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Old 01-03-2019, 03:10 PM   #1
WyoOutback
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Member#: 407226
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Jackson, Wy
Vehicle:
2011 Outback
Pearl White

Default Low engine oil level light

So my search couldn’t get anything too specific about this, though I’m certain it’s been covered. Have a 2011 Outback 2.5.
Just did an oil change at a little over 4,200 miles. Used the same oil, Castrol Edge 5w-30. Only difference is the oil filter. This time I used a Bosch Premium filter as opposed to Napa Gold or Subaru’s in house brand. Even filled the filter with a bit of oil before screwing it on. Kinda annoying, seeing as though the nearest shop is 30 miles away, so can’t chance a drive there and blowing my engine. Put the same amount in that has been put in do at least the last 4 oil changes, 4.5 quarts. Oil level is a bit over the F dot on the dipstick, due to it having .3 quarts over the amount called for in the manual. Turned the car on just to get the oil circulating a bit, and lo and behold. The low engine oil level light is on. Could over tightening the filter cause an issue at all? The shop installed the last one, and it was a PITA to get off, and just to be sure I tightened this one pretty good too. Don’t have to drive my car until Monday when I go back to work....... 75 miles away. So would like to get this issue resolved on the next couple days. Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Old 01-03-2019, 04:53 PM   #2
WyoOutback
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Member#: 407226
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Jackson, Wy
Vehicle:
2011 Outback
Pearl White

Default

Ok, so the issue (tentatively and hopefully) resolves itself. So in my franticness and all that, didn’t state that it was the low oil level light, not the pressure light. So I went to drive the car a little bit to warm the engine up and see if the light would turn off, as stated in the owner manual. Drove 10 miles round trip, and at the turn around point, parked I a parking lot and turned my car off and checked the dipstick. About as bone dry as it can get. Which, to me, said that I had dropped 4.5 quarts of oil magically in 5 miles. Oil filter, skid plate and oil pan plug were all in place and dry. Kinda ****ting myself at this point, I put the last quart of oil I had into the car, and limped home. The last .75 miles are on a dirt road, so I was looking for where I could have spilled at this oil. Stopped on the road and looked around in one spot, and didn’t find anything. But when I got back into my car, the light was off. So got the last quarter mile or so home, and checked the oil level. Now it is reading a bit more full than it was immediately after the oil change, presumably due to the extra oil I added.
So my question is: what the actual **** just happened? My best guess is that the oil wasn’t moving too well through the filter for a hot second and then started to, making the light trip until oil flow was up to normal limits.
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Old 01-03-2019, 11:00 PM   #3
DrD
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Chapter/Region: SWIC
Location: Albuquerque, NM
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2024 Legacy Sport

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Old 01-04-2019, 08:10 AM   #4
SirBrass
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Member#: 207263
Join Date: Mar 2009
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Indianapolis area
Vehicle:
2019 WRX Limited
World Rally Blue

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How long did you wait between turning the car off and checking the dip stick?

It probably read so low because no oil had yet drained back into the pan.
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Old 01-05-2019, 07:40 AM   #5
Elbert Bass
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Join Date: May 2011
Chapter/Region: South East
Location: Down yonder.
Vehicle:
2016 Fuji Sunfire 03
Silver

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I see lube techs do this all the time.
You either turned your ignition switch to on with no oil in the crankcase or you left the switch on when draining your oil. That triggered the low oil light and it stays on to get your attention.

When this happens you can perform a reset procedure. Remove the back-up fuse, install in the pre-delivery location, turn the switch on, turn off, reinstall back up fuse in delivery location. To find the pre-delivery location you will see the paint mark on the fuse lines up with the paint mark on an empty fuse slot near the back-up fuse. You can use a spare fuse - I suggest using the back up fuse since the paint mark makes it easy to identify the pre-delivery location.

Last edited by Elbert Bass; 01-05-2019 at 07:49 AM.
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