lilears4 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 hey all... I have a question. I have a 95 legacy L and when I come to idle speed (750 rpm-ish) during a long drive (80 miles+) the oil light flickers or comes on. If I am closer to 1000 rpm, the light stays off. The oil level is slightly overfilled (after a leak, the mechanic fixed the leak and overfilled the engine with oil) thanks in advance Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 How many miles are on the engine? When was the oil last changed? What viscosity grade was used? Are there any engine noises that seem unusual? Has this only started happening since the warm weather we've had? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitecat Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Has the oil pump ever been replaced? How long since the last T-belt replacement? Might be time to get in there and change your oil pump, seals, water pump, t-belt, etc. If the oil pump isn't putting through enough it's a sudden death issue when a camshaft seizes. Or on the other hand if the mechanic used a silicone type sealant it may have migrated into an oil passage and is partially clogging it. Either way the outcome stinks. Good luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 You could put a low range oil pressure test gauge on it to see what the oil pressure is at that point. If the oil light is flickering, the pressure is either pretty low or the pressure switch is faulty or there is a blockage in the gallery. The oil pressure switch is located under the alternator. The thread is 1/8" BSPT (british standard pipe - tapered thread). Some oil pumps had issues with the rear case cover screws backing out thus leaking oil, and sometimes pushing out the front crank seal. Do you have any leaks? If you pull the oil pump and remove the rear case cover, you can measure the rotor clearances and the rotor to case clearance. Then you can decide if you need to replace the oil pump or not...($100+). The rotor matched set can also be purchased and installed in the existing case (provided the case hasn't worn beyond service limits). I don't know what kind of ambient temps/loads you're running in, but Subaru does list some heavier engine oils, even 20W50, as acceptable in high temp/high load situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilears4 Posted June 2, 2007 Author Share Posted June 2, 2007 ok: Oil was changed about 1500mi ago.... capped off repeatedly b/c of the leak until it was fixed. Used 5w30 dyno oil. No unusual noises I have noticed, but it has only happened since it has gotten relatively warm, but even on a day that was about 40-50 deg F. The engine has about 120k on it. The Tbelt and oil pump were done about 40k ago. I am not running heavy loads at all on the car, I am mostly doing highway driving at about 75mph for 3.5 hrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Used 5w30 dyno oil. Get it out while there is still time, I had a 95 ej22 w/145k on it with no problems at all untill I changed the oil with 5w30. Second oil change and it was knocking.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 ok: Oil was changed about 1500mi ago.... capped off repeatedly b/c of the leak until it was fixed. Used 5w30 dyno oil. No unusual noises I have noticed, but it has only happened since it has gotten relatively warm, but even on a day that was about 40-50 deg F. The engine has about 120k on it. The Tbelt and oil pump were done about 40k ago. I am not running heavy loads at all on the car, I am mostly doing highway driving at about 75mph for 3.5 hrs. With an engine that has 120k miles on it, the clearances have probably opened up a bit. You might have to run a bit heavier weight oil than 5W30 in warm weather, and at 1500 miles (even with a partial replacement because of topping off the leaking oil), there may be some gas dilution further reducing the viscosity (you could smell what's on the dipstick and see if it seems "gassy"). I'd suggest changing the oil to a slightly higher viscosity. Checking the oil pressure, as has already been mentioned, wouldn't be a bad idea. There may indeed be a delivery problem due to a blockage or the pump, but start with the easier stuff first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Yes, I think it was '96MY when Subaru started saying 5W30, and then it was for increased fuel economy. I know my '94 manual says 5W30 is not suggested for sustained high speed operation or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilears4 Posted June 2, 2007 Author Share Posted June 2, 2007 so throw in 10w30? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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