Table of contents: The indicator light is on ↓ Oil pressure drop indicator keeps… ↓
To lubricate the engine, adequate oil pressure must be provided in any operating mode. If the oil is too cold and thick, excessive pressure may occur. Then the relief valve opens the bypass line and directs the oil directly to the suction side of the oil pump. In this case, oil circulation is maintained. However, you can only get information about the current oil pressure if you install an additional device - an oil pressure gauge, otherwise you will have to rely only on the oil pressure drop indicator.
The indicator light is on
The warning light does not only come on when the oil pressure is too low. In this case, under certain circumstances, the engine parts are not lubricated sufficiently. This happens, for example, when the car is cornering at high speed with too low oil pressure. In this case, the pump sucks air from the oil pan instead of oil, the pressure drops sharply, and this can lead to serious damage to the bearings.
If the oil pressure warning light flashes while idling after fast driving on the highway or on an uphill grade, this means that the pressure has dropped below normal due to overheating and thickening of the oil. If the light goes out when you press the accelerator pedal, there should be no problem.
Oil pressure drop indicator keeps coming on
Stop the car immediately and turn off the engine.
Check the oil level first.
If the oil level is low, drive slowly to the nearest gas station and add oil. Check if the indicator goes out after that.
In all other cases: Tow the car to the nearest workshop and determine the cause of the malfunction. This eliminates the risk of serious engine damage.