What Does It Mean When Your Oil Light Symbol Is Lit?

Finnegan Chevy Buick GMC is happy to help you know what it means when your Chevrolet Buick GMC oil light symbol is lit.

When the oil warning light illuminates in your dash, it can be a little scary. Oil is absolutely necessary for an engine, and a lack of it can have disastrous consequences. Before you get too concerned, figure out which light is on, do a few easy checks to see why it's on, and then decide the next step. However, if the oil light comes on and your engine starts ticking, then you should pull over as soon as it is safe to do so. An oil light combined with a ticking engine could mean that it is getting damaged, and continuing to drive it in this condition could ruin your engine.

What Does Low Oil Pressure Mean?

Engines with low oil pressure will not correctly lubricate all of the components. Unlubricated engine parts will get damaged and eventually cause total failure. If the engine has the correct amount of oil, then the oil light could be anything from a sensor, the oil pump, or even just low oil pressure. Your car should get immediately checked out by our technicians in these situations. As mentioned earlier, running an engine on low oil pressure will likely cause engine failure.

Is It Just The Oil Change Light, Or Is It Just The Oil Warning Light

Make Sure It Is Not Just The Oil Change Light

Your first thing in figuring out the oil light is to make sure it's not just the scheduled maintenance reminder. A maintenance reminder could have the same sound and warning lights, depending on your car. If you have delayed getting your recent oil change, it may even say 'Change Oil Now' and look quite ominous. It's not quite as bad as the oil light but needs to be taken care of, so let us do it.

Why Is My Car Losing Oil?

The oil light can be set off if your engine is leaking oil. Some common reasons for leaking oil are:

Oil filter not correctly tightened
Drain plug not correctly sealed
Deteriorated engine gaskets
Broken oil filler cap

You can pop the hood and look for signs of leaks, even if you don't work on cars. The engine will be covered in dirt, but you can spot a probable oil leak if you see wet, oily spots. Adding some oil between routine oil changes can be a quick fix, but it can eventually produce low oil pressure if it's not fixed and cause damage.

Schedule Service for a Chevrolet Buick GMC Near Sugar Land

Finnegan Chevy Buick GMC is your ideal destination for all your auto service needs near Sugar Land. Our friendly staff is ready to get you and your vehicle back on the road safely, no matter its make or model. Schedule your next auto service with us in person or online.