I was on a course on Saturday so I stayed at mums. When I got back to mums after a day of coffee, chatting and sleeping with your eyes open mum asked me to check over her car.

Apparently the light had flashed which she took to mean it was low on oil, so she stopped at a.n.other supermarket and dumped a litre or so of engine oil in it.

Now when she started it up it was like a diesel loco starting from cold, clouds and clouds of lag.

I checked the dipstick and it was WAY WAY high but there was also a lump of crap on the dipstick.

Do we (you) think it's likely just to be she's over filled it with oil or could there be a blockage between the sump and somewhere?

I was in full police uniform so I couldn't do anything at the time and I've had to come back up to Leeds to accomodate viewings and woo SWMBO on Valantines day and I've told mum not to drive until it can be drained/flushed either by me or her local (and friendly) Kwik Fit (most likely)...

So Is it a blockage? Is it just mum getting a bit over zealous with the oil and what on earth could cause the warning light to come on/flash otherwise?

Unlikely to be a "blockage" - there'd be zero pressure, so the light (pressure, not level) would be on.

Sure it was the oil light, not the brake fluid light?

I had the oil light flash on my orange 2cv at low rpm, and then stay on constantly at all engine speeds. That was 10k miles ago... change of pressure switch and all was good.

That said, my dyane used to flash it's brake fluid light occasionally, esp when entering my road which was on a very steep hill.

Yep certainly not the brake warning like. I'll let you know what the crack is when it's drained a bit.

Hi Pete ....check your pm box ....

Terry

Thanks for the offer Terry but she needs the car for hospital tomorrow.

Adrian, the light was on, pulsing with the RPM of the engine, almost like it was shorted out. I didn't get a chance to have a play about. What with conference on Saturday and having to prep for Valentines evening with Alex.

She's taking it for an oil change at the local quick fit because there was a build up of sediment on the dipstick.

If the light is still coming on when it's done I'll look into it more but I'm 'meant' to be decorating my house in Leeds that I'm letting out.

Tell her to give me a shout if she's in Sheffield with the car during the week, Pete. I'm happy to have a look. I would offer to change the oil for her as well, but I've got no container here to drain the old oil into.

Cheers, I'm up in Leeds trying to decorate this place for my new tenants who are moving in in March.

I'll let you know if the light is still going...

Dont you mean mayonaise? caused by the oil just not getting hot enough

Sean

No, if I didn't know better I'd say sludge. Infact I don't know any better so I'm going to say sludge. Black, bitty, soil-ey sludge.