long the oil light takes to go out.

Jon.