Honda Car Forum

'94 Legend GS
75,000 Miles
I've owned the car for about 15 months and have no
idea of the history. Work I've had done includes
the timing belt/water pump, brake master cylinder
and EGR valve.

Car has been 'sitting' for about a month while I
have been doing some cosmetic work to it. I
finished over the weekend so yesterday I drove to
work, about 7-8 miles. Getting to work was fine
(freeway), while coming home (surface streets) the
Oil Light came on. Since I was about to stop
anyway, no big deal. I stopped did some grocery
shopping and added a quart of oil to the list.
Checked the oil when I finished shopping and it
was down so I added my quart. Start up,
everything fine, drive home.

I had to go out later that evening and when I was
just about to where I was going, oil light came
on. Did what I needed to do (about 2.5 hours) and
when I left I checked under the car for a pool of
oil, nothing. Checked the level, fine. Started
up, no oil light. JUST about home, light came on.
Put it in the garage and brought the other car
to work today.

Any Ideas Anyone? Sending unit? Pump? Anyway
for an idiot mechanic (myself) to debug the
possibilities or do I need to trust the shop? If
it's a matter of reading the blinking code lights,
I can do that....but that's about it. Any idea on
the cost of the various options? I likely won't
do the work myself, whatever it is so it will be
shop time.

Thanks in advance guys....

None <bigtallbike@netscape.net> wrote in news:FJOdnaJ3IffJL3XeRVn-
ig@giganews.com:

> '94 Legend GS
> 75,000 Miles
> I've owned the car for about 15 months and have no
> idea of the history. Work I've had done includes
> the timing belt/water pump, brake master cylinder
> and EGR valve.
>
> Car has been 'sitting' for about a month while I
> have been doing some cosmetic work to it. I
> finished over the weekend so yesterday I drove to
> work, about 7-8 miles. Getting to work was fine
> (freeway), while coming home (surface streets) the
> Oil Light came on. Since I was about to stop
> anyway, no big deal.

<snip>


You have potentially serious problems here.

If the oil level is OK and the oil light comes on at idle when warm, there
is a strong probability of worn crank/connecting rod bearings, or a worn
oil pump. In other words, the engine may have severe wear. Alternatively,
you could have a blocked oil pump pickup screen, suggesting neglect, and
sludge.

You need to bring the car to a garage that can hook up a pressure gauge to
the oil pressure switch hole and verify the oil pressure.

If the pressure is actually low, continuing to drive it will cause
additional severe damage. Get this looked at ASAP.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"None" <bigtallbike@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:FJOdnaJ3IffJL3XeRVn-ig@giganews.com...
> '94 Legend GS
> 75,000 Miles
> I've owned the car for about 15 months and have no idea of the history.
> Work I've had done includes the timing belt/water pump, brake master
> cylinder and EGR valve.
>
> Car has been 'sitting' for about a month while I have been doing some
> cosmetic work to it. I finished over the weekend so yesterday I drove to
> work, about 7-8 miles. Getting to work was fine (freeway), while coming
> home (surface streets) the Oil Light came on. Since I was about to stop
> anyway, no big deal. I stopped did some grocery shopping and added a
> quart of oil to the list. Checked the oil when I finished shopping and it
> was down so I added my quart. Start up, everything fine, drive home.
>
> I had to go out later that evening and when I was just about to where I
> was going, oil light came on. Did what I needed to do (about 2.5 hours)
> and when I left I checked under the car for a pool of oil, nothing.
> Checked the level, fine. Started up, no oil light. JUST about home,
> light came on. Put it in the garage and brought the other car to work
> today.
>
> Any Ideas Anyone? Sending unit? Pump? Anyway for an idiot mechanic
> (myself) to debug the possibilities or do I need to trust the shop? If
> it's a matter of reading the blinking code lights, I can do that....but
> that's about it. Any idea on the cost of the various options? I likely
> won't do the work myself, whatever it is so it will be shop time.
>
> Thanks in advance guys....

TeGGeR's response is good, especially in your situation, but when my
daughter's '93 Accord had a flashing oil light (owner's manual says
"excessive fluctuation in pressure") I gave it some thought. TeGGeR's way is
the most certain to lead to a proper fix, but....

The most common cause of oil light coming on is failure of the oil pressure
sender. Right now you are in a quandry because you don't know if the sender
is telling you wrong or if the oil pressure really is too low. What I
elected to do was replace the sender so I could assume it was now getting
correct readings and then seeing whether the light came on. I was in luck -
it was only the sender.

In any event, don't drive the car anywhere until this is sorted out one way
or the other. You indicate it will be done at a shop, so my post is more for
the benefit of others - the shop will do it the right way because they'd be
crazy not to. Just don't drive it there. Having it towed to the shop is
worth it for this indication, no matter that the odds are in your favor.

Mike