Q: Oil pressure light is on

asked by on February 04, 2017

I have a 1985 Ford escort sport which engine has been recently overhauled. Although new parts have been fitted the oil light keeps on burning especially when the engine is hot and the car is driven at a low speed. If I reach 60km/h the oil warning light does not go on anymore. What can the problem be. Please help.

My car has 120000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

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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.

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