Always 1/4 quart low. Anyone Replace An Oil Level Sensor?

[135iTime]

Glad you figured it out!

[Dackelone]

Some early '8 cars had an issue where the oil gauge wouldn't read correctly. The fix was a SW update. Maybe contact your dealer. You will most probably have to pay an hour or two's labor rate for the SW update. It could be your oil level sensor... but its rare for it to go out.

Also... the oil gauge doesn't read "instantly"... rather you must drive a while before it will read correctly. I never trust what it says until I have been driving for at least an hour or so. Even after an oil change.

I think someone posted a while back that the e-gauge needs a few on/off cycles of the engine before it reads correctly.

Dack

[Tommm]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Some early '8 cars had an issue where the oil gauge wouldn't read correctly. The fix was a SW update. Maybe contact your dealer. You will most probably have to pay an hour or two's labor rate for the SW update. It could be your oil level sensor... but its rare for it to go out.

Also... the oil gauge doesn't read "instantly"... rather you must drive a while before it will read correctly. I never trust what it says until I have been driving for at least an hour or so. Even after an oil change.

I think someone posted a while back that the e-gauge needs a few on/off cycles of the engine before it reads correctly.

Dack

i read about the software upgrade. I dont think thats my issue unless the upgrade changes the display. When I bought the car i read the manual. I didnt study the manual. I remembered reading that the motor had to run a few minutes. Because of that I dont usually see the spinning clock and the min max words which are placed in what i think is a confusing way.

When I saw the bar one quarter of the way down i added oil. What bothers me is that a half quart over didnt trigger the overfill warning. I am glad my test showed that the sensor works where it is important - how much under, and it doesnt appear my car is consuming any oil. I will test the sensor, and suggest everyone here who does their own changes test the sensor every oil change. fill it with 5.5, run it, add a half, run it, top it off with the last half.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by Tommm

i read about the software upgrade. I dont think thats my issue unless the upgrade changes the display. When I bought the car i read the manual. I didnt study the manual. I remembered reading that the motor had to run a few minutes. Because of that I dont usually see the spinning clock and the min max words which are placed in what i think is a confusing way.

When I saw the bar one quarter of the way down i added oil. What bothers me is that a half quart over didnt trigger the overfill warning. I am glad my test showed that the sensor works where it is important - how much under, and it doesnt appear my car is consuming any oil. I will test the sensor, and suggest everyone here who does their own changes test the sensor every oil change. fill it with 5.5, run it, add a half, run it, top it off with the last half.

When you fill the engine with only 5.5 liters/quarts... it will read full. But after a long drive(say an hour or so...) it will read low - bc it is low on oil.

I think the oil gauge needs not only to be driven 10 kms once the engine is up to operating temps... but it also needs ten to twenty start/stops(cycles of driving) before the gauge will read correctly. I think its kind of like those averaging fuel gauges... which don't read instantaneously.

Dackel

[Tommm]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

When you fill the engine with only 5.5 liters/quarts... it will read full. But after a long drive(say an hour or so...) it will read low - bc it is low on oil.

I think the oil gauge needs not only to be driven 10 kms once the engine is up to operating temps... but it also needs ten to twenty start/stops(cycles of driving) before the gauge will read correctly. I think its kind of like those averaging fuel gauges... which don't read instantaneously.

Dackel

I disagree. It only took a few minutes at idle to get a reading.

I drained 2 qts of oil, started the motor, let it idle about five minutes, and then, when i checked the oil the "needle" was in the negative, and it said add a quart (picture 3 below). I then added about a quart, and got the middle picture with the "needle" in the middle. and when i added the final half quart, i got the bottom picture showing the "needle" at full (which was also where it was when i was at least a half quart over). The car didnt move for these three pictures. I shut the motor, added oil, started the motor, came back a few minutes later and took the picture. repeat, repeat.

I didnt have to drive the car, and i didnt have to do any cycles. That's why i am suggesting people add 5.5 test, add 1.0 test, top off and test.

Also, if anyone needs a sensor contact me. I bought one used from an eBay vendor and probably won't open it.