Hi guys,

I know this may seem like a silly question :) But last week I was accelerating over a bridge, and a 'jerry can' oil symbol came up on my dash. As soon as it appeared, it went again. So I looked it up in my book when I got home, and it says that if it's just the oil symbol then it's oil pressure and I should stop immediately and call a mini service centre. However, if the oil symbol has water running under it, then it's a simple top up of the fluid?

I had my car in for the water pump recall last Saturday (after the oil light came on) and I didn't mention it. But it came on again this morning as I was going round a roundabout.. and I'm just wondering if this is anything to be worried about?

I've check the dip stick, all seems fine, had the death rattle done in September so has had a recent oil change I presume. And service isn't due for ages (only my MOT light comes on for Sept 2012 / 17,000 miles).

Surely if it was serious the oil light would stay on or the eng management one?

Thanks.

Hi , THis sounds like it is not the oil light but the fuel light, which if you go over a sharp humpback bridge would slosh around a lot eaiserthan the oil in the sump and the engine. If that flashes on in my 2008 MCS the fuel light in the main speedo also goes red with 2 or 3 bars.....

Hi, I get this if my oil level is getting a bit low. It is defiantly the oil light that comes on!!

I would check your oil level and top up if needed. (not unusual for this car)

Regards, Helen.

Yeah my car had actually run out of oil and had to get it recovered to mini.

I was sure when I'd checked there was oil on the dipstick :/ and didn't think I could get through a whole engine's worth in less than 6 months and 3,000 miles. However, the AA man said there was none in the engine at all. Cost £70 to get it all topped back up and all the noises have gone now. Back to normal and I'm keeping an oil diary to keep track of usage :) 1/2 a litre in the past 500 miles, and no warning light comes on when it goes past minimum which is pretty shoddy.

Even that symbol on the dash mentioned above only came on for a spilt second, I thought it was a snowflake the first time (It was in Feb/March).

Hi
I check and top up my oil every 2 Weeks. Sometimes it uses hardly any and other times it uses more than I would like.

It is a routine that you need to stick to. Takes 5 minutes and can save a lot of expense.

After losing all of your oil, you probably need to check it each time you put fuel in. My prediction is that it is going to start using more again soon.

Val

Yep, I'm going to be a lot more careful from now on. I only do around 6,000 miles a year, but I'm going to check my oil every two weeks anyway and top up if needed. :) Learnt my lesson now, don't trust the car to warn you, it won't happen!

Oil surge in the sump can momentarily cause the pump too lose suction on high speed cornering or when you leave the ground as you do?
Need to keep the oil on the dipstick at maximum or fit baffles in the sump, or go for a dry sump system like the rally cars have, then you can fly as high as you like with no ill effects, er, on the oil side that is.