Oil warning light question

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Steve Riley

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Messages
51
Location
Blackburn
Car
Merc 190E
Hi, I bought an old 190E last week and today it went on its first long run.
Everything went fine and the car is smooth as silk even with 128600 on the clock. The oil pressure guage needle is at the top of the scale when driving with anything above tickover applied to the "Go" pedal and drops very slightly at idle.
I noticed as we got near home that the orange light with an oil can logo flashed on for about 2 seconds then stayed off for a minute then flashed on again for a further 2 seconds then stayed off until we got home. I parked on the flat and checked the oil after 5 minutes and it was fine.
The car was serviced at 126,000 miles by a Main Dealer.
Should I be worried?
ps, I don't panic easily but car engines give me the heebie-Jeebies, lol
 
Hi Steve,

Can I ask 2 questions?

1. Were you going uphill when the oil light came on (or revving the engine)?

2. When you checked the oil dipstick was the level closer to the min mark or was it near the high mark?

My previous car was a 1986 190E and one thing I did notice was that even though the engine oil was above the min mark, if the oil was on the low side the light would come on periodically (then go out again) and I'm sure it also coincided with travelling up inclines.

I wouldn't be worried. If you want peace of mind then top the oil up so that it's closer to the max than min.

S.
 
Last edited:
Mmmmm, Probably on the flat, may have been slightly uphill but def not what you would call an incline. As for revving, It never went over 2500 revs the whole trip.
Oil level on the stick was more or less equi- distant from both marks. Maybe a drop or two wouldn't do any harm?
Cheers,
Steve
 
i had a similar scenario on my 190e-112k on the clock.

i have noticed that as the oil level reaches the min. mark on the dipstick-the orange oil level indicator would come on for a minute or so and then go off only while driving.

once i topped up the oil the light stops coming on until the oil level drops off to minimum.

i think you have no worries-just normal oil level light behaviour.
 
Sorted, phew !!
I put about a gill (that's a quarter of a pint for you young 'uns) of oil in and problem solved.
Thanks, guys
 
I have a 250D (well, someone has to!). Got the same thing happening with me. Blasting up the M5 to Gloucestershire, the Oil Warning light comes on after about two hours if the revs are anything above 2,500. Inclines dont seem to be a problem though. Oil viscosity?
 
Just an update seeing as how somebody else has posted on this one.
It's now 5 weeks and 600 miles since I first posted this query and the oil warning light has not come on or even flickered since I gave it a booster shot.
 
My oil level light came on over the weekend, for a couple of seconds then vanished. I popped the bonnet open after the journey and the oil level was down at the MIN line, so I poured a bottle of Shell Helix in (stealership provided at last service) and it went up about a 3rd of the way between MIN and MAX. That will have to do for the time being, I will get it serviced soon as it's starting to nag me a lot now (17,000 miles over the service interval, the last service was independent - before I owned the car - and they didn't know how to reset ASSYST).
 
Ive not got a dipstick :( Ive got to trust the dash:crazy:
 
2 suggestions steve

1, wrap his sandwiches up in a map of the world
2, move house when he is out

:)

Andy
 

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