Technical Warning Lights

[Mick F]

Our Baby Panda has some warning light issues.

Any ideas about what is going on?
All on the same afternoon. Switch off, and try later.
Yes, the oil level is fine, and yes, the car drives well.
107,000miles.

I plan on taking it to the local garage so they can check out the warning system.

Mick.

 

[Mick F]

Still good.

Mick.

 

[Mick F]

Still good.

 

[Mick F]

........... and still good too.

The most common fault the airbag is the passenger switch in the glovebox.
Thank you Koalar.
Spot on!

Mick.

 

[The Panda Nut]

My airbag switch broke and I had it apart to se if it was fixable. Very cheaply made indeed and its clear a puff of wind could disorganise it. It just resulted in the airbage light staying on. a new switch sorted it straight away.

 

[Mick F]

Well, still fine.

I can only assume that the switch (having been set to OFF since having a small child on the front seat) didn't like being changed from ON to OFF and then back again.

The car is 20years old next year, and I feel that the switch was clogged up. Whatever, it's fine now after a squirt of WD40 and a bit of exercising.

Yet to speak to our daughter (owned it from new) to see what she says.

Mick.

 

[Mick F]

The airbag indication is STILL fine.

I spoke to our daughter yesterday evening, and asked her about it. She told me that in all the years she owned the car (remember, she bought it brand new in 2004) the light was intermittent. She took it back to the Fiat dealer a couple of times, but because it had a long time between the intermittent issue, they couldn't find anything wrong.

Eventually, the fault light was coming on more and more frequently with the car well out of warranty, she was advised to turn off the passenger airbag. It was like that for some years, and it wasn't until we bought the car from her in February this year, that I tried to get to the bottom of the issue.

I'm not saying that the fault light will never come on again, but my WD40 injection into the switch, seems to have worked. if it comes on again, I'll repeat the procedure.

Rest assured, that if it comes on again, you people on this wonderful forum, will be the first to know.

Best wishes, and thanks,
Mick.

 

[Mick F]

Good afternoon guys.
Yesterday, after driving to town and then parking for an hour, the oil light didn't extinguish after starting up, though it had been fine earlier on the way in. Drove home on tenderhooks.

I checked the oil level this morning, and it seemed fine, but added more just in case.
Later after letting it settle, I started up, and the oil light still remained on. I switched off and disconnected the battery.
Two hours later, I reconnected, and started up again.

The oil light remained on!

What is the fault?
Dodgy oil pressure switch or real actual low oil pressure?

How can I find out?
Advice please.

Mick.

PS.
The airbag warning lights are still fine. WD40 worked a treat.

 

[koalar]

Unlike the old days the dash light is controlled by computer not just a switch and bulb

It get its information via a very simple circuit, a voltage is sent down one cable and is pulled down via the switch shorting it to the engine block.

The first thing to check is the engine block and battery negative are the same

If you have a volt/multi meter, measure the volts between the battery negative and the engine block while cranking, should be under 0.2V

Here's mine block going hot while cranking, faulty earth lead, test light or multi metervsame test

 

[koalar]

The switch itself is quite easy to see if it's working

It's located on the bit the oil filter screws into

With the engine off it should read close to a short, less than an ohm block to its terminal

With the engine running it should measure open

There rare to fail but not unknown


With the ignition on the disconected oil pressure cable should measure 5V or over, again using the block for the other meter lead

 

[jrkitching]

I was thinking today, that she maybe had her young lad in the front when he was little and she turned off the passenger airbag.

This rings a bell somewhere - I'm sure we've had at least one other thread where an airbag warning light was down to a faulty passenger airbag disable switch.

 

[Mick F]

koalar​

Thanks for your info.
I have a multimeter, and the idea of checking the switch for continuity with the ignition off and checking for open circuit when it's running, is a good idea.
Seems a simple initial check.

Thank you muchly.
Mick.

 

[varesecrazy]

This rings a bell somewhere - I'm sure we've had at least one other thread where an airbag warning light was down to a faulty passenger airbag disable switch.

