Polo oil light flashing at switch-on

[spockley]

The oil-light on my Granddaughter's 1991 1 litre Polo came on while she was driving, and she drove slowlly straight back home. The next day, I started the engine, and the light did not come back on, and the engine sounded fine. However - I chaged the oil-light sender for a new one. Then, on switching on, the light started flashing. (It went out after starting). This happened on several repetitions. I checked the oil and found it was over-filled. Could this cause the light to flash before starting? NB, the sender was not an original-equipment unit, but was said by the motor-factor supplier to be the "only one listed" for the vehicle. Otherwise - what else is signified by the flasing light, please?

[RickT]

The light will come on if its overfilled... the sender unit montors low and full marks.. (not sure if it would on this car, but for a guess I would say yes)

I would suggust opening the lug plug on the sump to drain a litre out, and then assess toping up if required..

HOWEVER - if you are going to go to the hassle of draining anyout.. you may as well drop it all out and replace with new... also change the oil filter... this will cost less than £10 from motor-factor and you could get a air filter for the same price while you are at it.. cheap little basic service.

RiCKT

[spockley]

Many thanks, Rick.

[spockley]

I changed the oil and filter today, and started the engine. After a while, the oil-light started flashing and the buzzer sounded repeatedly. I could think of nothing to do but to try removing the new "spurious" sender, and replace it with the original VW unit. This time, on running, the oil-light went out correctly and did not reappear. Neither did the buzzer! I took the car for a 5-mile run, and still all was well. So it looks as if the fault all along was either the oil over-fill - or perhaps a faulty filter, although it looked quite new. Anyway - thanks very much again for your help, Rick.

[RickT]

Glad to see you got it sorted... looks like it was a overfill and a faulty unit!!

RicKT

[spockley]

Thanks Rick - but just a small correction - the (sender) unit seems to have been OK, because I went back to it after trying a new ("spurious part") one. So it was almost certainly just overfill, but could possibly have been something to do with the filter. Anyway - it seems OK so far.

[spockley]

I regret to say that the oil-pressure warning light and the buzzer keep operating, intermittently on my Granddaughter's car. Does anybody know how to locate the device, fed by the oil-pressure switch, that actually tells the light and buzzer to operate? The is the only thing left to try now. Many thanks.