[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by goandude

This question is not about pressure but oil level.I found a steady drop in oil level in my DzireVDI. At 14000 km...

...any takes?

Well, as dadu put it, your engine is eating (drinking ) oil.

Originally Posted by dadu

do you see visible black smoke at any point of time during your driving.

If you do, you've got oil ring failure on one or more pistons. Too early for that, on a 14k km DZire IMO. Will require opening up the engine.

Other reasons that come to mind:
1. Partially blown head gasket, causing oil to be pumped into the coolant, resulting in lowering of coolant level. Perhaps you're also getting coolant to mix in the oil (but in lesser quantities), hence the loss of viscosity. Is there a colour change in either the oil or the coolant? You're likely to have oil floating as a shiny film over the coolant in the overflow bottle.

2. Busted big end bearing or busted crankshaft oil seal. You don't lose oil when stationary or idling, but

...after a long 1000 km hard drive...

the oil can trickle out slowly when the engine is being revved hard on load. Less complicated to fix if it's the oil seal, but fixing a busted big-end bearing will require opening up the engine block. Look for tell-tale oil marks at the junction where the clutch housing mates with the engine block (you'll need to get under the car or lift it on a ramp/garage lift).

I presume you're covered under warranty.

[S5157]

Hello All,

The car was serviced by MASS and they have done OIL pump cleaning and OIL pressure switch replacement. The issue seems to be resolved and I no longer see warning light at lower RPM.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Well, as dadu put it, your engine is eating (drinking ) oil.

well, i have been doing some research into this and I found the following:-

1. All engines consume oil during normal operations. (Dzire owners manual page 5-2)
2. Amount consumed is proportionate to the viscocity of the oil and engine condition.
3. High speed driving consumes more oil. I do 100 - 120 regularly on GQ trips.
4. New engines consume more oil which settles down after 5000 kms. (not my case but just some gyan) Link to another thread where a superb drinks oil in the first 5000k http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...superb-me.html
5. On regular short trips oil gets contaminated with diesel and may not show a drop in oil levels. (Dzire owners manual page 5-2) (my trips are real short in mumbai I mean < 1km to work)
6. After a long hard drive the contaminants evaporate and voila your engine oil level drops. (my case exactly)

Moral of the story:
More frequent oil check up and changes in short trip driving.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by S5157

OIL pump cleaning and OIL pressure switch replacement. The issue seems to be resolved...

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

The oil pressure switch is on the verge of retiring. Ten-minute job to replace.

@S5157: Happy to see the issue has been resolved.

Originally Posted by goandude

...it was 2/3 between max and min on dipstick. towards max. after a long 1000 km hard drive...it was down to just above min. There are no oil leaks.

That translates to around 500ml of oil over 1000km.

Originally Posted by goandude

well, i have been doing some research into this and I found the following:-

1. All engines consume oil during normal operations. (Dzire owners manual page 5-2)
2. Amount consumed is proportionate to the viscocity of the oil and engine condition.
3. High speed driving consumes more oil. I do 100 - 120 regularly on GQ trips.

The owner's manual does not quantify how much, but experience says a loss of 500ml over 5000km is acceptable. NOT 500ml over 1000km. High speed driving is when you're using up 90% of the rev range - which you are not, at 100-120km/h. For example, over a 7000+ km trip, my Scorpio has not even lost 100ml of oil. Over 4000 to 5000 km trips I've never observed any significant loss of engine oil in my previous car, a diesel Accent.

Moral of the story:
More frequent oil check up and changes in short trip driving.

In any case, my oil changes are ALWAYS at shorter intervals than what the manufacturers recommend - usually 60-70% of the recommended interval.

[goandude]

SS Traveller you have a point, my previous cars too never showed a drop in oil levels EVER. but points 5 and 6 would explain the drop (hopefully) in oil levels after 3 months of SHORT commutes degrading and diluting the oil.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by goandude

...points 5 and 6 would explain the drop (hopefully) in oil levels after 3 months of SHORT commutes degrading and diluting the oil.

No way. That can only happen if your engine has blow-by (aka back compression), allowing diesel from the top of the piston to come to the bottom - not likely in a 14k km old engine.

[Sportsmind]

Kindly advice the ideal oil pressure psi readings for a turbo charged 1.3 swift. I find the oil pressure is always between 10 and 20 psi, be it engine start or during high rpm of 4500 plus.
Awaiting inputs on this area to be sure there is no issues with the pump or the senders.

