Do I believe my oil light?

[Milton477]

Yesterday, after some thrashing around on a muddy road, my oil light has come on & stayed on. I am not sure when it came on as I was concentrating on the road & worrying about the smell of brakes from the TC. Since noticing the light, I have driven back through the mud & about 3km on road. The engine sounds ok, the turbo spools up & the vacuum pump is still giving me brakes.

The gearbox overtemp light which had been on for a few months has gone out, the odo is flashing &amYesterday, after some thrashing around on a muddy road, my oil light has come on & stayed on. I am not sure when it came on as I was concentrating on the road & worrying about the smell of brakes from the TC. Since noticing the light, I have driven back through the mud & about 3km on road. The engine sounds ok, the turbo spools up & the vacuum pump is still giving me brakes.<br /> <br /> The gearbox overtemp light which had been on for a few months has gone out, the odo is flashing & I have been having problems with central locking, indicators & wiper intermittents.<br /> <br /> Tomorrow I have to drive 1200km home...<br /> <br /> Do I believe my oil light now? Yes, the engine does have oil.

[Rosscoe68]

if the oil light came on and you didnt stop immediately to inspect for damage, then you might as well just go ahead and drive it the 1200km home :/ but make sure you join nrma or racq etc first.
sorry, but the warning light is there for a reason, to let you know something is wrong, its not a suggestion or a hint. same with the overtemp on gearbox. should be looked at immediatley to ensure nothing major is about to lunch itself.

More than likely if you havent stopped by now in a catastrophic way due to the fact you have no oil pressure, then its simply that the wire has come off the sender while you were thrashing around.

[foz.in.oz]

What vehicle is it?

It has been known for the pressure releif valves of v8's to stick open dropping oil pressure and bringing the light on. A sharp tap in the right place can sometimes fix this!

[Milton477]

The vehicle is a D2 2001 TD5. How long would a vehicle run without oil pressure?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

How long did it take you to type that??:p

[steveG]

It does sound like it could be simply a wire come off or pressure switch failure or something, but there is no way I'd drive 1200k home with it like that.
If for some reason you do have an issue on the way home (major leak etc) then you have nothing to alert you and you'd definitely trash the motor.

Years ago a mate of mine had an old Morris 1000 that had the oil light came on. Thinking it was just a failed sensor he drove it the 300k back home - and amazingly made it. The motor never siezed (probably due to well worn bores and pistons, but the main and bigend bearings were all extruded out the sides of the crank journals!!
The problem turned out to be a broken oil pump drive. Fixed by swapping the engine for a spare he had in the shed.
Whats the cost of a replacement engine for yours?

My advice - get it sorted before you drive home.

[Milton477]

Guys, I agree with all of you. I am however at a coal mine just outside of Clermont in QLD. The nearest reasonable town is Emerald some 110km away. I need to confirm whether the electronics is correct or not.

What is the quickest way to visibly check if there is oil pressure eg by loosening the feed to the turbo? or does someone have a better location to loosen?

Gee I wish that I had fitted an oil pressure gauge

[Tank]

Easiest would be take the rocker cover off.
If you had no oil pressure and you have been driving it with none then you should hear big end bearing knock when you lightly rev engine and listen for knock on trailing revs.
Check on side of engine where the oil sender is and see if the wire to the oil sender is connected, properly, Regards Frank.

[Psimpson7]

I can't see easily how you are going to be able to tell what the oil pressure is, even if you diconenct something to see if it is being pumped round.

Can you hear the rotor filter spinning when you shut down the engine..?

To be honest, it doesnt sound like you look after the car particually well....?

[Milton477]

Do I have to take the heat shield off the turbo to see the oil pressure switch?

[Tank]

Do I have to take the heat shield off the turbo to see the oil pressure switch?
The oil pressure switch should be on the drivers side near the oil filter, if you take the rocker cover off it will at least show you if oil is circulating, if no oil, then no oil pressure, Regards frank.

[Psimpson7]

Its a TD5, Both filters are on the passenger side

edited to add, the switch is on the back of the filter housing

[Sprint]

I am at Clermont in QLD. The nearest reasonable town is Emerald some 110km away.
Emerald is hopeless if you need someone who can diagnose electronics in a LR product, afaik the neasest any reasonably competent LR workshop is mackay or rockhampton

[stevep]

Did you ever have the oil pump bolt checked - for locktite/tightness because it will undo and stop giving oil pressure. If not I would not drive it anywhere without comfirming the wiring to the pressure sensor.
I dont know of a good way to check the oil pressure & you might not have stuffed the engine yet.

