too much oil causing idiot light?

[WatchItExplode]

I sort of have two problems and I'm trying to figure out if they're related.

First of all, I've got a slow oil leak and I add oil every now and then. Today I added a little bit too much (about 1/8 inch over the "full" line). It was about 5 miles after adding oil that my low oil pressure light came on and I pulled over. Mind you, my aftermarket oil pressure gauge is reading perfectly normal. Here's the stupid part I have gauges temporarily mounted on my steering column and it blocks the idiot light, so I'm not sure if it was on since I added the oil, or if it came on shortly before I noticed it.

Before noticing the light, I was investigating a strange noise that happens when I deccelerate. To be specific, when I rev past 4000 rpm in 2nd gear and let off the gas, there's a loud hum that comes from the front of the car as the engine slows the car down, then goes away as rpm drops below 4000. No noise while deccelerating in 1st. I think there was a little bit of the noise in 3rd but I couldn't go fast enough to tell for sure. I never noticed the noise prior to adding the afforementioned oil. Sorry I can't explain the noise itself any better.

Coincidence, maybe...but I wanted to ask just in case I'm missing something. Also, I want to know if simply adding TOO MUCH oil can cause the idiot/oil light to come on, regardless of pressure.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but one will do anything when their "new" engine is in jeopardy.

 

[WatchItExplode]

one fact I forgot to add:

After I pulled over, I restarted the engine and let it idle for a minute or two. Idiot light stays on. I shut the engine off, let it cool a bit, started again, same thing. Oil pressure is still reading perfectly normal but the light stays on. I was only a mile from home so I decided to drive home. I kept the RPM under 3000 and speed under 30 mph the whole way, light stayed on, engine didn't seize.

 

[staticbrainwash]

Hook up a logger and pull the code to see what it is. I know adding too much oil can be VERY bad, but it doesn't sound like you added that much extra.

But without knowing what the code is, nothing can really help. Other than. . . Drain some oil and re-fill it back to where it should be and see if that helps.

 

[WatchItExplode]

Wow, I had no idea that light throws a code. If nothing else comes out of this, at least I learned that much.

 

[staticbrainwash]

Is it the oil light? Or a CEL? You never made that clear.

If it's the oil light, no, no code. But if by "idiot" light you meant CEL then yes, there's a code.

 

[WatchItExplode]

oh sorry. I meant oil light. There is no check engine light.

 

[Defiant]

Gently crimp the plug for the indicator light so that it stays on the sender. Next to the oil filter. Or, the sender could have died, which could also be your oil leak. The one for the light's cheap.
Oh, and that amount of excess oil would be harmless.

 

[WatchItExplode]

Thanks for the help guys, I solved my problem. Turns out the oil level nor the noise I was hearing had anything to do with it.

My autometer oil pressure sending unit is in the same place the stock sending unit was. Do to its extra width, it touches the oil light's sending unit, causing it to ground out. I knew it would be a problem when I installed the gauge, so I wedged a piece of plastic between the two. I should have known ABS plastic wasn't going to last long sitting only inches from the downpipe. But anyway, the plastic failed, sending unit grounded out, tripped the light. As a temporary fix I was going to wedge the plastic back in, and when I did, the sending unit broke in half. Ordered a new one from Mitsu. $35. Kind of sucks I broke a good sensor, but it's comforting to know I didn't have a serious problem.

Any suggestions for keeping the two sending units separated WITHOUT relocating or otherwise moving the oil pressure gauge sending unit? Maybe a high temp. tape or something similarly thin?

(p.s. my oil leak is coming from the turbo's oil drain, I've been too lazy to fix it because my oil pan threads needs to be retapped)