Check Engine Oil Level Message

tweber · February 12, 2010

Today while driving home from work the check engingine oil level light came on in the message center of my 1999 GMC 2500. I stopped at the local auto parts store and added until level on dip stick read full. When I started the truck the message center still has the warning light on. What could be causing this to still display? The truck is due an oil change. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Tim

alwcurlz · February 12, 2010

Today while driving home from work the check engingine oil level light came on in the message center of my 1999 GMC 2500. I stopped at the local auto parts store and added until level on dip stick read full. When I started the truck the message center still has the warning light on. What could be causing this to still display? The truck is due an oil change. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Tim

Well, could be a number of things but I'll throw a few ideas out. What's your oil pressure gauge showing? What kind of oil are you using? Miles on truck? Miles since last oil change?

jro909 · February 12, 2010

either your guage meter is going out the window or your truck motor is so far gone that the pressure can't stay steady enough to keep the oil lubeing the motor

tweber · February 12, 2010

Started the truck this morning and the message is gone now. The truck has 118,000 miles on it and has been driven 3200 miles since the oil change. The oil pressure is reading 40-50 on the gauge and everything seems to be as it should. When I added oil yesterday it took less than a quart to get it up to where it should be. I use Penzoil high mileage 10W30 motor oil and have used this since owning the truck. Thanks for the replies.

redvett · February 12, 2010

The low oil sensor is in the oil pan and oil pressure has nothing to do with it. It take a while for the sensor to recognize the proper level.

alwcurlz · February 13, 2010

Started the truck this morning and the message is gone now. The truck has 118,000 miles on it and has been driven 3200 miles since the oil change. The oil pressure is reading 40-50 on the gauge and everything seems to be as it should. When I added oil yesterday it took less than a quart to get it up to where it should be. I use Penzoil high mileage 10W30 motor oil and have used this since owning the truck. Thanks for the replies.

I would stay away from Penzoil, unless it's their synthetic. You don't need to use a high mileage oil with those few a miles. Maybe when near 170-180,000 miles you would do that. If it's taking half a quart after 3200 miles, that's not bad at all. The best thing would be to make the final quart of oil be transmission fluid with your oil change. It'll keep the engine cleaner and prevent sludge and won't hurt a thing.

redvett · February 13, 2010

Using Mobil 1 or similar synthetic oil will accomplish the same

thing without using the ATF.

Started the truck this morning and the message is gone now. The truck has 118,000 miles on it and has been driven 3200 miles since the oil change. The oil pressure is reading 40-50 on the gauge and everything seems to be as it should. When I added oil yesterday it took less than a quart to get it up to where it should be. I use Penzoil high mileage 10W30 motor oil and have used this since owning the truck. Thanks for the replies.

I would stay away from Penzoil, unless it's their synthetic. You don't need to use a high mileage oil with those few a miles. Maybe when near 170-180,000 miles you would do that. If it's taking half a quart after 3200 miles, that's not bad at all. The best thing would be to make the final quart of oil be transmission fluid with your oil change. It'll keep the engine cleaner and prevent sludge and won't hurt a thing.

alwcurlz · February 13, 2010

Using Mobil 1 or similar synthetic oil will accomplish the same
thing without using the ATF.

Started the truck this morning and the message is gone now. The truck has 118,000 miles on it and has been driven 3200 miles since the oil change. The oil pressure is reading 40-50 on the gauge and everything seems to be as it should. When I added oil yesterday it took less than a quart to get it up to where it should be. I use Penzoil high mileage 10W30 motor oil and have used this since owning the truck. Thanks for the replies.

I would stay away from Penzoil, unless it's their synthetic. You don't need to use a high mileage oil with those few a miles. Maybe when near 170-180,000 miles you would do that. If it's taking half a quart after 3200 miles, that's not bad at all. The best thing would be to make the final quart of oil be transmission fluid with your oil change. It'll keep the engine cleaner and prevent sludge and won't hurt a thing.

Synthetic oil doesn't act like a detergent. It just doesn't break down as quickly. Using crude oil with transmission fluid keeps the oil from building up residues inside the engine which keeps things flowing better.

dlstewart01 · February 13, 2010

You need to hang out here for awhile so you won't make absolutely false statements.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com

alwcurlz · February 13, 2010

Like?

dlstewart01 · February 13, 2010

Like?

Synthetic oil doesn't act like a detergent.

Sorry, I could have worded it differently...

Anyway this is from mobil 1

And There Are a Variety of Additives

Additives enhance the performance of motor oil basestocks and help adjust the performance of the oil to suit its intended application. Additives are the key to unlock the performance potential of basestocks but even the best additives won’t turn bad oil into good oil.

Some common additives include:

• Viscosity Index Improvers – improve ability to handle heat and severe conditions

• Pour Point Depressants – lower oil freezing point in cold conditions

• Anti-wear Additives – protect against metal-to-metal contact

• Detergents & Dispersants – keep components clean and prevent sludging

• Oxidation Inhibitors – maintain oil stability over service intervals

• Corrosion & Rust Inhibitors – protect against the effects of condensation

• Defoamants – prevent oil foaming and cavitation

Additives work symbiotically with the base stock and are added in different proportions according to the application. Some examples are that racing oils may not require rust inhibitors but could need extra defoamants for dry sump oil systems, domestic or consumer engine oils may need special additives that don’t interfere with the operation of catalytic converters or diesel oils may require additional protection against combustion byproducts

dlstewart01 · February 13, 2010

The rumors about Pennzoil..

Most mineral oils today are paraffin based, this is not candle wax. as some people like to think.

The word paraffin is a very common and basic term for base mineral oil. The MSDS sheets for many motor oils use the word paraffin to describe the main oil ingredient...as in "SOLVENT-DEWAXED HEAVY PARAFFINIC PETROLEUM," which is how Valvoline phrases it in their MSDS sheets.

Paraffin is the proper organic chemistry word for aliphatic hydrocarbons...more commonly known as oil. It is also the correct name for wax and candles. But there is as much difference between paraffin wax and paraffin oil as there is between a chestnut horse and a horse chestnut. They just aint the same thing. Don't matter whether you're talking about Pennzoil, Castrol, Valvoline or your wife's Christmas candles. If you like Pennzoil, use it worry free. Hope this helps.

http://www.lloydminsterheavyoil.com/crudetypes.htm