Low Oil Light On

[helicopter23]

1997 grand prix gt 145k... My low oil light comes on what does that actually mean ??? Does it mean the car is burning oil like I think ??? If it is burning oil and if thats why the low oil light comes on can I just put another quart of oil in there between oil changes ???

[gmtech1]

Your car has an oil level sensor in the oil pan, it detects low oil level. Check the oil level on the dipstick, if it's low, top it off or change the oil, depending on how long since the last oil change. There are pleanty of problems with these sensors, so if the level is ok, you may just have a bad sensor.

Burning oil and oil leaks will cause a low oil level.

[helicopter23]

Originally Posted by gmtech1

Your car has an oil level sensor in the oil pan, it detects low oil level. Check the oil level on the dipstick, if it's low, top it off or change the oil, depending on how long since the last oil change. There are pleanty of problems with these sensors, so if the level is ok, you may just have a bad sensor.

Burning oil and oil leaks will cause a low oil level.

Can you cause damage to the engine if you put to much oil in it ??? Say my car burnt .5 quarts of oil (since oil was last changed to have 4.5 quarts I think) and I put 1 quart in, would that be a problem?

[GTP Dad]

Running an engine overfull of oil can cause problems. It can cause the oil to foam due to windage from the crank and it can cause damage to the rear or front seals on the motor. If you are only .5 quarts over I don't think you will have an issue this time but just don't make a habit of running it overfull.