I believe that causes 2 x airbag warnings

Red and Yellow lights on the dash
(I broke my switch..)

But. . It needed MES to clear it..
If yours is intermittent could well be unrelated

 

[Mick F]

However .................. Just checking in the Haynes Manual, the oil filter can only be got at from underneath. I've tried and failed to get my arm through from the top.

I'm not jacking the car up this afternoon, I've done enough today, so I'm not getting my trolly jack out now.
Also, I'm 71 years old and my days of crawling underneath cars are almost behind me. Believe me, I've looked after all our cars for the last fifty-odd years. You name it, I've stripped it down, replaced it, fixed it, and done everything to cars including engine changes, gearbox strip-downs and rear axle sorting. Brakes, clutches, wheel bearings - the lot. Not looking forward to crawling under, but it will have to wait for today.

Baby Panda is our second car, so it's not as though we're marooned. Busy tomorrow, so Wednesday could be a jacking-up day.
Failing that, I may drop the car off at our friendly local garage.

Mick.

 

[koalar]

Yes

Unfortunately only from underneath

It's really easy if you have a ramp to drive up as its right at the edge, reach in without crawling under

Obviously without knowing there is actually oil pressure it's best not driving it too much

It's very rare for these older type engines to have a problem with oil pressure, unless the sump gets bumped or the oil filter is loose

The only oil pressure switches I have fail have both been leaking aswell, but that's only a sample size of two.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

However .................. Just checking in the Haynes Manual, the oil filter can only be got at from underneath. I've tried and failed to get my arm through from the top.

I'm not jacking the car up this afternoon, I've done enough today, so I'm not getting my trolly jack out now.
Also, I'm 71 years old and my days of crawling underneath cars are almost behind me. Believe me, I've looked after all our cars for the last fifty-odd years. You name it, I've stripped it down, replaced it, fixed it, and done everything to cars including engine changes, gearbox strip-downs and rear axle sorting. Brakes, clutches, wheel bearings - the lot. Not looking forward to crawling under, but it will have to wait for today.

Baby Panda is our second car, so it's not as though we're marooned. Busy tomorrow, so Wednesday could be a jacking-up day.
Failing that, I may drop the car off at our friendly local garage.

Mick.

Hi fellow "oldie". I'm 77 years young and feeling exactly as you are about working on the "Family Fleet". It's very frustrating but I'm beginning to accept I've just got to limit my aspirations regarding what it's realistic for me to attempt.

On the older cars the classic test for continuity on the oil warning light circuit was to take the terminal off the pressure switch and ground it to the engine block with the ignition switched on the bulb should illuminate. So your light may be staying on because of a short in the wire somewhere? However, in my experience, if a short the bulb will often flicker, especially if the engine is running, due to vibration. Most likely to be the switch itself.

Have you noticed a tappet rattle when starting after an overnight or longer period of standing? Normally they rattle, just for a moment, until the oil pumps up into the head and then goes, relatively, silent. If it's doing this then you've almost certainly got pressure which points to the switch being the faulty blighter! As mentioned by Koalar above, faulty switches are not all that common but will often be leaking oil if they've failed. I think due to the simple construction which is just a spring loaded diaphragm. If the diaphragm ruptures it can't depress the switch contact so can't go open circuit thus the light stays on and the switch will often leak oil as the diaphragn can no longer contain the oil.

 

[Mick F]

Thanks for the replies.

This morning, I drove up the hill to the railway station .......... where the carpark is flat and level. Not like our drive. Took oil and a jug just in case it needed a top-up.
Took the dog with me, and we went for a walk for an hour. As soon as we got back, I popped the bonnet and checked the oil level, wiped the stick and checked again. The oil is up to the max mark.

Started up, and the oil light stayed on.
Like I said, I've done all sorts of things to cars and engines, and this Baby Panda 1.2 engine is sweet as a nut in my opinion.

