Flashing Oil light

[AlandAnn]

Driving home on Friday I noted that my oil light was flashing every couple of minutes, after pulling over and letting her cool down I eventually got home with no further flashes!

I had only done an oil change last week so have assumed that maybe I had put too much oil in.

After several failed attempts at removing the rounded sump plug, and breaking my cheap as chips filter wrench I was prepared for a bit of the same on my commute to Rosyth this morning.

Result-- With the existing Oil leak ( synonimous with Vee Dubs) I have not had a repeat of the flashing light problem

[Bigjcc55]

If it's not a wiring problem you need to get a oil pressure test done and see if it is low on pressure, what grade oil did you use?

[AlandAnn]

I used 10 40 Semi , is the oil pressure test easy?

[kevtherev]

10-40 is too thin.
as oil heats up it thins out even more,
15w40 mineral is recommended, I use 20w50 in the summer

that's why the light flashed imo

[AlandAnn]

Well, Every days a school day...15 W 40 mineral next weekend. As long as it's cheap.

[silverbullet]

The 40 part of the grade refers to the hot viscosity...
Any oil that ends in 40 will have the same properties as any other 40 grade when hot.

A lower W(inter) grade will mean that it flows better when very cold. This is good for preventing oil starvation and accelerated bearing wear but:

at moderate temperatures a worn engine may struggle to make good oil pressure at low rpm due to internal leakage.

[Bigjcc55]

If putting the correct oil in doesn't work I have a wet gauge you can borrow.

[kevtherev]

Plenty of cheap oil in Aldi.
Recommended oil changes are every 5000 miles or 6 months.

[silverbullet]

Good morning!

Its not the 1970's and you can't buy Castrol GTX anymore!

Changing the engine oil every 5000 miles/6 months is a waste of money and a waste of oil with a WBX.

(Unless your engine is completely pooped, in which case you trying to hold back the tide)

Use a modern fleet semi synthetic 15w40 from someone like Andrew Page's and change it annually or every 10k along with the filter.

When you have get the engine rebuilt, fit a thermostatic oil cooler.

Evolve your WBX.

[ghost123uk]

I had only done an oil change last week so have assumed that maybe I had put too much oil in.

And note, the oil pressure warning light does not measure the amount of oil in the engine, it measures it's pressure. You can have far too much oil in there and the light won't tell you, conversely you can have far too little oil in there and the light won't tell you. It will tell you if the pressure drops due to either worn bearings, worn oil pump or if you have out oil in that is too thin (as mentioned above).

[Ian Hulley]

15 W 40 mineral next weekend. As long as it's cheap.

With that outlook I'd sell up fast if I were you because there's no cheap way of running a T25 properly. You'll end up either skint or cold and wet walking home.

Changing the engine oil every 5000 miles/6 months is a waste of money and a waste of oil with a WBX.

I believe we'll have to agree to disagree then Ian. After 11 years of running a T25, and I know a lot of people who've had them a lot longer and do the same as me ... You're wrong.

Ian

[silverbullet]

...and a lot longer than me. Ok point taken but I will go with the engineering not the folklore.

[Ian Hulley]

...and a lot longer than me. Ok point taken but I will go with the engineering not the folklore.

Not folklore, proven fact.

Ian.

[axeman]

...and a lot longer than me. Ok point taken but I will go with the engineering not the folklore.

Not folklore, proven fact.

Ian.

Facts based on what?

[silverbullet]

Agree to disagree, as you said.
Only dwheezils with non-watercooled turbots need 5k oil changes.
Been there.