Offroad-Express

I drive 93 Prado with 1kz te. 150ks (ex import so could be 250k's who knows ) Often get oil warning light on steep downhills (not uphill or sidling). Even just going down the hill from home from cold start sometimes. Oil is always right up to the top mark. Seems to get worse as it gets near oil change (abt 5000k). Using recomended oil grade 15/40 I think, currently with repco oil in, no difference with mobil.
Engine otherwise ace - no smoke, uses no oil, heaps of go (well heaps in 3L TD terms anyway ). It had original head crack on prev owner, replaced with later head (later one has larger water ports I was told). Injectors, water pump and anything else that needed doing all looked at at that time. Only other engine mod is 3" exhaust.
Is the warning light for pressure or oil level (depth)?

Any (well most anyway) thoughts & suggestions welcome. - run heavier oil?, baffle the sump?, install a oil press guage so i can see what its really doing?, ???

Cheers.

Could possibly be a loose connection on an earth wire somewhere & when you go downhill it gets worse.
The earths are either a white wire with a black trace or brown, some will be attached to the body and some to the engine.
You could also connect a more accurate guage to see what its actually reading.
You dont want to have low oil pressure..they tend to run bearings when this happens (been there done that)

drive it ... wrote:install a oil press guage so i can see what its really doing?, ???

Cheers.

Yep, might as well find out whats really going on before you try fixing things

There is a level sensor in the L/H side of the block / sump.
When the oil level drops on an incline it will illuminate the oil light,

Mine plays up some times, when on a cold engine and going down hill.
Just make sure you still have pressure and all is good.

Calvin

Hey mine does the same thing I wouldn't worry about it, Mine comes on and of when she is ready for an oil change around the 5000 km mark, been doin that since 80,000km and now as 200,000 km on it

risk a $3000 engine or buy a $30 gauge? simple answer in my books..

Dont jump straight into the hard stuff. Is the light red or yellow/orange? If its the red light with the symbol of the oil can then you should take it to your mechanic and get the oil pressure checked with an accurate external guage. The red oil can light only really comes on at very low oil pressure and this is at the point where it is dodgy. If its orange then it should be a level warning light and should be checked either way....

this is a common thing on these. i looked into it a few years back
and came up with....
it happens
no one knows why
does not matter much

def worth getting a aftermarket oil and most certainly a temp gauge because the factory ones are detuned

Mine does the same thing. Tot it might be the sensor needs replacing so went to Toyota to price one up. Guy at that counter said to me if u know there oil level is good on the dip stick n u have good oil pressure. Disconnect it. Not worth replacing as all Toyota after that don't have one. He never bother giving me the price for the sensor.

Thanks for the input. I've talked to a few people with 1KZ and seems some do this but others don't
Its the orange light, and the pressure (factory) gauge still reads ok even when the orange light comes on. I was a bit suss on if the dash pressure guage was accurate enough so I'll get an aftermarket one onto the "to do list".
Cheers

drive it ... wrote:Thanks for the input. I've talked to a few people with 1KZ and seems some do this but others don't
Its the orange light, and the pressure (factory) gauge still reads ok even when the orange light comes on. I was a bit suss on if the dash pressure guage was accurate enough so I'll get an aftermarket one onto the "to do list".
Cheers

Hey mate how did you get on with this little issue. Mine is doing the same and I've only done about 2500km since last oil change. Oil levels good (right to the full mark on dip stick) and pressure on dash gauge only drops to about 1/4 at th lowest at idle, normally 1/2 at 2000rpm I guess.

Finally got my sh*t together and fitted an oil guage (actually I didn't - I got Rick to put it in while some other stuff was being done). Anyway the good news is low pressure is not whats causing the light, motor is holding steady pressure on the guage, even going downhill when its flashing the light. Which is what comments pointed to and I hoped was the case but it is way nicer having the real pressure on display 'cause its just feels wrong to be ignoring an oil warning light.