Oil light is On ?! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Fortified Souls · 06-07-2009, 03:58 PM

I have a 2000 camry and the oil light came on while driving today. It has been recently sitting as we did a tune up on it. While doing the the tune up we found oil on the spark plugs and from the suggestions of the friendly users on here I was advised to change the spark plug tube seals and during that time we also changed the valve cover gasket. We have also put a new air filter, spark plug wires. We have a new oil and oil filter waiting to go on and are trying to get this car ready to pass emissions. Does anyone have any good ideas of what could be causing this. The engine purs like a kitten since the tune up but when accelerating the oil light comes on and while idle goes back off the car did not have these problems before tune up. Before it was bogging at low rpms.

camlex · 06-07-2009, 04:11 PM

pull spark plug wire and see you have oil there.
after vavlve cover job you did change oil in car. How many qts added?

***96paseo*** · 06-07-2009, 04:11 PM

If your not low on oil, you may have a problem with your oil pump or oil pressure sending unit.

Fortified Souls · 06-07-2009, 04:26 PM

we have not changed the oil yet and where is the oil pressure sending unit located

500KCamry · 06-07-2009, 04:33 PM

You oil level is fine, not low?

The oil pressure sending unit is on the front of the block on the right, just below the valve cover. Did you damage the single wire electrical connection to it when you removed the valve cover? It's not uncommon for the sensor to fail.

You problem does not sound like a real oil pressure problem. If it were you'd expect the oil light to flicker at low rpm's, not high rpm's, and you'd hear the engine asking for oil.

I was thinking the connection to the sending unit is very loose and the engine vibration at higher RPM makes the connection more faulty. Otherwise, it could be the sending unit.

Fortified Souls · 06-07-2009, 04:45 PM

yeah the oil level is on full would the oil light cause the check engine light to come on cause its on to

500KCamry · 06-07-2009, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fortified Souls

yeah the oil level is on full would the oil light cause the check engine light to come on cause its on to

If the oil pressure sensor (sending unit) is bad or the electrical connection to it bad, then the check engine light should come on after the problem has been sensed a number of times. Not sure how many times.

Fortified Souls · 06-07-2009, 04:55 PM

ok

kmr16442 · 06-07-2009, 05:31 PM

You may want to hook up a manual (non-electric) oil pressure gauge. That will confirm if the sensor is bad or if you have issues within the motor.

Mike Gerber · 06-08-2009, 01:56 PM

^ What kmr16442 said. Get a mechanical gage and check the actual oil pressure. Don't drive the car again until you do this; otherwise you may turn a minor problem in to an engine rebuild. The oil light coming on can means one of 3 things. 1. Bad oil pressure sending unit. 2. Bad oil pump. 3. Worn main engine bearings.

Mike

cykaaro · 06-08-2009, 07:00 PM

DEFINITELY do this. My v6 gave all the signs it was the switch that was bad. Turns out that wasn't the case, and blew the crankshaft on the engine. Now have a 40,000km jdm engine, but still, was $$$ and a couple weeks of crap to deal with.