AUDI 80 COUPE 1990 - WARNING LIGHT

[SM247]

Just bought Coupe but have no owner manual. On turning on ignition large warning light at top of cluster displays what look like a yellow light bulb then changes to red oil can. Oil is topped up as far as I can see but not sure what this is indicating with manual. Any info would be appreciated.

[Steve Q]

Welcome to the forum Steve, you'll find the members on here are a friendly and helpful bunch :) 

Obviously red oil can suggests it's low on oil (or maybe too much oil?) But if you know this not to be the case then I wonder if it is a sensor that has failed.

Cheers

Steve 

[Magnet]

Hello Steve,

Sorry to hear you have a concern about this car, but you are quite right in being concerned, and you should treat this concern as a significant issue, and in my book certainly not use the car until it is checked. 

Looking at the age of the car it is highly, highly unlikely that this warning light is warning you of low low engine oil level, but is warning you of low oil pressure - a significant concern, since with oil being circulated at pressures less than it was designed to be, then continued use beyond that first point of warning will inevitably lead to engine wear/failure. 

You have to establish with some urgency whether this is a simply a low oil pressure sender fault, or if the pressure is indeed low. You should really be keeping everything crossed that it's a faulty sender! 

Simply book it in to the nearest trusted garage without delay (and continued use) and ask them to check the actual oil pressure when the oil is hot, and report back to you what that reading is. Some might just change the sender, which might temporarily solve the light problem, but if it were mine, I would want to know what the operating oil pressure was on this engine. 

Was this issue present at the point you bought it Steve, or has it occurred since? The answer to this may give useful additional helpful information. 

Good luck with it.

Kind regards,

Gareth.