flicking oil light.

[AndyR]

Hello from norfolk.

Whilst out and about today collecting children from a scout camp 50 miles away, i noticed that after engine was up to running temp, the oil light would flicker when i stopped at a junction or traffic lights. If i tickled the throttle, it would go out, and once moving at normal speeds it stayed out. 

Since being home for a few hours, i went and checked oil level. It is spot on. 

Does anyone have any ideas as to the cause? 

Will be doing an oil and filter change tomorrow as its due a change. 

Regards and Thanks in advance. 

Andy. 

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Hi Andy

I would carry out the oil change and see what it does afterwards.
I imagine the oil has lost some of its viscosity (check the oil does not smell of petrol) 

Let us know how you get on with it

Cheers,   Trev

[AndyR]

YAY!!!!!  

I finally managed to get the astra serviced at last. How it ran so smoothly i will never know. The spark plugs were finger tight, the air filter didn't look like it had been replaced for years. And as for the oil filter, well i'm sure it was wound on with one of those strap tools to remove oil filters, by heck was that tight. I had to be brutal and stick a screwdriver through the old one to wind it off. 

New plugs fitted and tightened up, nice clean air filter to help her breath better, and lovely clean oil and filter. 

On the plus side, it has cured the flashing oil light on the dash, obviously letting me know to change the oil, (thankyou vauxhall). And Trevor i did check to see what the old oil smelt like. It just had a slight burnt smell to it, no smell of petrol.  Did seem a little thicker than i imagined.  The old spark plugs had double electrodes, where the new ones were single, would this make any difference regarding performance?

Andy.

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Hi Andy...glad you resolved the issues with simple maintenance and nothing too drastic or expensive.

Twin electrodes would not really make much of a difference compared to new single electrodes, just last longer thats all.

Glad the oil was not washed down but sounds like it was old oil and struggling to circulate the engine....hence the oil pressure light.

Now you can sit back and enjoy the Astra and probably a better MPG as well

Cheers,  Trevor

[AndyR]

Hi Trevor. Yes I'm so glad it was a simple fix. I had visions of oil pump dying. I'm going to give it a month and change the oil and filter again, just to make sure its all cleaned through. The suns come out so time to sort out previous owners scrapes, and one of my own(oopsy). 

Thanks for all your advice. 

Regards Andy.

[Keith Bradley]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll do an oil and filter change and see how it goes.

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

3 hours ago, Keith Bradley said:

Thanks for all the advice. I'll do an oil and filter change and see how it goes.

Let us know how you get on with it Keith