Engine Oil Pressure Too Low

Possible causes

• CommonLow oil level - by far the most common cause
• CommonOil leak, or oil burnt off between services
• CommonWorn oil pump or a blocked pickup screen
• CommonWorn main or big-end bearings, so the oil escapes faster than the pump can supply it
• PossibleWrong oil grade - too thin for the engine or the temperature
• PossibleBlocked oil filter, or a failed filter bypass valve
• PossibleFaulty sensor reporting low pressure that is not real

What you might notice

• Oil pressure warning light
• Ticking, tapping or deep rumbling from the engine
• Warning appearing at idle and clearing as revs rise
• Loss of power
• Engine seizing

What to check, in order

1. Stop as soon as it is safe and switch the engine off. Not at the next junction - now. Every additional minute of running with no oil pressure costs money that a tow does not.
2. Check the oil level once stopped. If it is low, topping it up may restore pressure - but only restart the engine to check, and switch it off again immediately if the light stays on.
3. Listen. A ticking or rumbling noise alongside this code means damage has already begun, and the engine should not be restarted at all.
4. If the level is correct and there is no noise, the sensor may be lying - but confirm that with a mechanical gauge before driving, not by hoping.
5. Do not drive it to a garage to save the cost of recovery. This is the single fault where that decision most often turns into a new engine.