So short story 2010 TL SH-AWD with 123k. Car has been dealership maintained all of its life. Fully xynthetic oil changed every 5k. Mostly hwy miles. I have noticed it eats 1/2 a qt of oil (valvoline) every 3k miles so usually I drop in a 1/2 a qt at that point and run to 5k then change it all.
Today I am right at about 3k, I am driving and coming up to a stop light. I am slowing down and all of a sudden I get a low oil level light and then it goes off when I come to a stop. It never came on again the next 15 or so minutes the rest of the way home. I pop the hood when I get home and check the oil level. Its right at about the bottom of the cross hatches as usual at 3k, I drop in another 1/2 qt and I am right back to mid hatches on the dip stick. I normally see it get this low and oil light has never come on. Remember it was at minimum oil level per the dip stick, not below.
I am trying to figure out what caused the low level message and am wondering if that warning is based on oil shifiting to the front of the pan while braking, or if that light is based on oil pressure and I have a bigger issue lurking. I suppose the start of the answer comes down to if the car has both an oil level sensor and an oil pressure sensor, or just an oil pressure sensor. Again while oil level was down it was still in the hatch marks. I have never got an oil light at that level
Thoughts?
Today I am right at about 3k, I am driving and coming up to a stop light. I am slowing down and all of a sudden I get a low oil level light and then it goes off when I come to a stop. It never came on again the next 15 or so minutes the rest of the way home. I pop the hood when I get home and check the oil level. Its right at about the bottom of the cross hatches as usual at 3k, I drop in another 1/2 qt and I am right back to mid hatches on the dip stick. I normally see it get this low and oil light has never come on. Remember it was at minimum oil level per the dip stick, not below.
I am trying to figure out what caused the low level message and am wondering if that warning is based on oil shifiting to the front of the pan while braking, or if that light is based on oil pressure and I have a bigger issue lurking. I suppose the start of the answer comes down to if the car has both an oil level sensor and an oil pressure sensor, or just an oil pressure sensor. Again while oil level was down it was still in the hatch marks. I have never got an oil light at that level
Thoughts?