Oil light on, no oil pressure, car stopped

[eugenepeabody]

Hello all,

Thanks for reading this post. I have been a lurker for years and thank you all for great information.

It has been amazing to own this car and I love driving it and seeing all the joy it brings to others.

The car has been reliable and I have had no issues prior to today. Today while out for a drive suddenly the car stopped while I was at a red light, the warning oil light came on and the oil pressure fell to zero. I did not attempt to drive it after that aside from cranking it a couple times initially while stopped. The temperature of the engine stayed appropriate the whole time. I had it towed to my house. The oil level is fine and an oil change was done about 1000 miles ago using Castrol 20w-50.

Any idea what I should be looking for or where I should start?

Thank you

[Parzival]

Wait, This is very important! Answer me this first.
1) The oil light came on WHEN the car died?
2) Or the oil light came on AND THEN the car died?

[eugenepeabody]

The oil light came on when the car died.

The oil light has never been on before and was not on at the start of the drive. It came on when the car died. It's possible it came on a little before the car died and I didn't notice while driving. Every time I drive the car I look at the gauges to see my temp and oil pressure and at the start of the drive everything was normal.

[Parzival]

The oil light came on when the car died.

The oil light has never been on before and was not on at the start of the drive. It came on when the car died. It's possible it came on a little before the car died and I didn't notice while driving. Every time I drive the car I look at the gauges to see my temp and oil pressure and at the start of the drive everything was normal.

Ok good! That is a relief!
The oil light is aways on when the key is in the on position but the engine is off. You will not have oil pressure with an engine that is off. You probably just never noticed this before.
Your problem is not oil related, Check connections at the bulkhead resisters and all other connections coil etc etc. Make sure your fuel pump is running.
All the basic checks, jumper the RPM relay and check 12v to the fuel pump and all that.
This is likely electrical. Check your fuse box too.

[Ron]

+1

Barring major leaks, if the light and gauge show no oil pressure while it is running now, I'd guess you've lost a pump/chain since the two operate independently.

[Parzival]

Barring major leaks, if the light and gauge show no oil pressure while it is running now, I'd guess you've lost a pump/chain since the two operate independently.

He hasn't had it running since it died it sounds like. He had it die, noticed that the oil light was on (This is normal) and was freak out so he got a toe home.
I don't think he has an oil issue. Just got freaked out that the light came on when the car died is all.

[Ron]

Hope so!
Good choice -- Lots better than, "...I thought I could drive it just up the road!"


...I was typing between posts...(The title and description got me too ;-)

[Parzival]

Hope so!

...I was typing between posts...(The title and description got me too ;-)

I know right! the title of this thread is SCARY!
but I think he's fine, go out there find out why its not starting, and when its running I bet his oil pressure is fine!
However, if it starts running and for some reason the oil pressure is still zero, we have a problem!

[jackb]

I’d like to piggyback a question about the oil pressure warning light...

It is activated by ground? As in, in order to test the bulb/circuit, if I turn the key to on, then disconnect the wire from the sender on the drivers side of the engine and touch it to a ground, the bulb should illuminate, correct?

Currently my warning light does not illuminate with the engine off/key on. The wire to the sender had been disconnected (burned short) as long as I’ve owned the car, and I just repaired it last week. No illumination.

I’ll be removing my binnacle to change it in a week or so (and replacing the circuitboard at the same time) so I will verify the LED connection/function at that time.

[Ron]

You got it right.

Just in case, usually you can't use a LED for the battery light. Just use a new OEM style one of the same rate since you are in there...


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EDIT: Eugene, did you mean crank over or crank up??