Technical Oil Pressure Sensor Failure Warning

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Technical Oil Pressure Sensor Failure Warning

Nisman

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I have Panda 100HP.

The orange triangular warning light (see icon) for the oil pressure sensor has come on. There are no other symptoms. Handbook say 'consult dealer' - not stop and call for recovery.

I interpret this to mean that the sensor has failed, not that the oil pressure is low (but that I would not be warned if it was) so I drove the car home.

Dealers say "could be anything, it's too risky to drive the car when anything to do with oil is wrong". I understand why they need to be cautious, but none of them can look at it today and such vauge and doom-laden advice is not helpful when I need to go to work!

Any similar experice or advice on how to proceed would be welcome.
 
Dashboard lights are colour coded:
Red = danger, must react immediately / stop / turn off engine etc
Orange = Something to be aware of (eg rear fogs on, low fuel), or to check (eg fluid level)
Green = reserved for the indicators and lights 'info' (eg lights on)
Blue = main beam.

The 'oil pressure' warning is red and shows an oil can. If that comes on it means there's no oil pressure (and normally 'too late to do anything about it')

I think you'll find the yellow one is warning you that the oil level (not pressure) is too low. Pull the dipstick out... and if its low, top up the oil.

Pete
 
Thanks Chris and HertsHH. I'm a dipstick for not checking the oil the old fashioned way before looking for advice, though interestingly none of the main dealers I spoke suggested it either! So, good news:
- I found a dealer (Glyn Hopkin St.Albans) who agreed with me and HertsHH that an amber warning light only warrents a check up, not cessation of all driving, and who would plug it into their diagnostics if I popped in at short notice. (Ya boo to the over cautious teeth suckers elsewhere.)
- I found the dipstick and the oil level is bang in the middle.
- After 24 hours stationary, the warning light has gone out anyway, so now qualifies as an intermittent fault at worst.

Thanks again for constructive replies. I'm off to read up on snatchy squeaky brakes...
 
Dashboard lights are colour coded:
Red = danger, must react immediately / stop / turn off engine etc
Orange = Something to be aware of (eg rear fogs on, low fuel), or to check (eg fluid level)
Green = reserved for the indicators and lights 'info' (eg lights on)
Blue = main beam.

Don't take this the wrong way, but that's not strictly true-

For instance, the engine warning lamp is orange (whether it's a serious engine-damaging fault or a slow lambda sensor causing minor hesitation) and the ABS/ESP lamps too are orange.

:)
 
...that's not strictly true...
Indeed... although if ABS or ESP lights come on you can still 'safely' drive the car (albeit without the added benefit of those functions... we managed to drive quite well without them for years). But yes, the engine light could mean something more serious -- although again, generally, if it comes on, you can still drive a short distance in 'limp home mode'.
Pete
 
A couple of weeks after I got my car serviced my oil light came on, I also got a message on the display telling me I had low oil pressure and to switch the engine off. So I took it to the dealer who filled it up with oil and told me to come back in 4 weeks and in that time it had went through all the oil. The end result was me waiting 5 weeks for a new engine to be fitted. So keep an eye on your oil level.
 
Thanks for further advice above and thanks to Glyn Hopkin, St. Albans for being willing to plug in their diagnostics at short notice. That showed an intermittent fault with the OP sensor. They've reset set it and suggest that if it happens again they'll change the OP sensor.
 
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