Q: My oil pressure is low light came on

The oil pressure light will usually come on when a few things could be happening. Either the motor is in fact low on oil, the oil pump could be failing or the oil pressure sending unit is not working properly and may be producing a faulty reading. If the engine is in fact low on oil, you may notice the temperature gauge reading above normal temperatures as a result of the lack of sufficient oil in the motor. I would recommend checking the actual oil level in the motor by using the dipstick. Be sure the oil level reaches the "full" mark. If this registers as "full" then you likely have a faulty oil pressure sending unit. Many vehicles also have a safety feature built into the vehicle’s computer system which will shut the engine down completely or trigger a “safe mode” of some kind which will drastically limit the vehicle’s engine power to avoid further engine damage until the oil pressure problem is corrected. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your vehicle to determine what may be causing your low oil pressure light to come on.

The low oil pressure light can come on for a few different reasons. It can be as simple as a low oil level so check that first. If the oil level is fine, the oil pressure sending unit can be at fault. The sensor itself or the wiring to it may have a short. On the more severe end, the oil pump can be bad and not creating enough oil pressure. Low oil pressure issues should be looked at as soon as possible. If it is the oil pump, continued driving can damage the engine.