Oil warning light come on, HELP!

A friend has just taken the M3 down to moseley motorsport to have an inspection II done, he noticed that it was leaking some oil from around the Oil pressure switch but wasnt that bothered about it. Came to leave and 10 mins down the road the oil warning light has come on.

Of course he doesn't want to drive it any further in case it is something major. The car has hardly been used in the last year, it hasn't been thrashed, the light has never even flickered before, There are no signs of oil leaking anywhere else, so i'm wondering what's going on.

Could the pressure switch fail? or are we talking something more serious, strange this has only happened straight after an inspection II.

If your oil level is so low that the OIL PRESSURE WARNING light comes on, you have already done some damage to your engine.
The setting of that switch is low that I would bet the engine doesn't last for 5 miles driving without taken damage. Take the conector plug off and clean it with brake cleaner if you had oil leaking around the switch.
Of course checking the oil will do no harm
And yes, switches do fail. Ask thepits, who had the same issue at Gaydon.

jonny 320is wrote: Well it ain't low oil level, it happened after having its service so it was more than full.  Hope its just a faulty sensor, fingers crossed, moseley is looking at it rigt now!

If you are talking about the the 'low-oil' light on the high-up centre console, then don't worry - it doesn't work on an E30 M3!

If you are talking about the oil (can) light on the dash, as UWEM3 says, I had a scary time at Gaydon when mine came on - but no nasty noisies, and plenty of oil = faulty switch - which was proved when I changed it on monday.

Phew! a cheap result for a change!

 

p.s. - funny, mine failed just after an oil-change as well

Edited by thepits

Andy S wrote: I have not heard of switch eating oil      Is it something garages have discovered to make us panic and spend more money with them???       just a thought

Oh they don't eat it, they just suck it up, and then spit it out out again. Thats what happens with older cars - they get incontinent