[Scorp72]

Hello,

I searched many threads before posting this as I did not get a conclusive answer. My 10 yr old Opel Corsa 1.4 has the oil light come on after driving for 500 meters. And this happens every time now. So I gave it to Mahindra First Choice for servicing and told them about the engine oil light issue. It came back from servicing with filter and oil change but same problem. The service guy said they don't have the scangauge that works with Opel cars and it is not a major problem. Now I am afraid to drive the car over long distances because of this. There is no noise or anything.

I read somewhere on the forum that this may be a problem with the oil pump, but was inconclusive. I tried to read the error using Autel scangauge, but it does not work with opel cars. Any help appreciated. If I do have to replace the oil pump, does anyone have a picture or specs for it. A dealer told me, he can find the part if I can send him the picture or let him know how many slots thus pump has. Without opening the car, I can't get this info. Want to get the part before replacing it.(hoping that this is the right solution)

[rajeev k]

Confirm first the oil pressure switch is not faulty before embarking for the replacement of the oil pump. Try connecting a pressure gauge to the pressure switch socket to know about the exact pressure developed.
A clogged oil pump suction strainer can also be one factor.

[Scorp72]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Confirm first the oil pressure switch is not faulty before embarking for the replacement of the oil pump. Try connecting a pressure gauge to the pressure switch socket to know about the exact pressure developed.
A clogged oil pump suction strainer can also be one factor.

Thanks for the reply and suggestion Rajeev. Where do I find the pressure switch? Can a normal pressure gauge (I have one used to measure the pressure on water pipes) be used ? Lastly how to access the oil pump strainer. Can I try this at home or need to go to a garage. thanks.

[rajeev k]

Better to get this done at a known workshop. The pressure gauges similar to one used in Ambys may suffice. The gauge should have a range of 0 to 4 kg/cm2 and may require an adopter for connecting to the socket where the switch i\s mounted.. First confirm that the pressure switch is OK. For accessing the strainer you need to remove the engine sump which I feel that a garage would be fine.

[Scorp72]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Better to get this done at a known workshop. The pressure gauges similar to one used in Ambys may suffice. The gauge should have a range of 0 to 4 kg/cm2 and may require an adopter for connecting to the socket where the switch i\s mounted.. First confirm that the pressure switch is OK. For accessing the strainer you need to remove the engine sump which I feel that a garage would be fine.

Wow, did not expect a reply so soon,. Taking the car (gingerly) to Singh Motors,Wagholi. Distance is 12 kms. Hope I make it without much drama. Will ask therm to do the checks you prescribed. Will keep you posted.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by Scorp72

Wow, did not expect a reply so soon,. Taking the car (gingerly) to Singh Motors,Wagholi. Distance is 12 kms. Hope I make it without much drama. Will ask therm to do the checks you prescribed. Will keep you posted.

Rather than driving 12 kms, I suggest get the mechanic from there to your place get it inspected and then drive out. By removing the oil pressure switch and by starting the engine an experienced mechanic may be able to ascertain the developed pressure.

[Ray32825]

The oil pressure warning light/buzzer comes on at around 5psi. If you had little or no oil pressure, you would hear the valve train at the very least. If you don't hear any sounds on a cold start, I doubt it is your oil pump or strainer.
Most cars have a single oil pressure sending unit on the block or oil filter housing, some have another one on the head to make sure the valve train is not starved of oil pressure due to excessive clearances in the bearings.
I would not drive the vehicle to a garage, have someone come and check the oil pressure mechanically by removing the sending unit. You could screw in a mechanical/hydraulic gauge - the size of the threads should be universal/standard pipe thread.
This is why we used to have the triple aftermarket gauges in the old days - amps, temp and oil pressure.

[Scorp72]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Rather than driving 12 kms, I suggest get the mechanic from there to your place get it inspected and then drive out. By removing the oil pressure switch and by starting the engine an experienced mechanic may be able to ascertain the developed pressure.

I would love to have a mechanic come over. But that is a luxury in Pune. I will call him today and he will come by Monday :(. Thinking of taking it to MFC which is just 4 kms away. Not happy with their service though. But need to get it done today as I have the time to stay with the car for the whole day if required. Thanks.