Oil Light On (again)

[NICONick]

OK, so I recently got a new-er KA put in, supposedly with 86k on it. I had to replace it because I was told that my hydraulic timing chain tensioner had gone and that when it doesn't put tension on the chain it throws off the timing so oil pressure was dropping and not making it to the top end of the motor causing the timing chain to make a slapping noise. However, recently the oil light has been flickering every so often, and on a cold start I seem to get a little bit of a clacking sound, but the sound goes away once the car warms up, but sometimes the oil light will stay on for a few seconds after start up and tends to flicker every now and again. Now when this shop put the motor in and I got it back oil was leaking like crazy from the pan, needless to say I took it right back and they said they would drop the pan and seal it up. I get it home and see that the shop simply RTV'd the spot where it seemed to be leaking and it still leaks, not nearly as much, but still does. Now every time this oil light begins to flicker or come on for a few seconds while driving my oil is about a quart low. Could only being a quart low from oil leaking from the pan really cause the pressure to not be able to build up that much? When I put in oil the oil light is non-existent. The only thing that worries me a little it the clacking noise I get on a cold start... I didn't think be a quart low of oil could cause the pressure to drop enough for the light to come on...

Someone shed some light on this for me? I'm starting to get fed up with my 240
*Sorry for the long post*Thanks in advance*

[Taylor008]

Yikes. Oil light only comes on when you're at like 8psi oil pressure and the damage has already been done, lol.

Drop the pan and seal it up, it won't take long. See if that helps.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Stop driving that thing ASAP. Try a new pan gasket, check for leaks, check for intermixing. You may be lucky and that's all it needs, but from now on, if you have an oil light pull over and shut it off asap.

[NICONick]

Stop driving that thing ASAP. Try a new pan gasket, check for leaks, check for intermixing. You may be lucky and that's all it needs, but from now on, if you have an oil light pull over and shut it off asap.

Intermixing?

My question is, could only be that low on oil ( a quart) cause the oil light to come on? I don't get it... bc now that i put a quart of oil in it, shes fine....

[OutToWinPAHC]

Its an oil pressure switch, pressure drops when the pump is bad, pick up is clogged, of the pick up isn't picking up oil because its low. If its leaking fix it, and you should get a pressure gauge on it.

[NICONick]

Its an oil pressure switch, pressure drops when the pump is bad, pick up is clogged, of the pick up isn't picking up oil because its low. If its leaking fix it, and you should get a pressure gauge on it.

Yeah pressure gauge is going in this week...

Can you re-explain the statement before the oil press gauge suggestion? Sorry if I don't quite understand...

[OutToWinPAHC]

After you replace the gasket and fix the leak, fill, and change the filter try running it. But use an oil pressure gauge to see what the oil press is. Sometimes the oil pressure switches for the cluster light do go bad, but its good to know. This way you can see if if is the switch, or an actual pressure loss (bad oil pump / clogged pick up)

[NICONick]

After you replace the gasket and fix the leak, fill, and change the filter try running it. But use an oil pressure gauge to see what the oil press is. Sometimes the oil pressure switches for the cluster light do go bad, but its good to know. This way you can see if if is the switch, or an actual pressure loss (bad oil pump / clogged pick up)

Thanks for dumbing it down for me!!

[Klits562]

After you replace the gasket and fix the leak, fill, and change the filter try running it. But use an oil pressure gauge to see what the oil press is. Sometimes the oil pressure switches for the cluster light do go bad, but its good to know. This way you can see if if is the switch, or an actual pressure loss (bad oil pump / clogged pick up)

Thanks for dumbing it down for me!!

Just because you have low pressure doesn't mean you are low on the actual amount of oil you have. Thats why it might be your pump because if i remember correctly our pumps move oil at high pressure not high volume but of course if you are to low on oil no matter how hard your pump is kicken you wont get enough pressure. So find out why your losing oil, and why your oil pressure is low, it might be the same reason or it might be 2 different problems.

[NICONick]

Thanks.

Does anyone have any experience with brand Glow Shift gauges... Their prices are pretty decent and it seems as though they stand by their product, and a digital gauge for $64 ain't bad. I know the name sounds pretty generic but I dunno... Thoughts?

[biggie]

Autometer is always pretty cheap and good. Its kind of the standard. But not sure if they have 'digital'.