Low oil level light BUT oil is topped up

[CDN_S4]

I went for a 200km drive today and on the way back the low oil level warning light came on. As soon as I came home I topped it up with the Lubro 5-40 I had bought in anticipation of my oil change that I'll be doing once I get my filters in (ordered online). However, I checked the dip stick and the level has definitely come up and is indeed full after the top up, but the light doesn't come off.
Any ideas?? Am I just too impatient and it will come off once the engine runs a bit? I just revved it in my garage a bit after the refill but haven't driven it yet.

Thanks

[thomasskull666]

Not sure about your issue, but I can verify that the warning goes away immediately when the car is started after adding oil.

Not to thread jack, but does anyone know offhand what the minimum quantity is to trigger the low oil level warning?

[ozo101]

my car used to clear the light as soon as you topped the oil , but after a couple of years started doing that, it takes about two days of driving for the light to go away , has been like that for a few years now, i dont know what to tell you

[CDN_S4]

my car used to clear the light as soon as you topped the oil , but after a couple of years started doing that, it takes about two days of driving for the light to go away , has been like that for a few years now, i dont know what to tell you

Ok, well that car is 10 years old...I guess we'll find out

[SquiddyB6S4]

And you're sure that the low oil level light is on and not the oil pressure? What color is the light you're seeing? Could be a bad oil level or oil pressure sensor. They aren't perfect. I have also heard of the instrument cluster needing to have settings restored using VAG-COM or the factory tool.

[CDN_S4]

And you're sure that the low oil level light is on and not the oil pressure? What color is the light you're seeing? Could be a bad oil level or oil pressure sensor. They aren't perfect. I have also heard of the instrument cluster needing to have settings restored using VAG-COM or the factory tool.

It is Yellow and it says "MIN" under it.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...8_/Symbols.jpg
Center row, 1st symbol.

The dip stick shows over half, so I know it's not really low and there is no sign of dripping oil under my car on the garage floor. The underneath of the motor looks sticky, but not "drip". I'm guessing it is the sensor.

[BenSti]

It is Yellow and it says "MIN" under it.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...8_/Symbols.jpg
Center row, 1st symbol.

The dip stick shows over half, so I know it's not really low and there is no sign of dripping oil under my car on the garage floor. The underneath of the motor looks sticky, but not "drip". I'm guessing it is the sensor.

Swap out the sensor next time you do an oil change, it is pretty cheap, like $50

[CDN_S4]

Was about to order a new sensor but decided to go for one more drive first and sure enough after about 5 mins the light came off. That took well over 3 days and approximately 60-70km (37-40miles) of driving for the levels to settle or the oil to spread or the sensor to recognize the change...whatever it may be, it was slow, but it all still works. So if this happens to anybody else, give it some time, and if it still doesn't come off, then it's time for a new sensor. Thanks for all the input.

[Tinpusher]

This just happened to me. Light came on, I topped up to the max line and the light stayed on. Have driven 45km to work and its still on. I'll give it another couple of days but I don't like staring at that big warning light.

[Tinpusher]

Light went off half way home last night, so after about 65km/40 miles.

[TheSchwa]

Not sure about your issue, but I can verify that the warning goes away immediately when the car is started after adding oil.

Not to thread jack, but does anyone know offhand what the minimum quantity is to trigger the low oil level warning?

I believe it's at 7.5 quarts... Mine takes 2 quarts when the light comes on.

[bioluminescent]

My light stays on for days after I top off (probably 50 - 100 miles at least). I even replaced the sensor because it bothered me, but the new sensor is the same exact thing.

[thomasskull666]

I believe it's at 7.5 quarts... Mine takes 2 quarts when the light comes on.

Sounds right, thanks!

[tboo72]

My light stays on for days after I top off (probably 50 - 100 miles at least). I even replaced the sensor because it bothered me, but the new sensor is the same exact thing.

Your hood sensor is probably bad. The light will stay on till it senses that the hood sensor has been tripped.

[Clun9]

After you set you top off your oil why don't you simply reset the oil light via your cluster?

[tboo72]

After you set you top off your oil why don't you simply reset the oil light via your cluster?

I dont think you can. The oil light resets itself when its not sensing low oil & the hood has been opened for 30 seconds. Only then it will turn off.

[bioluminescent]

Your hood sensor is probably bad. The light will stay on till it senses that the hood sensor has been tripped.

Hood sensor, you say? I will look into this. I didn't realize there was a hood sensor, but wouldn't have put the two together. Still don't really understand how they are related...

