03 D2: Red oil light turns on at the end of regular drive up mountain.

neuropathy

Active member
Mar 20, 2019
34
2
Santa Barbara, CA
I’ve got a concern about the red oil light. I live up in the mountains and regularly drive into the city, which is a few thousand feet below. When I drive back up and pull into my driveway, the red oil light turns on. My driveway is a bit steep, but not much more steep, if at all, than other parts of the drive. I’ve got plenty of oil and it’s looking fine. The car feels good and warm and I can smell the engine’s heat a bit when I’ve parked, stepped out of the vehicle and walked in front of it.



I’m worried about this and don’t know what to do. There aren’t any engine fault codes other than P0441, which is probably a separate issue regarding EVAP - I ordered a purge valve to replace the existing one to try to eliminate that issue (I need to run a smog check soon).



Any ideas about the red oil light? As soon as I’ve seen it come on, I’ve been able to turn off the vehicle. I haven’t seen it turn on during normal driving anywhere else.



Hoping this isn’t the big one
 

bradartigue

Well-known member
Mar 7, 2018
112
17
Sandy Springs, Georgia
If you turn off the engine and immediately turn it back on is the light off? If so it may simply be a bad pressure sender. When oil gets really hot and thin a bad sender may stop reading the pressure.
 

Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,754
561
Seattle
What weight oil are you using? A friend of mine described a similar problem that you're encountering under similar circumstances. He switched to heavier weight oil and that remedied the situation. My local indie Rover specialist swears by 20W50 in D1/D2/RRC engines.
 

bradartigue

Well-known member
Mar 7, 2018
112
17
Sandy Springs, Georgia
The hell you say?

The hell I say. I'm not even sure what you mean. If you've never owned a car with a faulty oil sensor then you don't know what it's like to read 80 psi cold and 14 psi warm when the oil gets thin and hot. I doubt seriously that Land Rover's electronics are immune to a fairly common issue with old sensors in old engines.
 

SGaynor

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
7,148
162
52
Bristol, TN
The hell I say. I'm not even sure what you mean. If you've never owned a car with a faulty oil sensor then you don't know what it's like to read 80 psi cold and 14 psi warm when the oil gets thin and hot. I doubt seriously that Land Rover's electronics are immune to a fairly common issue with old sensors in old engines.
I don't know what DiscoStew meant by that, but he's a LR mechanic. I'm sure he knows all about oil pressure. And, especially faulty Land Rover sensors.
 

neuropathy

Active member
Mar 20, 2019
34
2
Santa Barbara, CA
Oil level seems fine, maybe a bit overfilled if anything. The oil looks clean. It’s still about 1,500 miles off from where I’d change it. I’m using 5W30 oil. I’ll have to figure out what the pickup tube is in order to clean it. Next time it happens I can try to turn the engine off and then on again to see if the light will still be on. I’m not sure how to test oil pressure. Still learning a lot here. Thanks everyone. I’m worried about this.
 

Blueboy

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
3,205
459
Back in the USA; Rockwood, PA
My local indie Rover specialist swears by 20W50 in D1/D2/RRC engines.

Not to disagree with a specialist yet the 20W would be a problem any where it gets cold like in the Winter. From the recommended oil viscosity chart in the RRC Workshop book the main difference between 10W40 and 20W50 is the low end: 0 degrees C for 20W and -20 degrees C for 10W. Both weights are good up to 50 C where the chart ends. Guessing the 50W would be good higher than that if needed.
 

Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,754
561
Seattle
Not to disagree with a specialist yet the 20W would be a problem any where it gets cold like in the Winter.

I don't think you are disagreeing - context is important. My indie Rover specialist with 30 years of experience is in Seattle, where we don't see many days below 40 degrees F. So your suggestion for what to use in winter conditions in a place like Colorado may be appropriate in that context.
 

jastutte

Well-known member
Nov 10, 2009
461
71
Oil level seems fine, maybe a bit overfilled if anything. The oil looks clean. It’s still about 1,500 miles off from where I’d change it. I’m using 5W30 oil. I’ll have to figure out what the pickup tube is in order to clean it. Next time it happens I can try to turn the engine off and then on again to see if the light will still be on. I’m not sure how to test oil pressure. Still learning a lot here. Thanks everyone. I’m worried about this.

i would switch to a 15w40 oil. then see if you still have the oil light issue.
 

Swedjen2

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2018
594
127
California
Don't know anyone running 5-30 in a 3.5, 3.9, 4.0, 4.2, 4.6 or larger V-8 Rover, but I'll defer to the guys who fix these for a living...I'm sure they've seen it all.
20/50 summer or 10-40 in winter is what I tend to follow.
Then there is which type and brand, but that's a whole different kettle o'fish.

BTW, which brand ARE you using?
 

neuropathy

Active member
Mar 20, 2019
34
2
Santa Barbara, CA
My mistake, using 10W40. I had a quart of 5W here that I thought I’d been using but it was for some power tools. I’ve been using generic brands of oil, mostly... should I change that? Any suggestions? I’m going to flush the oil and use 15W40 as recommended by owners for higher mileage vehicles (140,000 miles). It’s not synthetic oil. I live in southern CA and it’s pretty warm year round, but there will be colder mornings and nights later in the year - I’m going 15W40 will be ok year round.

About doing an oil pressure test: do you know what adapter I’ll need?
 
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pdxrovermech

Well-known member
Jul 3, 2009
1,807
57
Portland, OR
here in Portland. we put 20/50 in if the engine has over 100k miles. Never a problem. In regards to TC, its almost certainly a combination of the 5/30 and a split oil pump gear.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
here in Portland. we put 20/50 in if the engine has over 100k miles. Never a problem. In regards to TC, its almost certainly a combination of the 5/30 and a split oil pump gear.
This is kind of what I"m thinking is wrong. That or the sump screen being all shitted up. But because its a D2 you gotta think that maybe it's had coolant leaking internally for the last 50k miles and it's just all wore out.

For sure the front covers gotta come off and that pump gear needs to be looked at.
 

neuropathy

Active member
Mar 20, 2019
34
2
Santa Barbara, CA
You’ll have to forgive my ignorance... TC meaning timing chain?

Also, is this the o-ring I should be replacing? Is it a big task getting to it? See image with arrow pointing to part #10


About the front cover of the oil pump, I’ll be able to remove it and see if the gear looks like it’s cracked or worn out? Will the oil pump gear kit do, in that case?

Can the sump screen simply be cleaned?

Is it better to just replace the part? We’re talking about LSP100800 - the oil suction strainer pipe, right? If I’m looking at the o-ring, I figure I might as well get that replaced too.

Before changing oil, should I flush the system with a cleaning product?

Coolant leaking meaning... head gasket? There’s low pressure in one of the cylinders (maybe 75 psi)... when I’ve got another daily driving vehicle I can try get to that one, but it’ll be too much for now. The oil has always looked clean enough to me, but I have no idea really.
 
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discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
Crap in the sump screen can just be cleaned out. The o ring your pointing at should be replaced if you pull the sump out of the frt cover.
You did test the oil psi ? Also make sure you find the hidden bolts at the rear of the oil pan. It's gotta come off first to gain access to the sump bolt at the front cover.