BMW of Clear Lake welcomes you to discover why your BMW oil light is illuminated.
When the oil warning light illuminates in your dashboard, it can be a little scary. Engines need oil, and a lack of oil can have destructive consequences. Before you get too concerned, determine which oil light is illuminated, do a few quick checks to see maybe why it’s on, and then decide your next steps. However, if your engine starts making a ticking sound when the oil light turns on, you need to pull over as soon as possible. Engine ticking combined with an oil light probably means that it is getting damaged, and driving it could ruin your engine.
Your first thing in figuring out the oil light is to make sure it’s not just the maintenance reminder. Depending on your car, a maintenance reminder could have the same warning light and sounds. If you’ve put off your recent oil change, it may even say ‘Change Oil Now’ and look quite ominous. It’s not as bad as the oil light but should be taken care of, so let us do it to avoid further problems.
If the engine is low on oil, that can trigger the oil light. Some normal reasons for leaking oil are:
You can pop the hood and look for signs of oil leaks, even if you aren’t a licensed service tech. The engine will probably be covered in dirt, but you can spot a probable oil leak if you see wet, greasy spots. Adding the missing oil between oil changes can be a quick fix, but it could eventually cause low oil pressure if it is not taken care of and cause engine damage.
Having low oil pressure means not all internal components of the engine may not be lubricated correctly. An engine that’s not properly lubricated can get damaged and can cause complete failure if left unchecked. If you have confirmed the engine has the correct oil levels, then the oil light could be anything from the oil pump, a sensor, or even just low oil pressure alone. Your car should get immediately inspected by our technicians in these situations. As stated earlier, running an engine on low oil pressure can cause permanent damage.
BMW of Clear Lake is one of the most trusted places for oil changes in the Houston area. We happily service all vehicle makes and models. One of our factory-trained technicians will inspect your vehicle for any necessary repairs and suggest the best resolution for you and your vehicle. Schedule your Houston service in person or online today.
