W202 C220D oil light

[Neil Finnegan]

The oil light on my 1995 C220D has started coming on intermittently, despite oil level being okay. Is a failed switch/connection etc most probable explanation, or could it be that the oil pump might be failing and starving engine of oil? i.e. how urgent is it that I get it looked at? Car has just had a service (and new diesel pump - £1000!) at 120,000 miles and seems to be running perfectly otherwise.

 

[Spike]

It may well be your oil pressure - in which case, I suggest you get it checked immediately.

 

[Neil Finnegan]

Not the reply I was hoping for, but thanks for the advice; will get it checked asap.

 

[nasher]

It's a shame you haven't got an oil pressure gauge like the older Mercs. If you remove the oil filler cap whilst the engine's running, you should see oil sloshing around the cam shaft / valves. A new oil pump did cure the pressure problem on my car.

It's probably optimistic to think there's a problem with the warning light. My ABS and ASR light started coming on all the time, I wish that had been a faulty warning light!

 

[panason1c]

The first IMMEDIATE thing i would do is go down the relatively inexpensive route of a new switch (probably cheaper and quicker than having the engine oil pressure tested), which i would have thought was the culprit in this case, if, after fitting, the problem still persists then i would strongly suspect an oil pressure problem which would require a more involved investigation

How 'intermittent' is the problem?....does it come on every few seconds...or just a couple of times a day?

 

[Neil Finnegan]

I have a 50 mile - mainly motorway - commute each day, and the light has recently started coming on a couple of times during this trip; it stays on for a minute or so each time.

 

[Neil Finnegan]

Thanks for your help with this; according to Howard Williams in Birmingham, the light is an oil level light and not an engine oil pressure light, so - as the oil level is between the two markers - likeliest explanation is that occasionally during a journey the level in the sump dips sufficiently to light the indicator. Was very helpful, friendly advice over the telephone too.