Q: Oil change light comes on.

asked by on October 31, 2016

Do I need to change my oil close to when the change oil light comes on? What's a safe time to drive after the light comes on?

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Hi and thank you for contacting YourMechanic. The light you are referring to is most likely your oil pressure sensor light. When this light comes on it is never advisable to drive your vehicle. This normally comes on when your engine looses oil pressure and with no oil pressure you will have catastrophic damage. This could be due to long period between oil changes and the oil filter is obstructed not allowing sufficient oil to pass through. Simply changing the engine oil could fix this issue. Always refer to your owners manual for engine oil change recommendations. If you want, YourMechanic can send a certified technician to you and diagnose the oil pressure light.

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