Quick oil light question

[dangaran]

Hi,

In your opinion should i take my van back to the dealer if having owned it for 4 months and done 3500 miles and the oil light comes on?

the oil has dropped from full to just below half way in this time, is this acceptable?
i do not see any leaks or smoke.

I have had one thing after another go wrong with this van and this is the latest in a sting of problems, my van has already been back once and is due to go back again for another reason,

i just about give up...

Thanks!

[kawasaki kid]

Hi, Your bongo shouldn`t use / lose hardly any oil to go from full to half - I take it you mean on the dipstick - means it needs looking at - if you mean in the sump thats a loss of three litres. From memory I think the oil light is a pressure and level indicator so you need to top up the oil asap. Have you checked it`s not weeping from the oil filter. Get it back to the dealers so they can check it out. Hope this helps.

[dangaran]

Thanks for the relpy,

Yes i mean the dipstick, i was hoping that it would not use any oil between services but i am wrong.

so how much loss is half the dipstick? about 1/2 a litre perhaps?

i can not see any oil collecting anywhere and the filter looks clean(ish)with no new signs of new oil.

i forgot to say it looks like it has had a new cylinder head at some point.

[missfixit70]

top it up slowly to the full mark & you'll find out how much Shouldn't be more than a litre I wouldn't think. I take it you're checking it on the same level every time?

[dangaran]

Yes it's on the same level, not flat, but not too steep a slope
when i first got the van i checked it on the same drive way and it was slightly over filled.

[missfixit70]

Should never overfill it, danger of it knackering the turbo, ideally just below the full line.

[mikexgough]

New CDTi Vaxhall engines do 3500 miles per litre of oil......for comparison...

[dangaran]

My vectra used to do 1000 miles on a litre
but that does not make me feel any better, especially when i paid £6500 from a dealer.
i am sure most people with a bongo dont fill up at all between oil changes (please correct me if i am wrong)

[dobby]

Mine doesn't use oil.

[Dr.Jekyll]

When you say the oil light is on - is it staying on all the time or more on/off?

[Triple/R]

Mine doesn't use oil.

Mine as well Graham~had it 6 months now keep checking everything including oil & have'nt put a drop in yet & it's spotless~completely different to the coolant i have to keep topping that up but have pressure tested it & it's good.

[dangaran]

to be honest it is mainly off
i just noticed it out the corner of my eye yesterday two mins after starting up, but now i have noticed that it does linger for a few seconds after starting.
may be the level sensor switch is activated when the dip stick is around half way.

[dobby]

Keep an eye on that coolant Ray, hope it's ok.

dangaran - was the bongo from a bongo dealer, and did they service it? I'd take Missfixit's advice and fill it up properly on a level surface - supermarket car park etc? Then monitor it for a week and see if it drops, if it does then take it back and tell them you are worried. Some dealers only offer a three month basic warranty.

Alternatively, do a full oil and filter change including engine flush and then carefully clean up the engine - favourite will be the oil filter seal as per the above post.

[dangaran]

It was from a dealer, and i must say he has been VERY good so far, he already steam cleaned the engine and i had oil change and new filter.

i still have 2 years 8 months left on my warranty..

i just need to check what oIl he has put in so i can top it up.

[dobby]

Just take it back and say you are worried about, if it's nothing then no harm done. If its ok but later becomes a problem and you haven't told him then that may be a problem.

ps - put your approx location your profile 'cos we are nosey on here