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Does everyone's oil light flash during start?

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Old Sep 5, 2004 | 09:55 PM
  #1  
mdwst51's Avatar
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Does everyone's oil light flash during start?

I don't really know if this has been happening since I bought it (bought 7 months ago) But I have been noticing this the past couple months since I started hearing some weird sounds at start (more on that later)

I am not sure if this is normal for everyone else but when I stick the key in and turn to "on" ofcourse all the lights (oil, gas, cel) come on. But then i turn it over to "start" and all of them go off as they are supposed to except the oil light. It stays on for 1-2 seconds longer than the others, goes off for 1 second, flashes, disappears.

The odd sound I hear is when the engine is turning over. It starts fine but I hear a sort of sputtering like something (oil?) is having trouble getting through a small or clogged opening. Anyway, does the light thing happen to everyone else? or do i have a problem here.
Old Sep 5, 2004 | 11:03 PM
  #2  
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What brand and weight oil are you using and what oil filter? That oil light is for oil pressure warning so during start up for it to blink for a second is normal. Tells you oil is getting distributed into the engine.
Old Sep 5, 2004 | 11:21 PM
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The light is normal. Need more description on the "sputtering" noise.
Old Sep 6, 2004 | 05:33 AM
  #4  
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The oil light comes on when the sensor does not detect adaequate oil pressue. During start up the oil pump is still building up pressire in the system and scavenging the pickup. During those 1-3 seconds when it's building up pressure in the system, the oil pressure sensor is getting that pressure up to idle pressure. It's normal, it happens to all of the cars I own.
Old Sep 6, 2004 | 06:06 AM
  #5  
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yes, for a second or so, this is normal
Old Sep 8, 2004 | 07:13 AM
  #6  
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The oil light on other cars that I've driven goes dark as soon as the motor catches regardless of the time it's spent sitting. My 99 max has behavior similar to yours (I think): after the motor catches the light flickers or flashes or blinks for about a second. It seems to go out for maybe a quarter second immediately after it catches and then it flickers for roughly a half second. Is this what is "normal"?

When it's fairly cold out and the engine cranks over once more prior to starting it doesn't seem to happen; I've always assumed it's the pump building pressure on a DOHC engine (the others have been SOHC (yeah, Hondas) or OHC (the wife's Taurus). The flickering gets slightly worse as I accumulate some miles on the filter.

Oddly, it seems worse on Mobil 1 than it did before (on whatever oil used by the oil change places). I've tried the Nissan, Purolator PureOne, and Mobil 1 (~$12!) filters - none seemed to make a difference.
Old Sep 8, 2004 | 07:35 AM
  #7  
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I can't say whether mine goes out when the others do or not. I do know it flicks on for a second or so though. After I've changed the oil it always stays on especially long - maybe 2-3 seconds.
Old Sep 8, 2004 | 07:38 AM
  #8  
ILLeSt MaX's Avatar
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dont worry... my car does the same.. 89000 miles, and its been doing it since i had 50000 miles on my car, and it still runs great
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