[tboo72]

Hood sensor, you say? I will look into this. I didn't realize there was a hood sensor, but wouldn't have put the two together. Still don't really understand how they are related...

If your low oil light goes on, Audi wants to make sure you open the hood to check the oil. The sensor is located in the latch. To see if your sensor is faulty, turn on the ignition & open the hood. Your DIS should signal the hood is open if the sensor is operating as it should.

[Clun9]

I dont think you can. The oil light resets itself when its not sensing low oil & the hood has been opened for 30 seconds. Only then it will turn off.

You can reset it, its essentially resetting the service maintenance schedule.

[crabpot]

I believe it's at 7.5 quarts... Mine takes 2 quarts when the light comes on.

Really? Mine only takes one, if that.

[tboo72]

You can reset it, its essentially resetting the service maintenance schedule.

Are we talking about the low oil level warning or the oil change warning?

[Clun9]

Are we talking about the low oil level warning or the oil change warning?

The low oil level light. Whenever I get that oil min light and refill it, I simply just reset it.

[bioluminescent]

Do you have a part number? I can't find anything by the name of hood sensor, but my light has not gone off in almost two weeks now and if I lift the hood when the car is on I get no warning so I'm assuming this is the problem.

[tboo72]

Do you have a part number? I can't find anything by the name of hood sensor, but my light has not gone off in almost two weeks now and if I lift the hood when the car is on I get no warning so I'm assuming this is the problem.

This is for the B6. Not sure if the B7 is the same: http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B6_S4-...Hood/ES438191/

A quick fix is to unplug the sensor & stick paperclip in the terminals. This will produce a short. Do this with the hood open & the ignition on. The car will then think the hood is open & the low oil light should turn off.

[bioluminescent]

This is for the B6. Not sure if the B7 is the same: http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B6_S4-...Hood/ES438191/

A quick fix is to unplug the sensor & stick paperclip in the terminals. This will produce a short. Do this with the hood open & the ignition on. The car will then think the hood is open & the low oil light should turn off.

Thanks a lot for your help, man. I would have never realized this was the issue...

[tboo72]

Thanks a lot for your help, man. I would have never realized this was the issue...

No problem. I had the same issue a few weeks ago. Shorting the hood sensor plug did it.

[ABOMB]

This is for the B6. Not sure if the B7 is the same: http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B6_S4-...Hood/ES438191/

A quick fix is to unplug the sensor & stick paperclip in the terminals. This will produce a short. Do this with the hood open & the ignition on. The car will then think the hood is open & the low oil light should turn off.

Best advice ever for a quick fix. I know I'm bringing up a super old thread, but this did the trick and saved me a hundred or so dollars.

[924Carrera]

It's not drastically cheaper than the latch, but the microswitch is available separately as 8E0953236. I had to replace mine because the two wires were frayed and touching each other. The shop I bought the car from claimed they "adjusted" the latch and couldn't get the DIS warning to go off. I'm pretty sure they didn't even look at it...there is no adjustment and the wire fraying was rather obvious.

[Calypso3red]

*—

[1975audi]

So do you leave the paperclip in or is this something you have to do everytime you need to add oil?


Sent from my SM-G955W using Audizine mobile app

[Padouch]

You need to do this every time to clear the error. If you left it in the connector, you would have the "open hood" message on permanently.

[JAudi23]

If your low oil light goes on, Audi wants to make sure you open the hood to check the oil. The sensor is located in the latch. To see if your sensor is faulty, turn on the ignition & open the hood. Your DIS should signal the hood is open if the sensor is operating as it should.

+1 for the service reminder reset to clear the low oil warning. After a long stressful day I came home to this on my wife's Avant and saw a replacement Oil level sensor in the near future. After reading this thread, and knowing i had a bad hood latch micro-switch, the service reminder reset cleared the warning instantly. Thanks guys!

[jasontaylor7]

I'm lost here. Does the Audi measure oil pressure or just oil levels?

How does the oil level sensor work?

Does it work by measuring the resistance of a vertical metal stick in the oil to the chassis ground?

Does it self-calibrate that resistance to a reference resistance by "noticing" when the hood was just closed (under the assumption that the driver just added the right amount of oil) so now the resistance=level is correct? Does this explain why resetting the oil service re-calibrates the reference resistance?

Do some oils have agents that have a higher resistance than regular oil, making the sensor think there is less oil?

Why are people replacing sensors if the real problem is the hood sensor?