Why oil light is blinking on and off while driving?

If you own a car or have ever driven any vehicle, you must have seen that there is a light present on your dashboard. You must be wondering why this light is present there. Let us tell you that this light represents the engine-related issues and advises you to check your vehicle’s engine and other parts to know about the problem and fix it immediately.

You may have sometimes noticed that the oil light is blinking on and off while driving. No doubt, when this light starts blinking, a person gets worried. But you should not panic in this situation and find the reason behind this flickering. One of the most common reasons behind this happening is low oil pressure. When there is not enough oil for the engine to work efficiently, the red light blinks present on your dashboard.

The Purpose of Oil Light

Before discussing the reasons behind the blinking of the oil light, let us first discuss its purpose in your car. We know that you are curious to know why is my oil light flashing but you should also know the reason behind the installation of this light in your vehicle so that you could understand the reason for its flickering.

The purpose of installing this light in your vehicle is to help you monitor the oil pressure levels. Whenever it blinks, it means it is a warning for you that the oil pressure level is low. It may also show that your oil is not good enough for your engine to function properly so you need to change it as soon as possible.

What Does The Oil Light Represent?

Now, let’s come to our major topic that explains why the oil light is blinking on and off while driving. There are many reasons behind this happening and some of them have been discussed below. So, you need to go through this section to get an answer to your query. Let’s have a look at these reasons:

1. Low Amount of Oil

You will notice oil lights flashing when there is a low amount of oil in your vehicle. It means there is not enough oil available in your vehicle that could let the engine work properly and efficiently. The engine can be lost due to many reasons such as broken valves.

If the oil is leaving your vehicle, you will notice that it has started suffering. You should know that it results in causing serious damage to your vehicle. Thus, when there is not enough oil in your car, the light on your dashboard will pop up.

2. Low Oil Pressure

When there is a low pressure of oil in your vehicle, you will see the oil light blinking. There are many reasons why there is low oil pressure in your vehicle. Some of these reasons include worn-out oil, faulty oil pressure gauge, oil viscosity, and many more.

When there is low oil pressure, it prevents the oil from going through the narrow pathways for providing sufficient lubrication. As a result, lack of lubrication makes the engine seize up and damage it badly that you cannot repair it.

3. Damaged Oil Pressure Sensor

You will see a blinking oil light when the oil pressure sensor present in your car is damaged or not working properly. There is no major reason behind this happening as it can occur randomly. It may be a result of standard wear and tear.

If you do not fix this issue immediately, your car will not be able to get the proper and right amount of oil pressure. As a result, you will have to face major loss in the future where your engine can be damaged completely.

4. Ineffective Oil Pump

An ineffective oil pump is another reason why red oil light is blinking in your car. As we know, this light blinks when there is an issue with your engine or any of its parts, so the oil pump also plays a vital role in the functioning of an engine. If the oil pump is bad, your car will incur wear and tear.

This issue immediately pops up the light on your dashboard which is of red color showing that it is a warning to you to save your vehicle’s engine. When the oil pump gets damaged, the only solution to fix it is replacing it with a new one. If you do not replace it timely, your engine will die soon.

5. Engine Wear

If you notice an oil light flickering, you must check your engine immediately. It is because engine wear can be the reason behind the turning on of the light installed on the dashboard. Let us tell you that the oil in your car moves throughout the engine with the help of the camshaft bearings and crankshaft bearing.

If the area has to get broadened due to some reason such as worn parts, the oil will flow very easily by reducing the oil pressure. These are the areas that are responsible for building the pressure in the system so that the rate of flow could be controlled.

6. Dirty Air Filter

Let us tell you that dirty air filters also result in blinking the red light present on the dashboard of your car. The air filter can get clogged with dust or debris get stuck in it. No doubt, it is very common that air filters get dirty due to external weather and driving the car the whole day outside.

When the air filters are clogged, the flow gets reduced and the pressure gets increased. The pressure relief valve plays a vital role in preventing the pressure from getting too high. This valve is present on the oil filter. But if this valve also gets damaged, the oil pressure gets reduced and in turn, you notice red light flickering on your dashboard.

7. Overheated Engine

The red light on your dashboard is turned on if your engine gets overheated. The overheating of the engine is like a headache for the driver. Moreover, it also results in making the oil thinner which prevents building up the pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why does oil light blinks while driving?

If there is an issue with the engine or any of its parts, you will see the oil light is blinking.

2. What is the most common issue that occurs with your engine?

The most common issue that occurs with your car’s engine is not getting enough oil for functioning properly or bad oil is present there that affects the proper functioning of the engine.

3. What to do when the oil light turns on?

You must visit a professional technician when the red light turns on. Moreover, if you know how to find out the cause behind this happening, you can check it yourself but get it fixed by a professional.

Conclusion

When you are driving peacefully and notice that the red light on your dashboard has started blinking suddenly, you should not panic. Let us tell you that this situation occurs if there is an issue with your engine or any of its parts. You must consult an expert to get this issue fixed as soon as possible. If you want to avoid this situation, it would be best if you keep checking the internal parts of your car timely so that you could fix the issues with your car if there are any.