On the dashboard of the car there is a warning light for an emergency drop in engine oil pressure. For reliable operation of the engine, it is necessary that a sufficiently high pressure is constantly provided in the engine lubrication system.
Warning! If the emergency oil pressure drop warning light comes on when the engine is running and continues to light at an increased speed, then this is an alarming sign. It is necessary to immediately stop the movement, turn off the engine and find out the cause. Further operation of the engine at low oil pressure can lead to serious damage to it and high financial costs for repairs.
Checking the engine lubrication system
1. Open the hood on the car. Do not rush to immediately check the oil level in the engine, let it drain into the oil sump, this will take two to three minutes. During this time, carefully inspect the engine and find out if there are any fresh oil leaks on it.
2. Look under the front of the car - if the engine oil sump is broken, if there is a leak.
3. Pay special attention to the oil filter. Oil can leak from under the oil filter rubber gasket if it is damaged or the oil filter is loose. If oil is leaking from under the oil filter, sometimes turning it clockwise a little is enough.
Attention! Be careful: hot engine parts can burn you, so wear gloves and long sleeves.
4. Remove the dipstick, wipe it with a clean rag and reinsert. Remove the dipstick again and check the engine oil level. The oil level must be between the marks «MIN» And «MAX». 5. If the engine oil level is below the mark «MIN», add oil to the norm, for this you can use a funnel from the neck of a cut plastic bottle.
6. Start the engine. If the emergency oil pressure drop lamp goes out at a normal level, you can continue driving. If the lamp is still on, check the oil pressure sensor. The oil pressure sensor on the car is installed in the cylinder head. Unscrew the stock oil pressure switch and install a mechanical pressure gauge in its place. If at normal idle speed the pressure is more than 0.06 MPa (0.65 kgf/cm2) and increases with increasing speed, the oil pressure sensor or its electrical circuit is faulty.
If, after eliminating all visible causes, the oil pressure in the engine is insufficient (oil pressure warning light on), requires diagnostics and engine repair (see sect. «Engine»).