Red "Oil Light" - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

mandyfig · 03-28-2005, 04:55 PM

Recently, I have been seeing my Red Oil Light being on for a few seconds, even after the engine is up and running.

When I rev it up, it eventually disappears. Sometimes, it just goes out like normal, but most often, it stays on for a few seconds.

Have you guys seen this?

What is this indication? Oil Sending Unit?

Thanks in advance.

JetspeedCamry · 03-28-2005, 04:56 PM

Low Oil usually.

skewe · 03-28-2005, 05:16 PM

low oil...
do u have an oil leak

Gary_602Z · 03-28-2005, 06:22 PM

You shoud check the oil pressure with a gauge if the oil isn't low. This will tell you if you have a sending unit problem or something more involved

Gary

white90dx · 03-28-2005, 07:43 PM

The oil pressure sender on the 4-cylinders is up at the top of the head. When the light goes out, you know that you have oil through your whole motor.

If the car is cold, it gets pumped up there pretty fast (the thicker oil doesn't leak out all the holes as much), if the car is semi-warm, it takes a little while for the thinner oil to get up that high in the motor. Check your oil level... but if the light never comes on after the first few seconds of running the motor, don't worry. (I checked this all on my Camry a while back with an oil pressure gauge).

-Charlie

CamryPunk · 03-28-2005, 07:45 PM

Check your oil level too.

Mike Gerber · 03-28-2005, 11:19 PM

Follow Gary_602Z's advice. Get it to a shop and ask them to check the oil pressure with a real oil pressure gage. They will unscrew the sending unit and temporarily put a real pressure gage in it's place. Like Gary_602Z says, this will let you know if it's simply a sending unit problem or a more critical engine oil pressure problem due to a bad oil pump or warn engine bearings. This simple test shouldn't cost more than a half hour of labor at the shop's rate. If it's a sending unit problem, it's cheap to fix or you could just ignore it. If it's an oil pressure problem you have an expensive repair job pending. You don't say anything about the year, mileage or condition of the vehicle. All these factors will go into deciding whether the vehicle is worth repairing, if it is an actual oil pressure problem.

Mike

mandyfig · 03-29-2005, 03:50 PM

I have a 95 LE, 2.2 IL, 103,000 miles.

I will check the Oil Level again, I just changed my oil and everything seems to be ok.

Thanks for the advise.

Mike Gerber · 03-29-2005, 06:20 PM

103,000 miles isn't a lot of miles for a 5SFE engine. We will be hoping it's just a sending unit problem.

Good luck.

Mike

mandyfig · 03-29-2005, 08:21 PM

Sending Unit, is that cheap, easy to replace?

Mike Gerber · 03-30-2005, 12:54 PM

Yes, the sending unit is cheap and easy to replace.

Mike

mandyfig · 03-30-2005, 01:24 PM

Is this not the sensor that stops the red light? It senses oil at a certain pressure and it triggers the signal to say "I have oil."

I remember replacing my Oil Sender in my 88 Cutlass Cierra...my pre-Toyota/Honda days. It was cheap and easy...uncrew, screw in. Where is it in our Camry's? I have a 95 2.2 IL.

Mike Gerber · 03-30-2005, 02:55 PM

Yes, that's correct. If you are looking at the engine, standing in front of the car, the sensor (sending unit) is just below the cam cover on the far right side of the block. It has sort of a funky hex to it (with grooves instead of hex corners) and therefore requires a special socket to remove it. If you want to try replacing it yourself before doing anything else, you could try to remove it with a vice grips, but I would recommend going to any auto parts store and buying the correct socket. They are probably around $6-$8. I would guess an aftermarket sending unit should run around $20.

Good luck.

Mike

mandyfig · 03-30-2005, 03:23 PM

Thanks. Autozone has the free loaner tool, will hit them on this.

I put in more oil last night and will monitor. I think I put in a bit more than necessary, but should not be an issue, right?

I am also sensitive to the Tranny Oil level, I am not comfortable on judging when it is enough...running engine, warmed up tranny, level parking, oil should be between HOT and COLD, maximum level on HOT, not to exceed, right?

Engine Oil....engine off, level should be between L and F.

Right?

If you have too much Tranny oil, it will overheat, says my Mechanic friend.

white90dx · 03-30-2005, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandyfig

Thanks. Autozone has the free loaner tool, will hit them on this.

I put in more oil last night and will monitor. I think I put in a bit more than necessary, but should not be an issue, right?

I am also sensitive to the Tranny Oil level, I am not comfortable on judging when it is enough...running engine, warmed up tranny, level parking, oil should be between HOT and COLD, maximum level on HOT, not to exceed, right?

Engine Oil....engine off, level should be between L and F.

Right?

If you have too much Tranny oil, it will overheat, says my Mechanic friend.

Definitely do not overfill your engine or tranny oils... it will do bad things.

You are correct on the way you read both. There is no reason you should be low on tranny fluid. Engine oil can be burned or leaked much easier so you should keep an eye on it.

Seriously though, if the oil light does not come on ever after the car has been on for 5 seconds, you are fine.

-Charlie