Oil light issue

[gundamresource]

Here is my situation. I started doing some heavier driving the past couple of months. Since then the oil light on my 93 prelude has come on solid once, and once blinking. Both times the oil level was a little low. The light turned off when I added a quart immediately after. Is there a difference for the way the light goes off? Should I be worried about other possible problems? Please help, thanks!

[ludeguy]

depending on how low it was when you added - was it still above the min - level mark on the dipstick? as far as I know, the engine oil light is activated by a pressure switch not a "quantity" type indicator...the quantity type indicator - is actually your dipstick. However the oil light would come on (activated by the pressure switch) if oil quantity was low enough, because the pressure would have been reduced due to lack of volume (or something like that..if i'm making any sense at all).

in any case - it could be a number of things, from oil pressure switch, to your oil pump. if you have an oil pressure guage you can check by connecting it near your filter (there is a service attachment) it should be 70kPa at idle, and 350kPa at 3000rpm. - if you can get readings in that ballpark, replace your oil pressure switch (ie: because it's sending a faulty signal that pressure is low when it isn't). if your readings are lower than that - suspect your oil pump is on its way out (and that's not fun). i'm sure any shop could check your oil pressure for pretty cheap (20 bux? that sounds about right for having to crawl under a car with a guage...) and it would prob give you some piece of mind, just hang out when they do it - so you can see the readings yourself so you don't get jipped.

before going as far as replacing the pump - i would check the oil screen, and also replace your oil filter - perhaps the one you have is in bypasS/or heavily clogged? when last did you change your oil filter etc?

cheers.