Drove down the hill to see the folks at Gunnislake Garage, and explained the issue. I was told that if it was a real lack of oil pressure, it wouldn't be running, and to be honest, I agreed completely. I explained about the other warning lights and battery disconnection etc to clear them, and it didn't work this time.

Anyway, it's booked in for tomorrow morning. I'll get back to this thread after picking the car up.

Mick.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Thanks for the replies.

This morning, I drove up the hill to the railway station .......... where the carpark is flat and level. Not like our drive. Took oil and a jug just in case it needed a top-up.
Took the dog with me, and we went for a walk for an hour. As soon as we got back, I popped the bonnet and checked the oil level, wiped the stick and checked again. The oil is up to the max mark.

Started up, and the oil light stayed on.
Like I said, I've done all sorts of things to cars and engines, and this Baby Panda 1.2 engine is sweet as a nut in my opinion.

Drove down the hill to see the folks at Gunnislake Garage, and explained the issue. I was told that if it was a real lack of oil pressure, it wouldn't be running, and to be honest, I agreed completely. I explained about the other warning lights and battery disconnection etc to clear them, and it didn't work this time.

Anyway, it's booked in for tomorrow morning. I'll get back to this thread after picking the car up.

Mick.

Anyone taking bets on it being the switch? If it was low pressure I think Mick would be being deafened by the rattle of big ends by now?

 

[varesecrazy]

Anyone taking bets on it being the switch? If it was low pressure I think Mick would be being deafened by the rattle of big ends by now?

Electrical rather than mechanical..
But with the other weirdness..

Not guaranteed to be the pressure switch . Well worth swapping the switch though

 

[Mick F]

Big ends rattling!

Back in the olden days in the early 1970's, we had a Humber Sceptre Mk2. Lovely car. 1725 engine and would do a ton.
One day, when we lived in Scotland, we were driving north up the M6, and the oil pressure was getting lower and lower. The car had "full instrumentation" and it was obvious that the oil pressure was dropping.
By the the time we got north of Carlisle on the A74 towards Biggar (prior to the M74 being built) the big ends knocked like heck. We carried on to home to Fife.

Me and my mate Dave, jacked the car up onto stands, removed the gearbox and clutch, and then dropped the sump, undid the big ends and journals and the cam chain, and took the crank out.

I took it to and engineering company in Kirkaldy and they reground it and supplied new bearings. Me and Dave put the whole lot back together and the rest is history!

Done big ends and engine changes on Minis too. We owned seven of them over the years. Wonderful little cars, not like the BMW abominations at all.
Also big mechanical stuff on Triumph Heralds and Spitfires.

Mick.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Big ends rattling!

Back in the olden days in the early 1970's, we had a Humber Sceptre Mk2. Lovely car. 1725 engine and would do a ton.
One day, when we lived in Scotland, we were driving north up the M6, and the oil pressure was getting lower and lower. The car had "full instrumentation" and it was obvious that the oil pressure was dropping.
By the the time we got north of Carlisle on the A74 towards Biggar (prior to the M74 being built) the big ends knocked like heck. We carried on to home to Fife.

Me and my mate Dave, jacked the car up onto stands, removed the gearbox and clutch, and then dropped the sump, undid the big ends and journals and the cam chain, and took the crank out.

I took it to and engineering company in Kirkaldy and they reground it and supplied new bearings. Me and Dave put the whole lot back together and the rest is history!

Done big ends and engine changes on Minis too. We owned seven of them over the years. Wonderful little cars, not like the BMW abominations at all.
Also big mechanical stuff on Triumph Heralds and Spitfires.

Mick.

Engineering company in Kirkaldy? Wm Anderson by any chance? Interesting wee website to take a look at. Looks like they've been around for years and do lots of "interesting" stuff, like pouring white metal bearings. I found George Brown's many years ago and have never needed to go elsewhere: https://georgebrown.co.uk/auto-engineering/

Minis, Heralds, Spitfires, all part of my daily diet when I worked "on the shop floor