Weird Thing Today on 01XC

[XCFundi]

Pulled up to light. Car shut itself off and the oil lamp came on. Would not start and oil lamp stayed on. Put hazards on, waived all around me and checked oil (the day before it was 1/2 quart low) worried some catastrophic oil leak. Checked it was just half a quart low. Got in and it started up and no oil light and no problem since then. Any idea what happened?

[Astro14]

In what order did they happen? IF the engine quit, then the lamp came on, no worries. If the lamp came on, THEN the engine quit - you have a problem.

The oil light comes on with low pressure. Low pressure can have many causes. Low quantity is only one cause. 1/2 QT below the fill line is NOT low quantity, the oil system will operate normally (thought you should fill it back up to prevent an oil problem in corners, on hills, etc...).

If the light came on first, then either the oil pump is failing or (more likely), you have sludge built up in the crankscase and it's blocking the oil pick-up.

Let me hazard a guess - you don't have the prior service history, and the oil gets changed pretty close to when the reminder comes on, but not always...and you use whatever 5W30 oil...'cause they're all the same...right?

[Astro14]

XCFundi - saw your post on the ETM.

That's a reasonable explanation for below. Engine quits, with the key in position II, then the oil light will come on.

Problem is in how the car runs, not the oil system...

[XCFundi]

Thanks Astro! I just posted the latest on the ETM thread :mad: