Oil Pressure light...

crc_73

Active Member
Mar 24, 2016
46
4
I had the oil pressure light come on this morning, on the way to the shop about a mile away. There was the beeping, which stopped after 4 or 5 beeps, but the light stayed on all the way to the shop. When I parked up, I switched the engine off, and after a few seconds, restarted the engine, but the oil pressure light didn't come on this time. After letting the engine run for maybe 20 seconds, I switched it off, went into the shop, got my stuff, and when I came back out, checked the oil level, and it is ok.

The oil pressure light didn't come on on the return journey, and no beeping either.

I had done a 130 mile journey the previous day/night without any oil pressure warnings.

It's funny, because a week ago, I made the same 130 mile journey without any warnings, but the following day, I had a oil pressure warning, and when that happened, I pulled up quickly, stopped the engine, and checked the oil level (which was ok), and when the engine was restarted, there were no other oil warnings.

When I was checking the oil level today, I had a look at the oil pressure sensor, rubbed my finger under the bottom of it, and although not "wet" oily, it left a damp smudge of oil on my finger. Looking around the sensor, there is some oil dried around that area.

I'm trying hard to remember, but I did change an oil pressure sensor either on this car, or a previous Seat Cordoba, if it was the Leon, sometime since 2014-2015, earlier if the Cordoba.

Could this be the cause of the oil pressure warning, a leak around the sensor, and if yes, why wouldn't I have seen a warning on the 3 hour journey yesterday?

And if I do have a leak here (and have had for a while without getting the warning), am I likely to have had damage done? Is the sensor early or later in the oil circuit?

Engine is a 1.4 BCA with about 122k miles on the clock.
 

mty12345

Active Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,727
451
bristol
I can;t imagine a leak there would cause a warning, but i guess if it's leaking into the connector then it's possible. The best course of action would probably be to drop the sump and check the oil pick up just for peace of mind. Have you had any plastic break off the dipstick holder at any point? Bit's of that getting into the oil pick up have caused quite a few blockages on the 1.8t. I guess the other option is to try replacing the sensor.
Whatever it is you should get to the bottom of it ASAP, because if the oil pressure drops really low then it only takes a few seconds to wreck the engine.
 
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Sparkie

Angling Adict.
Sep 25, 2009
2,541
779
Middlesex
Plus 1 on the pick up. Uber cheap item too.
We changed a million things but didn’t think it would be pick up.
Ended up having small pieces of dipstick in it.


Badger5 Custom Map + TIP,
3”Custom exhaust, FMIC, Bosh 550’s, BC Coilovers, ARB’s +loads more.
 
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crc_73

Active Member
Mar 24, 2016
46
4
Thanks for the replies.

The dipstick plastics are all still intact, so if it's a blockage in the pickup, not from that source.

After looking at oil pressure sensors for the Leon (02) and Cordoba (95), I'm fairly certain that it was on this Leon that I changed the sensor on, probably in 2014.

Also, oil and filter was changed less than 1.5k miles ago, in August, and has always been done early, and over the past few years I've been changing the oil, has never been sludgy coming out. I did withdraw it through the dipstick this time though. I haven't done much mileage since the oil change, a few long (130 mile) journeys, and some very short hops (1-3 miles). Engine feels and sounds as normal, a bit tappety since a long time, but the BCA engine I understand is known for that.

Is it safe to assume that if I don't get the warning light, that the oil pressure is ok? I'll have a closer look at the sensor tomorrow, see if it's leaking from the seal, or from the housing. I wish I'd taken notes the last time it broke, but I seem to recall that it had the same intermittent issue when I changed it then. I hope it's that.
 

crc_73

Active Member
Mar 24, 2016
46
4
I had the car out again today, 3 short journeys, about 2-5km each. Had no warning lights or beeps.

I did have a closer look at the oil pressure sensor before starting out, and the leak is worse than I thought, I've uploaded a couple of photos to show the extent of the leaking. It's probably spread around by the airflow traveling at speed, but still a leak that needs attention, it does look freshly wet just above the sensor on the block.

I took off the electrical connector, and there is even a bit of oil on that, I don't know if it's from leaking down the outside of the sensor, or through it.

I tried a spanner on it in case it had come loose, but it's very tight, so the plastic casing of the sensor must be cracked. I'll get a new one during the week, and hopefully that will be the end of the warning lights and beeps.
 

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