Best of luck finding the answer.

Steve
TD5 2000 auto

[hook]

Guys, I agree with all of you. I am however at a coal mine just outside of Clermont in QLD. The nearest reasonable town is Emerald some 110km away. I need to confirm whether the electronics is correct or not.

What is the quickest way to visibly check if there is oil pressure eg by loosening the feed to the turbo? or does someone have a better location to loosen?

Gee I wish that I had fitted an oil pressure gauge


Dose the coal mine have a workshop, with gauge to check????


Yes been stuck in Clermont, dead ALT, had to drive to Makay to pick up one, bussed from Townsville.
Can't have to many gauges.

[Milton477]

Thanks all, I guess that I will test the electricals first by seeing if the switch closes with a multimeter. From there, I guess i may be testing my shiny new RAC, top of the range membership....

[LandyAndy]

At least yours works:D:D:D:D.
Mine doesnt work at all,but the dash test by testbook tells that the indicator light is working.
When I replaced the sender the first time the red light came on and stayed on.Put a mechanical gauge on in its place and it had plenty of pressure.The heat from the turbo doesnt do the sender or the wire much good at all.
The motor has oil pressure,it will only run for minutes with out it,IF YOU ARE LUCKY!!!!
Andrew

[Aaron IIA]

I would be checking the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge. Any workshop should have a mechanical guage. They are used for this exact purpose. Remove the electric sender unit, and insert the tempory mechanical guage. This is not a Land Rover specialist thing. Any competant mechanic can do this.

Aaron.

[Blknight.aus]

Im backing Aaron II, as well as the failed sender wire/sender concept.

If your TD5 had no pressure IT wouldnt have made a K especially if it was already warm.

[stig0000]

if you ask me,, if you dont beleave the light,,, why have it???:wasntme:

[Tombie]

I can't see easily how you are going to be able to tell what the oil pressure is, even if you diconenct something to see if it is being pumped round.

Can you hear the rotor filter spinning when you shut down the engine..?

To be honest, it doesnt sound like you look after the car particually well....?

Agreed, sounds like you have no interest in maintaining the vehicle properly.

[Milton477]

Thanks once again for all the replies.

I think however that some members are missing the point here. My vehicle is a working vehicle with 204000km on the clock not a weekend play thing that can be fixed all week. It has run faultlessly for 2 years & gets serviced at regular intervals. In the last 2 weeks however, I have had to tow it back to Brisbane for a new fuel pump. Subsequently, I have had problems with the alarm, the alternator stopped charging briefly, the odo is flashing & the oil light is now on.

I am 1200km from home, parts & tools & need to make a decision as to whether to pay $5/km for a tow or whether the electronics are telling porkies because some obscure earth header is corroded under the dash for example. I am looking for practical advice, not a lecture about looking after my vehicle. Imagine the same situation in the bush. Are you going to activate the EPIRB & pay for the tow when maybe you don't need one or are you going to just die of thirst rather than risk your engine without a working oil light?

Last night while the engine was running, I cracked the oil feed to the turbo. The oil sprayed everywhere at high pressure. The engine has run for ages now with the light on. I have made my decision.

[Redback]

This may seem a bit obvious but has the oil level been checked or that the wire has not come off the switch.

The brown conector is the factory pressure switch, there are 2 wires there only one is conected the other can be used for an after market sender like the silver one in the pic.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/


Baz.

[Milton477]

This may seem a bit obvious but has the oil level been checked or that the wire has not come off the switch.

The brown conector is the factory pressure switch, there are 2 wires there only one is conected the other can be used for an after market sender like the silver one in the pic.
http://www.madman.co.za/images/TD5OA.jpg


z.
Thanks Baz,

My wiring is 'crisp' but still plugged in. Oil level is full. Thanks for the info on the second wire, it makes a bit more sense now.

[Tank]

Its a TD5, Both filters are on the passenger side

edited to add, the switch is on the back of the filter housing
Thanks, I've never worked on a TD5, should have known Land Rover would stick the oil filter on the wrong side and in such an awkward spot, Regards Frank.

[BigJon]

Thanks Baz,

My wiring is 'crisp' but still plugged in. Oil level is full. Thanks for the info on the second wire, it makes a bit more sense now.

Not unusual for the wire to melt/break. Could be the problem.