What does low engine oil pressure mean?

[DelCorey]

Low engine oil pressure refers to insufficient gasoline or oil pressure. If it's insufficient gasoline pressure, it may be caused by a malfunctioning fuel pump. If it's insufficient oil pressure, it may be due to a lack of oil in the engine or a faulty oil pump. Gasoline is a volatile, flammable hydrocarbon mixture liquid obtained from petroleum through distillation or cracking processes, used as fuel. Different octane ratings represent varying fuel anti-knock properties, with higher octane numbers indicating better anti-knock performance. Engine oil consists of base oil and additives, where the base oil is the main component of lubricants, determining their fundamental properties. Its functions include: 1. Lubrication and wear reduction; 2. Auxiliary cooling; 3. Sealing and leak prevention; 4. Rust and corrosion protection; 5. Shock absorption.

[DiClaire]

Recently encountered low oil pressure, it's really urgent to deal with. My car also had this problem before - as soon as the warning light came on, I immediately pulled over and shut off the engine. Talking with the mechanic revealed that oil pump wear or filter screen clogging could prevent oil pressure from building up. Another hidden killer is excessive bearing clearance, which older cars are particularly prone to. A fellow car enthusiast thought he could keep driving with the warning light on, only to end up with cylinder scoring that cost over 8,000 yuan to repair. Remember that red oil can warning light on the dashboard is no joke - if you shut down immediately when it first comes on, you might still save it with a tow, but forcing it will mean waiting for an engine replacement. Now during every maintenance I make sure the filter gets replaced - small savings can lead to big troubles.

[Joe]

With twenty years of car repair experience, low oil pressure most commonly occurs in three situations: either the oil level itself is insufficient, or there's a leak somewhere in the pipeline. Last time, an Audi owner hadn't checked for three months, and the dipstick couldn't even reach the oil—fortunately, it was discovered early. Special reminder for turbocharged cars: aging seals can cause oil to leak from the turbocharger into the combustion chamber, with no visible signs of leakage on the surface. A deformed oil pan or a faulty sensor can also trigger false alarms. Nowadays, when encountering an oil pressure warning, the safest approach is to first check for oil stains on the ground, then inspect the dipstick scale.

[SkylarDella]

The year I bought my new car, the oil pressure warning light also scared me out of my wits. The 4S shop said it might just be a sensor malfunction, but it would be terrible if it was really due to low oil. Now I’ve learned to be smarter—after every maintenance, I lay cardboard on the garage floor and check the next day for any oil stains. My best friend’s car had an even crazier issue: using the wrong high-viscosity oil caused low oil pressure when cold. The key is to keep a bottle of the same oil type in the spare tire compartment for emergencies. If the warning light comes on, stop and top up with half a bottle to make it to the repair shop and save on towing fees. By the way, those driving older cars should be extra careful—after 100,000 kilometers, it’s best to upgrade to a reinforced oil pump.