Engine oil pressure beep - OK to drive to work?

bricky06

Hi, bit of a newb here so bit of guidance appreciated.

Was just turning onto my road this evening when the oil pressure light flashed and beeped, then went off again. I let the engine cool and checked the oil, it was just about at the min level.

My question is am I alright to drive 5 miles to work in the morning and pick up oil on the way home? It would be about another 3 or 4 miles to get the oil.

Or should I really be topping up first thing tomorrow?

Thanks

biko

Make, model, year?

But yeah, you're probably ok as long as oil is somewhere close to min level.
Do you know what oil is in car now?

dooroy

If its not motorway driving you should be OK.
The beep probably happened because as you turned into your road the oil in the sump surged a bit to one side (as it always does ) but due to the low level it set off the warning beep.
What kind of car is it ?

bricky06

00 VW polo that I have a short time...

Yeah it's local roads that I'd be driving so hopefully will be OK.

I didn't put the oil in last time so I don't know what is in there.

Yes I had thought that turning the corner probably triggered the warning alright.

Thanks guys, will top up asap. Might try to fill in the morning if I get a chance.

shietpilot

Surely you can stop at any petrol station on your way to work which would be less than 5 miles and buy a litre of oil there? A litre will be more than enough to get the oil level from MIN to MAX

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly

Hang on. OP says oil pressure warning, not oil level.

Eric Cartman

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly wrote: »

Hang on. OP says oil pressure warning, not oil level.

No oil at the pickup when turning the corner would cause that

Vego

handy advice ....if the red oil light comes on ......stop the car

Skatedude

get some oil at the nearest garage on the way to work

magentis

Vego wrote: »

handy advice ....if the red oil light comes on ......stop the car

Too true.

What if it has just sprung a leak and is pissing oil constantly?Engine could be seized in no time.

ION08

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly wrote: »

Hang on. OP says oil pressure warning, not oil level.

THIS!!!!

We're taking Oil Pressure, not Low oil level!

No oil pressure could mean a fecked engine within minutes of driving!

ION08

Eric Cartman wrote: »

No oil at the pickup when turning the corner would cause that

*Could

roverrules

OP says light came on and went off again, hardly likely to be an "oil dumped all over the place " type of fault. The statement that the oil level is at minimum on the dipstick would also point towards the oil level surging on the corner. If the light is out then top up asap and avoid aggressive cornering, if the light comes on and stays on then seek garage/mechanic/boards.is assistance.

biko

Some info for you OP
http://www.aa1car.com/library/problem_engine_oil.htm

John T Carroll

roverrules wrote: »

OP says light came on and went off again, hardly likely to be an "oil dumped all over the place " type of fault. The statement that the oil level is at minimum on the dipstick would also point towards the oil level surging on the corner. If the light is out then top up asap and avoid aggressive cornering, if the light comes on and stays on then seek garage/mechanic/boards.is assistance.

If the op is saying that the oil level is just at the minimum then it shouldnt annunciate a low pressure alarm even briefly going around a corner as the difference between min and max on most Vws is 1 litre so there should still be plenty of oil, + 3 litres or so, in the sump, when I am changing the oil in one family VW I let the oil level fall to the minimum just before the change, at all other times, when it is at the 1/2 way mark I add 0.5 Litres. The only other reason that I can think of is that the pick up tube is perforated and the pump just loses suction briefly when cornering with the minimum oil level.

shietpilot

John T Carroll wrote: »

If the op is saying that the oil level is just at the minimum then it shouldnt annunciate a low pressure alarm even briefly going around a corner as the difference between min and max on most Vws is 1 litre so there should still be plenty of oil, + 3 litres or so, in the sump, when I am changing the oil in one family VW I let the oil level fall to the minimum just before the change, at all other times, when it is at the 1/2 way mark I add 0.5 Litres. The only other reason that I can think of is that the pick up tube is perforated and the pump just loses suction briefly when cornering with the minimum oil level.

Yes, there may be 3 litres of oil in the engine but how much of that is still in the sump for the oil pick up?

Going around a corner at a decent speed would make it dry. This is the exact reason why purpose built racing engines have walls around the oil pick up in the sump to keep some oil there during heavy cornering.

John T Carroll

shietpilot wrote: »

Yes, there may be 3 litres of oil in the engine but how much of that is still in the sump for the oil pick up?

Going around a corner at a decent speed would make it dry. This is the exact reason why purpose built racing engines have walls around the oil pick up in the sump to keep some oil there during heavy cornering.

OK but then surely the minimum oil level is a bit of a nonsense if you can't go around a corner without losing suction, I'd say that there are literally dozens of people who run with oil levels between the minimum and 1/2 way mark with no problems even though it mightn't be most peoples choice normally.

shietpilot

John T Carroll wrote: »

OK but then surely the minimum oil level is a bit of a nonsense if you can't go around a corner without losing suction, I'd say that there are literally dozens of people who run with oil levels between the minimum and 1/2 way mark with no problems even though it mightn't be most peoples choice normally.

Too many variables to say that IMO.

Depends on the engine design, oil quantity (some engines only take 3.5 litres. Imagine having lost 1 litre, leaving 2.5 litres usable) and how fast OP took the turn.

You shouldn't drive at minimum level anyway. The owners manual will say that if you're at the minimum mark, you should top up right away.